FORT PIERCE, Fla. — You can smell it before you can see it! I'm talking about Florida citrus groves.
Florida is one of the world's largest producers of citrus and here in our backyard, Al's Family Farms has been harvesting and producing for three generations.
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Jeff Schorner showed us around the red barn that can be seen and smelled from Kings Highway in Fort Pierce. When asked what makes a Florida orange so unique he said it's the juice and sugar content.
"Our mission statement is to let everything be a blessing to our customers," Schorner said. "If I'm not gonna wanna finish eating this piece of fruit, I am not gonna pack it in your box."
Family, community and keeping Florida farming vibrant is what keeps Al's Family Farm full of juice!
"There's just not a whole lot of businesses like this left," Schorner said. "When I was a kid growing up, there was one on every quarter mile on this road, but now we are the only one left."
"We love the blood oranges and the honey bells," said one couple visiting Al's Family Farm from Maryland. "We like the folks here. They are very pleasing and accommodating and their produce is very fresh."
It's not just the citrus that makes this family farm so successful, there's a famous sweet treat that people love — the Sunshine Shake.
"The secret to the Sunshine Shake is Al's fresh-squeezed orange juice with some of the best ice cream we can find," Schorner said.
The real secret to keeping Florida citrus alive is the customers that keep coming back.
"Let's just hope that we get the support we need," Schorner said. "As long as you demand your local Florida agriculture, you support your local farmers, there will be a place for us for the next 25 years."
