A Lesson at the Orange Grove
Have you ever been to an orange grove? Oranges can be found growing in Florida and California. A few can be found in other states but they are susceptible to cold weather.
Picking food of any kind is fun and rewarding. Being part of the food you eat can help children try different foods and take pride in fixing a meal for the family. If picking citrus is unavailable where you live, try visiting a farmer’s market and tasting a variety of citrus fruit.
Grant and I visited a family run orange grove in Deleon Springs, Florida. Join us in the video above for a virtual tour of our visit. Use the printable activity sheet when you visit a grove and learn more about how citrus grows. Adapt the sheet to the fruit or vegetable farm you visit.
Here in Florida where we live, orange trees are part of our history. During the 1500’s Ponce DeLeon, the Spanish explorer was said to have planted the first orange trees. In 1773 William Bartram noted wild oranges growing along rivers in Florida. The orange has been used in advertising and attractions for the sunshine state for over 100 years. Just with this information, a unit study is born!
Around 1925, my great grandparents came to Groveland, Florida to work in the orange groves. They had two small children and lived in a tent. They had come from Wakulla, Florida, looking for a better opportunity. My great-grandfather eventually started working for Orlando Utilities Commission, where he and my grandfather retired from. I can’t imagine living in those times of hardship, yet it was the groves that made Orlando home to four generations of my family.
Fifty years ago, most people in tropical states would have had an orange tree in their backyard, or close enough to pick one now and then. My grandparents had an acre grove in their backyard. For me growing up, picking oranges was my favorite sweet treat. My grandmother would roll the orange on the counter to break down the membranes and get the inside juicy. Then she would cut a hole in the top and peel a little rind away. I would slurp out the delicious juice while sitting up in my favorite cedar tree.
Think about taking a trip to a u-pick grove and get up close to an orange tree.
- 74 million orange trees make it the largest produce grown in America.
- 90% of the orange juice consumed in America is from Florida.
- Florida’s production began booming in the 1880’s when cities like New York City were beginning to consume the citrus fruit. That is when the steamboat trade began to take off in Florida to get the shipments north.
- The Orange Blossom is the Florida State Flower.
- During world exploration, sailors would plant oranges along trade routes to help prevent scurvy.
Use these resources to begin your walk through the groves:
- Oranges to Orange Juice – Inez Snyder
- Oranges – Claire Llewelly
- Oranges – Franklin Watts
- Cross Creek – Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
http://www.sunkist.com/kids/pandt/ – Sunkist fruit has lessons and games
Print out the oranges in the field activity.