by SHAYLYNN MARKS
photos provided by MIXON FAMILY
IMG Citrus and the Mixon Family are partnering to grow and market Florida grapefruit produced through Citrus Under Protective Screen, commonly known as CUPS. The partnership centers on CUPS-grown Florida grapefruit, with both families focused on delivering a more consistent supply of the superfood that so many know and love, all while building Florida’s reputation for delicious, fresh citrus.
Two Families, One Goal
For Keith Mixon, co-owner of Mixon Family Citrus, the partnership is the next step in a long effort with his brother, Jerry Mixon, to grow grapefruit in a new way while preserving what consumers have long loved about Florida fruit.
“My brother Jerry and I have been on this journey now for about eight years, working to perfect what we see as a great opportunity to produce such a wonderful product that Florida has been known for forever,” Mixon says.
That work is now moving into a larger commercial phase.
The partnership brings together the Mixon Family’s investment in CUPS production with IMG Citrus’ experience in packing, marketing, food safety, logistics, and customer support.
For IMG Citrus, grapefruit has long been central to the company’s identity. Melanie Ressler, co-CEO of IMG Citrus, says IMG has spent more than 45 years in Florida citrus, with a strong focus on grapefruit and bringing it to markets around the world.
“We’ve had the opportunity to see how consumers react to Florida grapefruit compared to other origins, and it’s just clearly preferred,” she says. “We have a very unique tropical climate here in Florida and unique soils that allow us to bring a grapefruit that is much smoother and much sweeter than what other origins are producing.”
Why CUPS Matters
CUPS production places citrus trees inside large screen enclosures that shield them from the Asian citrus psyllid, the insect that spreads citrus greening disease. For grapefruit, the system also supports a more consistent growing environment.
“The Florida taste is unique,” Ressler says. “CUPS combined with that taste allows us to produce Florida grapefruit consistently and reliably — also with some other product attributes that we weren’t able to achieve outdoors.”
Those attributes include better sizing and cleaner fruit, which can make a difference for shoppers before they ever cut into it.
“We’re using less resources, we’re using less acres, we’re using less water to produce the same amount of fruit,” she says.
Mixon says Central Florida is especially well suited for the system because of its sandy soil and inland location.
“We do find that for our production in Central Florida, using this growing method is the most reliable,” he says. “With our soils, it’s good Central Florida sand, and we get to utilize our CUPS very efficiently.”
Ressler agrees, calling the Mixon location “the sweet spot” for CUPS growing.
“I think where Keith is located is kind of the sweet spot for CUPS growing — the perfect combination of the land and the soil and a little bit inland, so away from the heavy winds,” she says.
Scaling Up
Together, IMG Citrus and the Mixon Family represent more than 850 acres of CUPS production, with a combined program expected to represent more than 1.4 million cases. The partnership is also expected to account for more than half of Florida’s fresh grapefruit market.
Mixon says the family has been planting large new blocks of fruit over the past three years, with more growth planned.
“We will continue through really 2028 to keep scaling this up,” he says. “The trees take several years to grow before they do produce,” Mixon says. “That train has left the station and will start delivering this year, next year, and the years after every year.”
Because the average citrus can take several years to produce meaningful volume, the increased supply will gradually build over time.
Ressler says the product will move into broader markets as production increases.
“I think the product will be distributed worldwide as the production comes up,” she says. “The first couple of years we’re going to focus on the U.S. market and the market as a whole in Canada.”
After that, she says, IMG Citrus looks forward to returning to export markets such as Europe and potentially Japan.
Why Now
The timing comes as consumers are paying closer attention to where their food comes from and how it is grown.
“People are starting to, or are continuing to, want to be closer and closer to the food they’re eating, and they want to understand where it comes from,” Mixon says.
For grapefruit, the timing is also rooted in recovery. HLB has affected Florida grapefruit production, taste, and appearance, and Mixon says CUPS offers a way to protect trees while rebuilding what Florida is known for.
“We want to be specialists in grapefruit,” he says. “We want to focus our energies on it and really do the best that we can do to make it a premier product.”
Ressler says the fruit is ready for rediscovery, especially among consumers who may not have tasted Florida grapefruit at its best.
“A lot of people maybe haven’t been exposed to grapefruit in the last 10 years,” she says.
For the families behind the partnership, the goal is to bring Florida grapefruit back to the marketplace with the flavor, appearance, and reliability that made it famous in the first place.
“At our core,” Ressler says, “we believe that grapefruit was worth fighting for.”