Citrus Royalty

The first thing I noticed about Mary Mitchell, owner of Eagles' Nest Organic Citrus grove, was the power of her commanding presence.

As Rodney Scaman (one of the owners of Goodness Greenness Sustainable Foods who had flown in especially to facilitate my introduction) and I walked into the restaurant, I had no doubt as to whom we were meeting. Her posture was nearly perfect but not so stiff as to be unapproachable. Seated at the table, she was flanked on either side by men who worked with/for her and their body language told me immediately that she was not one whose wrong side they or anyone else would ever want to be on.

She hails from Paducah, Kentucky, having been a city girl before her husband bought the grove about 30 years ago and as she says, "didn't have a damn bit of sense about how to run it which means I had to figure it out because all our money was tied up in it." He passed a way a few years ago but "run it" she has.

Over lunch I was mesmerized as she told me her story and the 30-year journey she has had in the organic industry. You can't help but yield the floor to this woman as words sounds like honey when spoken with her southern accent. It is because of Mary that organic citrus in the state of Florida is where it is today. In the 80's she fought in court to overrule fumigation laws that made shipping organic citrus across Florida state lines illegal. She stood her ground when state inspectors were sent to shut her operation down because they felt organic was a threat to other citrus growers whose money lined their pockets. John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, started in the industry by selling out of a garage; Mary was one of his initial growers. Her roots in the industry run deep and she is on a first name basis with all the important power players.

She is a woman in a man's world but this isn't something that bothers her. She holds her own and holds it well. I pity the man who attempts to speak to her with sexual inneuendos as she will put them in their place and shame them without ever raising her voice or looking away. She once told a buyer from a large grocery chain, "I am flying up next week to take you to supper because I need to find at least one thing I like about you or you won't be buying from me anymore." I asssure you it wasn't an empty threat considering she has been known to stop selling to companies even as large as Whole Foods or Albert's because their buyers didn't respect her. She doesn't care how big they are or how much money she stands to lose, her dignity is not for sale. She lives alone and is often targeted by thieves and low-lifes having even been kidnapped at gun point, but she has a solution for this - her Smith & Wesson or shot gun which she not only knows how to use but has a track record of not being afraid to.

After lunch we headed to the grove and I learned that they paint the trunks of new trees with organic milk to keep them from getting sun burned. I ate a fresh Honey Bell off the tree and was convinced I had ended up in orange heaven as it was so full of juice and by far one of the sweetest oranges I have ever tasted. Traditionally, citrus is picked green and gassed to be made orange, but not Mary's. They are tree ripened and not picked until naturally orange. She tests her citrus on a regular basis for acid and bricks levels using some sort of complicated math formula with the two numbers to find out the exact perfect time to pick and ship the fruit. She has seasonal help that works in the packaging house and picking but does all the tree maintance herself such as pruning and picking tree moss by hand.

Back at her house she offered us some of her homemade orange cake and oh, my soul was it wonderful! It was there, in her modest home, that I got to see the other side of Mary's personality. She made sure my coffee cup was filled to the brim and that I felt welcome. She had a conversation with Rodney about how to best help me get with other growers in the state, offered sensible advice about how sticking to your convictions is the key to success, and gave words of encouragement about my new business.

As the day came to an end Rodney and I strapped our precious cargo into Fiona's car seat and headed back south.

I am a firm believer in making the family farm the story behind our food and Mary is a perfect example of what story I wish my food to tell.

Cheers and Happy Eats!

Lucinda