Citrus Label Tour

Earlier this year residents of Lakeland Florida noticed a new sign pop up outside of The Mckay Archives at Florida Southern College. The sign is simply the image of a beautiful crate label from Florida Citrus’s great past and has brought up many conversations among Lakelanders. Many people are wondering why, and the reasoning is very simple: Crate Labels are a lost art. Nowadays it is so common for companies to take logos and branding for granted. So many logos look almost identical and, as a result, have become easy to overlook.

Citrus crate labels were made to have certain brands of citrus fruits stand out from other more mundane brands and it was very effective. The images were eye-catching and the slogans occasionally scrawled across them were fun. Unfortunately, so many brands of citrus have diverted from this and it is quite a shame. So many people do not even remember how beautiful the crate labels were. That is why the sign was put up. To remind others how special the citrus industry is here in Florida, and to educate those who did not realize that crate labels were such a necessary part of the Florida Citrus Industry’s proud heritage.

The sign is a part of the Citrus Label Tour of Polk County and will be up at the Mckay Archives for quite awhile. If you have any questions about it, or about the Citrus Label Tour, feel free to call us at 863-680-4164.

Written By: Emma Morton

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

The 2017 Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees!

Hey Citrus Fans, for those of you who do not know, The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inducted three new men. On March 10th, The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame inducted James H. “Jim” Ellis of Bartow, Florida, T. Ralph Robinson (deceased), and Michael W. Sparks of Apollo Beach, Florida. These three distinguished men all dedicated their lives to helping promote the citrus industry right here in the sunshine state, and the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is honored to have these men join the ranks of the many others who have helped to advocate for the citrus industry.

Jim Ellis graduated from Florida Southern College, and while he was a student he was president of the Citrus Club and received the Florida Citrus Mutual Award due to his dedication to the field of citrus. Ellis is currently is in charge of the Citrus License & Bonds in the Division of Fruits & Vegetables for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

T. Ralph Robinson (1876-1967) graduated from Syracuse University and used to live in Syracuse, New York, but moved to Terra Ceia, Florida in 1910. During his life he was president of the Florida State Horticultural Society and he has a biography listed in “American Men of Science” and “Who’s Who.” He also published about 80 papers on horticultural subjects.

Mike Sparks has worked with the citrus industry for much of his life. For 29 years he worked with the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) in several capacities. For the past 10 years he has held the position of Executive Vice President and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual in Lakeland, Florida (which happens to be the largest citrus grower trade association in the world) and has helped FCM to start incredible long-term appropriations for pest and disease research. Because of his efforts he has helped secure $125 million in mandatory Farm Bill funding that will benefit the citrus industry greatly.

These men have secured their place in citrus history through their unprecedented commitment to the Florida Citrus Industry. Thanks to their efforts, the Florida Citrus Industry will continue to grow and continue to forward research for advancements in this field of agriculture. From all of us here at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, we welcome Mr. Ellis, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Sparks into the Citrus Hall of Fame family.

Written By: Emma Morton

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

The Search for New Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees

How exciting! The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is on the lookout for potential inductee nominations, with a scheduled inductee ceremony already in place for Friday, March 11, 2016 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, cosponsored by Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Department of Citrus.

In case you are wondering who is eligible, the Hall of Fame looks for nominees who have made an impact to the Florida Citrus Industry in fields such as harvesting, packing, processing, marketing, scientific and/or educational areas. To see an example, you can visit the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame website to find information and videos on past inductees, such as last year’s inductees, Nicholas “Nick” D. Faryna, Sherwood J. “Buddy” Johnson, and John C. Updike, Sr.

If you have someone you think should be nominated, here is what you need to do:

Nomination forms can be found at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame website and must be sent in no later than November 1^st, 2015. Any later submissions will be considered for the following year. All nominations need to include the following: a full summary of the nominee’s accomplishments, letters of support from industry members, and a photograph. Completed applications can either be emailed to Executive Director, Brenda Eubanks Burnette at bburne1003@aol.com or sent as hard copies to Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, 411 East Orange Street, Lakeland, FL 33801.

For more information, please contact either John Jackson at jackson71344@yahoo.com or Brenda Eubanks Burnette at (561) 351-4314 or bburne1003@aol.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Reflections on the 2015 Inductee Ceremony

                With a small smile on his face, Sherwood J. “Buddy” Johnson proudly accepted his plaque signifying his acceptance into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame at their luncheon last Friday, March 6^th. Family, friends, and other citrus industry participants applauded, celebrating alongside him. It was a magnificent honor and Johnson made sure to let his audience know how grateful he was for it.

                Johnson was not the only one inducted. There were also Nicholas “Nick” D. Faryna and John C. Updike, Sr., who were inducted posthumously. Their children accepted their awards for them, glad to have others acknowledge the impact their fathers had on the citrus industry.

                It was a wonderful experience to take part with this celebration. Through videos about their lives and speeches made, it was amazing to see the involvement that these inductees had with the citrus industry. According to the 2015 Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Citrus Celebration program, Faryna experimented on ways to use water during a freeze to protect citrus crops, which ended up being implemented in many northern groves. Updike created the “dairy pack concept of frozen orange concentrate.”And Johnson was one of the first packers that moved into the computer age with his grading line. All three inductees clearly deserved recognition and it was wonderful to see them get it.

                It was also so sweet to see Faryna and Updike’s adult children go up to the microphone and speak warmly and nostalgically about their fathers. In addition, it was nice to see Johnson go up and personally thank everyone. I had no idea the diligence, time, and work that needed to be invested in the citrus industry to run groves, packinghouses, gift fruit businesses, and more. By the end of it all, I was glad to see these inductees commemorated for their contributions to the citrus industry.

                Before I attended the inductee ceremony, I never really understood what the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was all about. According to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame website, “The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was established in 1962 to pay tribute to those who have made outstanding contributions to the Florida citrus industry.” I had read this description, but I did not understand it until I went to the inductee ceremony and saw the award accepted with immense gratitude. There are so many people involved in the citrus industry, having to constantly think of innovative ways to work through freezes, financial issues, and other obstacles. It is not an easy job, but those who fulfill it deserve to be commemorated.

                I am glad I was able to witness such a celebratory event. It inspired me to work diligently in my own life; perhaps someday I might have family members that are proud enough to want to share my accomplishments with the world. However, in order to have accomplishments worth celebrating, like these three inductees, I learnt there is one important action I need to take to heart: perseverance.

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Reflections on the 2015 Florida Conference of Historians

                There I stood, in front of about thirty people, ready to give my presentation on a topic I was sure no one would care about: the Florida Citrus Queens and Miss Florida Citrus. With my note cards in my hands and my Prezi projected behind me, I talked about the evolution of the citrus queen title and job over the years as a result of the American Feminist movement. To my surprise, I was greeted by a round of applause at the end of my presentation, as well as several interested questions after all of the presentations were over.

                I knew exactly what I wanted to present from the moment my supervisor mentioned the 2015 Florida Conference of Historians, which was held at Florida Southern College last weekend. I have always been interested in the Florida Citrus Queens and Miss Florida Citrus. Honestly, I am really just a fan of the way these women worked for the Florida citrus industry. One day, I was watching the “Miss Florida Citrus and Florida Citrus Queens” YouTube video on the CitrusLegacyChannel and I noticed the change from dresses to business attire. My observation sparked an interest in me and I started to question why the change from Florida Citrus Queen to Miss Florida Citrus occurred and how it happened as well. As a result, the idea for my presentation was born.

                However, as interesting as the topic was for me, I had no idea that it would be interesting to anyone else. After months of research, scanning photos, writing my paper, preparing my presentation, and practicing, I was ready to share what I had worked so diligently on at the conference. I was pleased to see that my hard worked was appreciated by the attendees.

                It was also a nice surprise to see how engaged everyone was in my coworker, Anthony Woodside’s, presentation on the history of the Florida citrus crate labels. With a witty attitude and several colorful citrus crate labels to display, my coworker shared his own research on how the crate labels reflected American culture in the 1920s-1950s. He had several questions to answer at the end of the presentations as well.

                Before the presentation, I feared that Anthony and I were going to have a difficult time during the question portion of the conference. I thought there would be several attendees who would find faults in our research because they knew more about citrus industry history than us. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. People asked questions because they wanted to know more about our research. They were interested in what we had to say because we were the ones who knew more. It was quite an exhilarating experience.

                It feels odd to be done with the conference after preparing for it for so long. However, it was a wonderful, educational experience that helped me grow as a student and employee. I know this experience will add to my resume and will help me as I someday leave the comforts of college to move into a challenging career in the real world. Then, when I have to give another important presentation for another job, I will remember when I worked for the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame at the Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center. I will remember the confidence my supervisors had in me as I prepared for and presented my work at the conference. Finally, as I look back on all of this, I will know the quality of work I am capable of and will put just as much effort into my work as I learned to do for the 2015 Florida Conference of Historians.

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Florida Citrus Celebration at Bok Tower Gardens – Follow Up

                The Florida Citrus Celebration has been a great success so far and we sure hope it will continue to be so. I was able to witness firsthand the events held on Saturday, November 8^th and I can agree that the Florida Citrus Celebration is worth seeing and the events worth attending.

                The OJ Meet and Greet with the Queens was the first event I was able to attend. There were nine Citrus Queens who attended: Brenda Eubanks Burnette, Shannon Potts Franco, Lori Schirard Grubb, Dana Morgan Hamlin, Mandy Hancock Jarrett, Lisa Maile, LaVoyce Leggett Porter, and Nikki Upthegrove Mathews. One could take pictures with these women by the Captain Citrus photo stand or simply talk with them about their citrus experiences. Afterwards, the former queens were able to chat with each other about their nostalgic days as Citrus Queens at the Citrus Queen luncheon.

                There was also the Citrus Crate Label Show and Sale that I got to see. Beautiful citrus labels stood proudly on display like intricate pieces of artwork for citrus loving visitors to enjoy. During the times when I was supposed to be watching the table and answering questions, even I found it difficult not to look at the collection of citrus labels in front of me. It was nice to know that if anyone was particularly interested, they were able to purchase some to take home.

                In addition, there were all sorts of tours to take around the gardens. One that I was interested in, but was unfortunately unable to go on, was a citrus grove tour with John Jackson, the President of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. I am sure it was definitely a sight to see.

                At least I was able to see the historical exhibit, “Central Florida’s Citrus Culture,” which was very interesting. It is definitely worth mentioning that the citrus display will be in place through January 3^rd, 2015. There is still time to visit Bok Tower Gardens and see the public exhibit celebrating the 90^th anniversary since the first Florida Citrus Queen pageant and the 85^th anniversary of Bok Tower Gardens.

I definitely urge anyone who is interested to seize this opportunity to see this exhibit and take part in the Florida Citrus Celebration before it is too late.

                Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center

Florida Citrus Celebration at Bok Tower Gardens

                  It is exciting news that the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame has teamed up with Bok Tower Gardens to create the Florida Citrus Celebration, a 3-1/2 month public exhibit celebrating the 90^th anniversary since the first Florida Citrus Queen pageant and the 85^th anniversary of Bok Tower Gardens. The historical exhibit, titled “Central Florida’s Citrus Culture,” will run from October 3, 2014 to January 15, 2015, and it will present the story of the importance of Florida’s citrus in Polk County and Bok Tower Gardens.

                  In addition to the exhibit, the week of November 3-9, 2014, called Florida Citrus Days, brings along with it several programs and events as part of the celebration. There will be all sorts of talks, tours, films, educational programs, and much more, all free to daily visitors to the gardens. The talks will range from cooking with citrus to fruit and floral arranging and the tours will be led by Florida Citrus Hall of Fame president, John Jackson. There will even be Florida citrus souvenirs available for purchase in the gift shop. There will also be a video showcasing a pictorial history of the citrus industry, titled “Barrels to Bins,” shown in the Visitor Center.

The weekend also brings additional events, such as the Citrus Crate and Label Show & Sale and the Florida Citrus Queen Reunion on November 8^th. A photo stand featuring Captain Citrus, the new Marvel comic hero of the Florida Department of Citrus, will be a popular spot for souvenir pictures commemorating the event.

                  Below, please find a schedule of the events being held:

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 – 6:00 p.m.

The History of Citrus Pioneers – Jim Ellis

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 – 6:00 p.m.

Collecting Citrus Crate Labels – Jerry Chicone, Jr., Jim Ellis

Thursday, November 6, 2014 – 6:00 p.m.

Citrus as a Tourism Marketing Vehicle – Brenda Eubanks Burnette

Saturday, November 8, 2014

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.      Citrus Crate Label Show & Sale

10:00 a.m.                             Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

10:00 a.m.                             OJ Meet & Greet with the Queens

11:00 a.m.                             Backyard Citrus Growing – Greg Kramer, Magnolia Room

12:00 p.m.                             Citrus Queen Reunion & Lunch with the Industry

2:00 p.m.                                Cooking with Citrus – Jennifer Beam, Cindy Klemmer

3:00 p.m.                                Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

ALL DAY                                    Barrels to Bins Video – Visitors’ Center

ALL DAY                                    Fruit & Floral Arrangements on Display

ALL DAY                                    Captain Citrus Photo Stand

Sunday, November 9, 2014

10:00 a.m.                             Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

11:00 a.m.                             Backyard Citrus Growing & Greening – Greg Kramer, Magnolia Room

12:00 p.m.                             Cooking with Citrus – Jennifer Beam, Cindy Klemmer

2:00 p.m.                                Floral Arrangements with Citrus – Jennifer Beam

3:00 p.m.                                Citrus Grove Tour with John Jackson, President, Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

ALL DAY                                    Barrels to Bins Video – Visitors’ Center

ALL DAY                                    Fruit & Floral Arrangements on Display

ALL DAY                                    Captain Citrus Photo Stand

                  The Florida Citrus Celebration at Bok Tower Gardens is sure to be an excellent commemoration of the importance of the Florida citrus industry in communities, especially in Polk County and Bok Tower Garden. Please feel free to take the opportunity to join us in our celebration and attend any of the aforementioned events.

                  I know I wouldn’t want to miss it!

Written by Selys Rivera

Student Fellow at the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame

In partnership with Florida Southern College’s McKay Archives Center