The approach of the harvest season follows a summer marked by positive developments for Florida citrus growers. Rainfall has benefited groves, and several industry initiatives have advanced, including the opening of the latest CRAFT cycle for applications and the signing of the 2025 Block Grant by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Rollins. Additionally, announcements such as the USDA’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program and a proposed FDA rule to amend orange juice standards have been made.
The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) plans to release its Annual Report for 2024-25 before the next issue of Triangle is published. The report will include financial data for the year ending June 30, 2025, along with updates on marketing efforts related to Florida Orange Juice, Grapefruit Juice, and Gift Fruit programs. The full report will be available on the FDOC industry website.
The True Original campaign sought to reinforce Florida Orange Juice as “The Original Wellness Drink” among consumers interested in functional beverages that offer health benefits and natural ingredients. This campaign was described as successful over the past year.
According to Steve Johnson, Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission—which oversees FDOC—recent achievements are linked directly to targeted marketing strategies: “Part of this success is a direct result of the FDOC marketing team’s efforts to deliver key messaging to the most relevant audience— an audience I’ve mentioned in previous columns that we’ve dubbed ‘The Modern Juice Consumer.’ Our Global Marketing team summarizes the audience this way: ‘A more focused target, this audience is defined more by mindset and functional beverage need states versus traditional demographics, which is demonstrated through digital and purchase behaviors.’”
Johnson also referenced a quote from Henry Ford that was cited by FDOC Executive Director Shannon Shepp during a recent Legislative Session: “Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.”
Looking ahead, Johnson emphasized ongoing challenges facing citrus growers: “As we look ahead to the coming season, we understand that we can’t stop our watch to save time. In fact, one could argue that time is like land. If you’re a good steward of it— if you manage it wisely— it will be good right back to you. No one knows that better than a citrus grower in the fight against citrus greening. We need resources, we need sustainable solutions, we need to replant with the latest tolerant varieties, and we need to use every ounce of time we have to keep our products front-and-center in the minds of consumers. Why? Because we know that using our time wisely now will result in a more bountiful harvest in years to come; and when that time comes (because it will), the demand must be there to meet it.”
Steve Johnson serves as Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission and owns Johnson Harvesting Inc., based in Wauchula.
