The annual John Montgomery Memorial Citrus Drive began at our October 6 club meeting. Packets with information about this year’s campaign were passed out at the time.
Selling citrus has been a fundraiser for our club since 1975. That was 50 years ago. When we started selling citrus, we looked to Florida because it was the best we could buy. That has changed dramatically due to hurricanes, droughts, a disease called greening, and commercialization of the land. The land is worth more for development than as a citrus crop. When the industry leader of citrus falters, uncertainty results in higher cost for citrus.
This year we are getting oranges from California and grapefruit from Texas or Florida. The selling price for all large 40 LB cartons is $65.00. The selling price for all smaller 20 LB cartons is $35.00. This is the third consecutive year that we have raised prices on the large cartons. There may be a point where our customers will resist paying higher prices for citrus. So far there has been limited resistance to higher prices because they are aware that our profits go to local charities.
Just so you know, the real expense is what we pay for citrus. Nobody gets paid to help at the warehouse or anywhere else. For many years we paid a small amount to a warehouse employee. But he has retired and no one else from the warehouse will help us in any significant way. We will need more volunteers to help at the warehouse (image below) on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6.
In selling citrus, the question remains: How do you convince a potential customer to buy a large quantity of citrus? First of all, the citrus will keep for an extended period of time, so it doesn’t have to be used in a short period. The oranges can last for five to six weeks; the grapefruit can last for ten to twelve weeks. If there is still resistance to buying the citrus, you can always present the idea of buying citrus for the foodbank (image below). This choice provides citrus for food pantries, and the profit from the sale will be used to help other local charities.
This year’s Citrus Drive lasts for five weeks and concludes on Monday, November 10. Don’t wait until the last minute to get started. Good luck in your efforts to sell citrus!