B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 13 Though it is far from ranking high as one of the state’s top commodities, citrus is quickly becoming an agricultural buzzword in South Georgia. In August 2013, Lowndes County Extension Agent Jake Price coordinated a meeting with help from the University of Florida for local farmers to discuss the possibility of growing satsumas in South Georgia. With a standing room only crowd of more than 90 people, Price said he knew there was a lot of interest but was still surprised at the response. “Five or six years ago, you would find a few citrus trees mostly in people’s backyards,” Price said. “There was only a handful growing satsumas commercially.” A satsuma is a seedless mandarin, which has a history of being grown in North Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana since the late 1800s; however, much of the acreage has fluctuated because of severe freezes in those areas. Price, who maintains a database of Georgia’s citrus production, states there were approximately 1,500 satsuma trees in 2013 for commercial production or planted on a trial basis. With the citrus frenzy sweeping through the state, the number as of April 2017 represents more than 43,000 trees. The majority of commercially grown satsuma trees are planted in Bulloch, Clinch, Lowndes, Echols, Mitchell, Pierce, Thomas, and Wayne counties. Price said the weather is the main reason satsumas are a good fit for South Georgia. “Satsumas actually need some colder temperatures to create a sweet taste,” he said, “which is why they are not grown in traditional citrus growing regions.” After the initial meeting in 2013, Price started gathering more information on satsumas. Through a collaboration with Valdosta City Schools, he established a test plot of satsuma trees at J.L. Lomax Elementary School. “We are using the school as a research lab,” Price said. “Once the trees become mature and start producing fruit, we will provide satsumas to the school for lunches and send them home with the children.” Using the standard variety called “Owari” grafted onto 10 rootstocks, Price and his team now have 60 test trees, plus an additional 50 trees around the border. Price said the goal of the rootstock trial is to see if the newer rootstocks—many that have never been tested—will yield more fruit and maintain the cold hardiness of the rootstock that is most commonly used. “This is our fourth year and in years five and six we should have several years of yield data that will make our findings more reliable,” Price said. “We will continue to collect data for 10 to 12 years and learn about fruit quality and cold tolerance.” A Family Tradition In Pavo, just outside of Thomasville, Tony Smith’s family has grown citrus trees for more than 40 years. “We still have citrus trees that my parents planted back in the 1970s,” said Smith, who along with his wife, Tamara, own The Fruit Factory. “It is surprising to some people that here in South Georgia you can grow a diverse mix of citrus. We have lemons, key limes, navel oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and satsumas.” Citrus Is Growing Its Roots in South Georgia’s Agricultural Landscape It is surprising to some people that here in South Georgia you can grow a diverse mix of citrus. We have lemons, key limes, navel oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and satsumas. - TONY SMITH