Florida's first "indoor" U-pick grove opens in Polk County
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Golden Ridge Groves owners Shane and Katie Bevilacqua pose with grapefruit grown under a protective screen. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
Think of it like a giant pool lanai. Or screen porch. Or mesh strainer.
- Or better yet, see the revolutionary citrus-growing method for yourself.
Why it matters: That's an option now, thanks to Polk County's Golden Ridge Groves, where owners Shane and Katie Bevilacqua have created Florida's first "indoor" U-pick experience using Citrus Under Protective Screen, or CUPS.
The big picture: University of Florida researchers developed the method to protect trees from citrus greening, a disease spread by a tiny insect called an Asian citrus psyllid that has decimated Florida's citrus industry.
- CUPS "is cutting-edge technology," Katie Bevilacqua, 32, told Axios, "and no one on the consumer side knows about it."
Flashback: After years of trying unsuccessfully to kill the bacteria that cause greening, UF soil, water and ecosystem sciences professor Arnold Schumann shifted his approach.
- In 2014, Schumann planted the first crop of trees protected by mesh screens fine enough to keep the insects out, he told Axios.
What they found: The screens protected the trees from psyllids, but researchers also clocked more benefits, Schumann said.
- Higher temperatures and humidity meant faster growth and less watering.
- The screens also acted as a windbreak, adding a layer of protection from the wind-spread canker disease and another industry whammy: hurricanes.
Yes, but: Schumann stressed CUPS is an interim solution. There are limitations to scaling the technology, he said, mainly the cost.
- Golden Ridge's Shane Bevilacqua said CUPS structures start at about $1.50 per square foot, or more than $60,000 an acre.
State of play: These days, there are about 1,500 acres of CUPS at groves across Florida, including Golden Ridge, which opened to the public last month about an hour's drive east of Tampa.
- For the Bevilacquas, agriculture is a family business. Katie's grandfather, Gerald Mixon, started SunnyRidge Farm, which specialized in berries and was later sold to Dole.
- Her father and uncle, Jerry and Keith Mixon, became early adopters of CUPS, working with Schumann to build out their own structure and experiment with various citrus varieties.
So far, grapefruit has grown best in CUPS conditions.
- The Ray Ruby variety grown at Golden Ridge is juicy and easy to peel and has a sweetness that's not normally associated with grapefruit.
- "It's not like our grandparents' grapefruit," Shane Bevilacqua, 39, said.
What's next: The Bevilacquas are planning to expand the CUPS U-pick operation to include tangerines and oranges.
- By making CUPS accessible to the public, they also want to inspire the next generation of citrus farmers and bring more optimism to conversations around the industry, Katie Bevilacqua said.
- "Here's a ray of hope."
If you go: CUPS U-pick hours are 10:30am–4:30pm Thursday–Saturday.
- Golden Ridge also offers U-pick sunflowers and strawberries and a market selling several citrus varieties, ice creams, juices and more.
- Check the calendar for hours and events here.
💭 Kathryn's thought bubble: Go to the market and order a cone of the strawberry and blueberry soft serve. You won't regret it.