If you’ve ever walked into a grocery store in the dead of winter and seen a grapefruit so red it looks like a sunset, you’ve probably met the work of Lone Star Citrus Growers. Most people don't think twice about where their produce comes from. It's just a sticker on a piece of fruit. But in the Rio Grande Valley, that sticker represents a massive, high-stakes operation that battles everything from sub-zero freezes to international trade shifts just to get a bag of Wintersweet citrus onto your kitchen counter.
Texas citrus is different.
Florida has the quantity, sure. California has the lemons. But Texas? Texas has the "red." Specifically, the Rio Star and Ruby Red varieties that literally changed the global market. Lone Star Citrus Growers isn't just some historic relic; they are a vertically integrated powerhouse based in Mission, Texas, handling everything from the literal dirt in the groves to the massive packing lines that sort fruit by size and skin quality using high-speed cameras.
What Actually Happens at Lone Star Citrus Growers?
It isn't just farming. Honestly, it’s logistics.
They operate as a grower, packer, and shipper. That means they own the trees, they run the crews that pick them by hand—because you can't just shake a grapefruit tree without bruising the goods—and they manage the massive warehouse facilities where the fruit is washed, waxed, and boxed.
The company was founded back in 2007 by a group of industry veterans: Trent Bishop, TJ Flowers, and Jud Flowers. They didn't start from zero; they started with decades of combined experience in the Valley's unique "Deep South" climate. You have to understand that the Rio Grande Valley is a subtropical pocket. It’s humid, it’s hot, and the soil is rich, but it’s also a giant target for disasters.
The Wintersweet Brand Phenomenon
You’ve probably seen the "Wintersweet" label. That’s their flagship. The idea was simple: rebranding grapefruit to move away from the "diet food of the 80s" image. They wanted people to realize that a late-season Texas red grapefruit is actually sweet enough to eat without a half-cup of sugar dumped on top.
When the fruit stays on the tree longer, the acid levels drop and the brix—or sugar content—climbs. Lone Star Citrus Growers specifically times their harvests to hit that peak flavor profile. It’s a gamble. The longer you leave fruit on a tree, the longer it’s exposed to potential frost or wind scarring.
The 2021 Freeze: A Near-Death Experience for Texas Citrus
We have to talk about Winter Storm Uri. In February 2021, the Texas power grid failed, but the citrus industry almost collapsed entirely.
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The temperatures stayed below freezing for way too long. In the citrus world, a quick dip to $28^\circ\text{F}$ is scary but manageable. Three days of ice? That’s an apocalypse. The fruit literally froze on the branches. When citrus freezes, the juice vesicles inside expand and burst. The fruit becomes "light" and dry. It’s unsellable.
Lone Star Citrus Growers and other Valley giants lost almost their entire late-season crop.
But the fruit wasn't the biggest problem. It was the trees. If a tree dies, you aren't just out a season; you're out five to seven years while a new sapling matures. Walking through the groves after that freeze was a ghost story. Brown leaves everywhere. Silent packing sheds.
They’ve spent the last few years replanting. It’s a slow process. You can’t rush biology. This is why you might have noticed Texas grapefruit being harder to find or more expensive lately. The supply chain is still healing from a single week of bad weather four years ago.
How They Fight Citrus Greening (HLB)
If freezes are the sudden heart attack of the industry, Citrus Greening is the slow-moving cancer. Officially known as Huanglongbing (HLB), it’s spread by a tiny insect called the Asian citrus psyllid.
Once a tree is infected, there is no cure. The fruit stays green, turns bitter, and the tree eventually dies. Lone Star Citrus Growers has to be aggressive here. We’re talking about integrated pest management, constant scouting, and even using specialized nutrients to keep infected trees productive for as long as possible.
They work closely with the Texas Citrus Redefining (TCR) programs and researchers at Texas A&M-Kingsville Citrus Center. It’s a war of attrition. Every time you buy a bag of Texas citrus, you're essentially funding a high-tech defense fund against a bug that wants to wipe out the entire industry.
The Tech Inside the Shed
The packing house is where the "business" of Lone Star Citrus Growers looks less like a farm and more like a Tesla factory.
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- Optical Sorting: Every single grapefruit passes under cameras that take dozens of photos per second.
- Grading: Computers analyze these photos for "wind scar" (cosmetic scratches from branches rubbing the fruit), size, and color.
- The "Choice" vs. "Fancy" Split: "Fancy" fruit goes to the premium grocery displays. "Choice" fruit, which tastes exactly the same but might have a blemish, goes to juice or discount bags.
It’s surprisingly brutal. A grapefruit can be delicious, but if it has a weird bump on the skin, the machine kicks it into a different bin. That’s the reality of modern retail.
The Economics of the Rio Grande Valley
Agriculture is the backbone of the RGV, and Lone Star Citrus Growers is one of the region's largest employers. When the harvest is in full swing, the economic ripple effect is huge. We're talking about truck drivers, irrigation specialists, diesel mechanics, and the people working the lines.
It’s not just about Texas, though. They export. While the domestic market loves the red grapefruit, there is a massive demand in Europe and Asia for the specific "blush" that the Texas climate produces. The heat of the Valley—those brutal 100-degree days—is actually what triggers the lycopene development in the fruit that makes it red. Without the heat, it stays pale.
Why You Should Care About the Origin
Most people buy whatever is cheapest. I get it. Inflation is real. But there’s a nuance to Texas citrus that California can’t replicate.
California citrus is "clean." The skin is perfect because it’s a Mediterranean climate with low humidity. It looks like a plastic prop. Texas citrus, including what comes out of Lone Star Citrus Growers, often has a "speckled" or slightly rougher look because of the humidity and wind.
But the skin is thinner.
A thin-skinned grapefruit means more juice and less pith. It’s heavier. If you pick up two grapefruits and one feels like a lead ball while the other feels light, take the heavy one. That’s usually the Texas fruit.
Misconceptions About the Industry
People think citrus is a "set it and forget it" crop. It's not.
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I’ve talked to folks who think you just plant a tree and pick fruit for 40 years. In reality, it’s a constant battle with soil salinity. The water in the Rio Grande has high salt content. If you don't manage the irrigation perfectly, the salt builds up and "burns" the trees. Lone Star Citrus Growers uses precise sensors to monitor this. It’s data-driven farming.
Another myth? That "organic" is always better. In the world of Citrus Greening, 100% organic can be incredibly difficult because you need specific interventions to stop the psyllid from killing the grove. Most growers, including the big ones in Texas, try to use the minimal amount of inputs necessary—mainly because those chemicals are expensive—but they have to protect the long-term health of the trees.
Actionable Steps for the Conscious Consumer
If you want to support the Texas citrus industry and get the best possible fruit, you have to know how to shop.
Check the PLU sticker. Look for the name. If it says Lone Star Citrus Growers or Wintersweet, you know it’s coming from the Mission/McAllen area.
Timing is everything. Texas grapefruit season usually runs from October through May. If you buy a "Texas" grapefruit in August, you’re likely getting something that’s been in cold storage too long or it’s actually from another region. Peak flavor is usually January through March.
Don't fear the "scar." Wind scarring is purely cosmetic. It happens when the wind blows the fruit against a branch. Some of the sweetest fruit I've ever had looked like it had been through a rock tumbler.
Storage matters. Citrus doesn't ripen after it's picked. It’s not like a banana. What you buy is as sweet as it will ever get. Keep them on the counter if you're eating them within a week, but if you bought a big 10-pound bag from Lone Star, put half of them in the crisper drawer of your fridge. They can last up to three weeks in there.
The Texas citrus industry is a resilient, stubborn beast. Despite freezes, bugs, and crazy weather, companies like Lone Star Citrus Growers keep pushing the "Texas Red" identity. It’s a localized specialty that manages to compete on a global stage, and honestly, that’s a win for anyone who likes a breakfast that doesn't taste like cardboard.
Next time you see that red bird logo or the Wintersweet tag, you're looking at a multi-year survival story. It's worth the extra fifty cents.