Florida's Natural Growers facts for kids
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| Agricultural cooperative | |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Members | 1100 |
Florida's Natural Growers is a company that makes juice, mostly orange juice. It is a special kind of business called an agricultural cooperative. This means it is owned by the farmers who grow the fruit. Over 1,100 farmers in Florida own Florida's Natural.
For a long time, Florida's Natural was known for using only oranges grown in the United States. These oranges came from their own farmer members in Florida. However, since May 2022, the company also uses concentrated orange juice from Mexico in some of its products.
Contents
How Florida's Natural Started
Florida's Natural Growers began in 1933. It was first called Florida Citrus Canners Cooperative. At first, they canned juice and grapefruit sections for their farmer members. In 1938, they started using machines to get the juice out of the fruit.
Making Juice for Soldiers
During World War II, the company helped by making concentrated orange juice for the military. After the war, many people wanted frozen juice concentrate. About 80% of the juice the company made was in this frozen form. It was a new and easy way for people to enjoy orange juice at home.
Changing with the Times
In the 1960s, people started wanting juice that was ready to drink. They preferred chilled juice instead of frozen concentrate. So, the company changed to meet this new demand. In 1969, the cooperative changed its name to Citrus World. Later, in 1998, it became known as Florida's Natural Growers.
Today, the cooperative includes 12 groups that represent 14 different citrus cooperatives. These groups work together to grow and process citrus fruits.
Visiting the Grove House
In 2001, Florida's Natural opened a visitor center called the "Grove House." It is located across the street from their juice processing plant in Lake Wales, Florida. You can visit the Grove House from Monday to Friday, between 10 AM and 5 PM. It is closed during the summer months, from Memorial Day until the end of September.
What Products Florida's Natural Makes
Florida's Natural makes different kinds of citrus juices. Their main products are orange juice and lemonades. They also sell juices under other names, like Coral Reef Juice Co. and the Donald Duck brand.
Why Florida's Natural is Different
The company tries to show how it is different from other big juice brands. Their main competitors are Simply Orange, Minute Maid, and Tropicana. Florida's Natural highlights that it is a cooperative. This means it is owned by the farmers themselves. Their slogan, "Florida's Natural. Together, from Tree to Table," shows this idea.
Simply Orange and Minute Maid are both owned by a very large company, Coca-Cola. Tropicana is owned by a French company called PAI Partners, with PepsiCo also having a part. Because Florida's Natural is a cooperative, it uses fruit grown by its own members in Florida. They also use concentrated juice from Mexico. Their goal is to give the best possible payment to their farmer members. This helps support the citrus growers and their families.
See also
- Agriculture in Florida
