A Family Bet on the Future of Florida Citrus
For Jerry and Keith Mixon, agriculture has always been about more than growing a crop. It is about growing something beautiful on the outside with incredible taste and with a special story.
The Mixon family’s roots in Florida agriculture run deep, with experience gained across all aspects of the industry through its family berry business, Sunnyridge Farm. They understand the need and opportunity for great tasting, healthy fruit grown in a sustainable way. Through changing markets, hurricanes, disease pressure, and the evolution of Florida Citrus, the family has turned its focus to growing what they consider to be the Premier Grapefruit in the world. Florida Grapefruit has long stood out as defining standard of Grapefruit when it came to Internal and External Quality compared to any other growing region in the world. The Mixons are betting they can deliver those values once again to the world.
As HLB, also known as Citrus Greening, continued to challenge Florida citrus growers, the Mixon family recognized that the industry was no longer delivering the great tasting product that had built the Florida reputation. It needed a new approach that could help grow healthy trees like Florida used to. With healthy trees, they could once again deliver that unique Florida fruit quality, and create path forward for reliable fresh citrus production.
In 2015, after visiting with the UF/IFAS team and learning more about the potential of protected citrus production, Jerry planted the family’s first commercial Citrus Under Protective Screen (CUPS) structure: 38 acres of citrus grown under screen. At the time, it was a bold investment in a new strategy for fighting citrus greening - one built around prevention, protection, and precision.
What began as one pioneering structure has grown into one of the most significant CUPS citrus programs in Florida. Many lessons were learned- how to build efficiently, how to repair quickly, the right varieties, the right soils and the right husbandry. Ten years later, the Mixon brothers have joined to build more than 700 acres of Red grapefruit growing under this system, a reflection of both their belief in the system and their commitment to premium Florida citrus.
Their work under CUPS is not just about combatting greening, it is about taking a disciplined, long-term approach to many of the challenges Florida citrus faces. Fertility, water, labor, and pest management become much more efficient. The output of every input is maximized through increased production and efficient use of resources. By growing with protected screen, the Mixon brothers have a stronger opportunity to protect tree health, improve fruit quality and consistency, and keep premium Florida citrus in production.
For the Mixon brothers, this bet represents the next chapter in a long family story. Fruit that is beautiful outside with incredible juice and taste inside is a story of Florida’s return to Grapefruit dominance.
Growing the Next Chapter of Florida Grapefruit
Red Grapefruit has become the centerpiece of the Mixon family’s CUPS program because of its color, flavor, and connection to Florida’s citrus identity.
Known for its deep red interior, juicy texture, and balanced sweet-tart taste, the Ruby grapefruit represents the kind of premium fresh fruit the family believes Florida can continue to be known for.
The Mixon family fruit is grown with purpose - protected from the outside pressures that have challenged traditional citrus production and carefully managed through a system designed for quality.
For Jerry and Keith Mixon, this is more than a farming method. It is a long-term commitment to helping premium Florida grapefruit remain viable, valuable, and available for future generations.
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The Challenge Facing Florida Citrus
For generations, Florida citrus has been one of the state’s most iconic agricultural industries. But over the past two decades, Citrus Greening, also known as HLB, has changed the landscape for growers across the state.
Spread by the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Greening weakens citrus trees, reduces fruit quality, lowers production, and makes it increasingly difficult for traditional groves to remain productive. The impact has been felt across Florida - from family farms and packinghouses to rural communities built around the citrus industry.
However, the story of Florida citrus is not only one of loss. It is one of resilience.
For growers like Jerry and Keith Mixon, the challenges created by greening became a reason to think differently, invest boldly, and help build a new path forward. Citrus Under Protective Screen is a strategic approach designed to protect trees, support consistent fruit quality, and give premium Florida citrus a stronger future.