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Longtime Florida Ag Influencers Go Back to the Future With New Citrus Endeavor

Avatar for Paul Rusnak Posted by Paul Rusnak|May 20, 2025
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The Mixon Family is well-known in Florida agriculture circles. They achieved success and earned recognition growing blueberries under the SunnyRidge Farm Inc. banner. The Central Florida-based operation was acquired by Dole in 2011. Mixon brothers — Jerry and Keith — now are looking to make a return to their citrus roots. They recently announced the hiring of Ed Leotti, former COO of Tamiami Citrus LLC, as VP of Production to lead their expansion into growing citrus under protective screen (CUPS).

The Mixon brothers are aiming to help revitalize Florida’s citrus industry, which has been hit hard by HLB (aka, citrus greening) and major hurricanes. Their efforts are reported to be focusing on scaling up large scale citrus under protective screen (CUPS) projects, including building methods and materials, disease management, and production management.

“Citrus has always been at the heart of Florida’s agricultural identity, and we’re committed to doing our part in restoring it to greatness,” says Keith Mixon. “With Ed Leotti’s expertise in grove operations and his proven ability to drive results through innovation, we’re assembling a team that can tackle our vision of efficiently producing beautiful and great tasting Florida citrus.”

Leotti, a veteran leader in the citrus industry, brings years of experience developing and managing large-scale operations as well as collaborating with researchers on solutions to production challenges.

RELATED CONTENT: Can Growing Citrus Under Protective Screen Save Florida’s Signature Crop?

The Mixon brothers’ return to citrus marks a renewed commitment to collaboration with industry stakeholders, including researchers, growers, and the University of Florida. UF/IFAS continues its work to advance the state’s citrus sector amid all the challenges. Part of that work includes CUPS research, which researchers there have been on the front lines.

“Florida growers are resilient, and with the right tools and leadership, we can meet the challenges facing citrus head-on,” adds Jerry Mixon. “We see CUPS as a critical part of the solution, and with Ed’s leadership in grove production, we’re confident we can pave the way for a brighter future.”

Stay tuned for more developments on the Mixon brothers’ renewed citrus commitment via CUPS.

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CEAg World addresses the market trends, challenges, innovations and business implications for the controlled environment industry through in-depth coverage and conversations with emerging and leading perspectives across the ecosystem. It brings thought leadership and context to the expanding global business of growing food under cover and the connective tissues that facilitate its viability and acceleration. Learn more about CEAg World here >

Paul Rusnak is the Senior Multimedia Specialist for Meister Media Worldwide's Specialty Crops Division, which consists of American Vegetable Grower, American Fruit Grower, and Greenhouse Grower, all Meister Media brands. He is based in Northeast Florida. See all author stories here.