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It is a well-known reality that the state of Florida produces the best tasting citrus fruit anywhere in the world. Outstanding weather, high-quality soil and ample rainfall give Florida a distinct advantage for producing the premium oranges along with grapefruit on the market. There's one region within Florida, though that is the best region for producing citrus in one of the top citrus growing states: the Indian River Citrus Area. This region can be described as narrow strip of land of around 200 miles along the eastern coastline in Florida at approximately the halfway point in the state. It's gained this recognition since the 1920s, and it's also so essential for the growers there that the Federal Trade Commission has forbidden the usage of the term "Indian River" for all citrus not grown at this place. Even though oranges are grown here, the most important crop has always been grapefruit. At present about 75% of all grapefruit from Florida come from the area. The area is extremely flat; therefore the water table is just 2- 3 feet deep. This supply of water plus the region gets about 52 inches of rainfall annually result in the moisture content for producing the fruit perfect. Their soil is rich in calcium along with other minerals that are also ideal for producing citrus fruit. These are some elements that go into making this spot great for growing citrus fruit. But possibly the main reason it exceeds other parts of the state is actually because it will be least susceptible to perhaps the greatest opponent for citrus growers. Winter freezes can do an incredible amount of destruction of their citrus production and the Indian River area has built-in freeze protection. There are 3 factors behind this: 1. Proximity with the Gulf Stream. Because the Indian River region sticks out into the Atlantic it can get much of the warmth from the Atlantic as the Gulf Stream works its way from the Caribbean. 2. Remoteness of cold air coming from the north. Due to the fact that it really is farther away from cold weather sweeping down from the north, it has a greater chance of enduring these cold spells. 3. The flatness of the area. Especially if cold weather will be predicted growers will pump water into their groves, and because of the flatness those few inches of water can provide enough heat over the course of the night to raise the temperature as much as 2-4 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are planning a vacation to this spectacular area, our article on Orlando will give you some interesting information on Disney World. You can find more about Florida on our site http://whattoseeinflorida.com/ and we welcome you to take a look. Jim O'Connell is an avid traveler and writer living in Chicago.
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citrus fruit, perfect grapefruit, Indian River fruit,
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