Provided by Florida Citrus Mutual
Florida citrus is a living legacy that has shaped the identity of the Sunshine State – a legacy passed down through hardworking Florida families for more than a century. Among these Centennial Citrus Growers who have helped to build and sustain this industry is the Snively family.
For more than 100 years, the Snivelys have helped build and sustain Florida’s citrus heritage. Jim Snively, a fourth-generation citrus grower and Vice President of Grove Operations for Southern Gardens Grove Corporation, reflects on his family’s legacy and its future.
1. How did your family get involved in the citrus industry?
A. My great-grandfather, John A. Snively Sr., moved from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, down to Polk County – specifically Winter Haven – in 1914. He started buying land – real estate acquisitions – to start and soon transitioned to growing citrus after acquiring orange groves. Over time, he amassed about 10,000 acres of citrus groves, a citrus processing plant, a packing house and a facility that produced wooden boxes used during that era for packing citrus.
A few years later, my great-grandfather’s brother, Pete, joined him in the family business followed by their younger brother, Tom. While the brothers eventually pursued separate endeavors, citrus has certainly been a family tradition in each generation since.
At 14, I started learning about citrus caretaking and began working in the orange groves – that was in the 1970s. During that time, I really developed a true love for the work and realized this was what I wanted to do.
Today, I serve as the Vice President of Grove Operations for Southern Gardens Grove Corporation, a citrus grower and citrus management company. My brother is also in the industry. He works with Archers Daniels Midland (ADM), which utilizes the byproducts of citrus to make oils and other products.
2. What are some challenges Florida’s citrus industry has faced over the years and worked to overcome?
A. Florida’s citrus industry has weathered more than its fair share of challenges, and yet, our climate is the best for growing citrus. Freezes have been a significant challenge for generations. I recall hearing stories about freezes in the 1950s and 1962, and then I witnessed them myself in 1977 and throughout the 1980s, when we had back-to-back freezes in 1981, 1982 and 1983, and many others from 1985 to 1989. There have also been economic challenges, like low fruit prices in the 1960s. These ups and downs have been tough, but we’ve always found ways to adapt and move forward.
3. What’s your why for continuing to work in Florida’s citrus industry all these years?
A. The citrus industry has been very good to me and my family. I’ve always loved the work; it’s always been fun and rewarding. The 2000s is when the challenges became bigger and more complex. In 2004, we were impacted by hurricanes and citrus canker. Then, in 2005, citrus greening was found.
I’ve always been a competitor and someone who wanted to do the right thing. That mindset has driven me to collaborate with our various industry partners to find solutions to the challenges we face to move toward a more sustainable future. I want this industry to be successful, and that’s what has kept me going all these years.
4. How have the advancements in technology, especially with citrus greening, impacted the way citrus groves are managed compared to, say, a hundred years ago?
A. Over the past 20 years, we have collaborated with researchers to combat citrus greening and to develop a tree that is tolerant or resistant to citrus greening through various innovations and technologies. The battle continues and progress has been made toward a tolerant or resistant tree, but we have a ways to go.
Initially, our key strategies for combatting HLB included early detection of HLB-infected trees, removal of infected trees, control of the Asian citrus psyllid and replanting new trees. While our replanting efforts continue, we now maintain tree health through strategic treatments and therapies, which we hope will show promise in improving production and fruit quality until we can find a long-term solution.
5. Why is it important to continue championing Florida’s citrus industry?
A. Citrus has always been an integral part of Florida. It’s a significant economic driver and is the state’s signature crop.
I believe there will always be a future for the citrus industry in Florida – even if it may look different from what it did in the past. Perhaps we’ll shift more toward the fresh fruit market in the future, for instance, but our industry will survive. I firmly believe it will be an industry similar to what my ancestors had when they started – we will be a pioneering industry as we adapt, innovate, and evolve.
This feature is part of Florida Citrus Mutual’s Centennial Citrus Growers series, recognizing multigenerational families who continue to shape the future of Florida citrus.