Red Hill Groves turns out a vintage crop
Operating since the 1960's, White's Red Hill Groves is one of the last remaing gift-fruit packaging houses. Currently the inustry is handling between 600 tp 700 thousand up from 400 thousand last year.
Florida's grapefruit staple crop has always taken second place next to the more glamorous varities of oranges. This year, due to the colder weather, grapefruits are juicier then ever said Ed White co-owner of the family-owned business.
Now, White's Red Grovers is gearing up for the second half of the gift season. For smaller shippers, this years mid-winter harvest is said to be shaping up to produce a sweeter high quality grapefuit.
November through April is typically the grapefruit season in the United States. Shipments are usually dominate be tangelos and thin-skinned tangerines during the mid-winter season which then transitions over to the popular navel oranges.
Although shipments that average about 20 lbs of fruit are up 75% from the previous year 2008, they are below the average of 1.6 million cartons tracked in 1987-88.
Most of the fuit production including Red Hill Groves comes from the Indian River region of east central Florida. Thanks to hurricane Fay which drop a substantial amout of rainful at the critical season, making this a vintage crop said the director of the Vero Beach based Indian River Citrus league.
Florida's grapefruit staple crop has always taken second place next to the more glamorous varities of oranges. This year, due to the colder weather, grapefruits are juicier then ever said Ed White co-owner of the family-owned business.
Now, White's Red Grovers is gearing up for the second half of the gift season. For smaller shippers, this years mid-winter harvest is said to be shaping up to produce a sweeter high quality grapefuit.
November through April is typically the grapefruit season in the United States. Shipments are usually dominate be tangelos and thin-skinned tangerines during the mid-winter season which then transitions over to the popular navel oranges.
Although shipments that average about 20 lbs of fruit are up 75% from the previous year 2008, they are below the average of 1.6 million cartons tracked in 1987-88.
Most of the fuit production including Red Hill Groves comes from the Indian River region of east central Florida. Thanks to hurricane Fay which drop a substantial amout of rainful at the critical season, making this a vintage crop said the director of the Vero Beach based Indian River Citrus league.
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