This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Citrus Achievement Award. Most of those years, growers have been honored who have generational legacies in citrus. This year’s winner, too, comes from a citrus family.
Ben Albritton is the 2025 Citrus Achievement Award winner. He says his family’s legacy and love for his fellow growers has him in it for the long haul, and he is optimistic about the future.
“I am a sixth-generation Floridian, and my family has been growing citrus for four generations. Albritton says. “Citrus has always been a part of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of being out in the groves with my dad and my grandfather. It is just part of my DNA. That is the best way to describe it.”
Albritton and his family continue to grow citrus today and have felt the devastating impact of HLB like all Florida citrus growers have experienced. But he is bullish about the future.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Albritton has fought HLB in his groves and in the public service arena. This year, he is serving as Florida Senate president. In that role, he is fighting for citrus, agriculture in general and preserving rural lands.
When the idea of running for political office was first brought up to him, he says his initial response was, “No way, Jose.” But, over time and with encouragement from different people, including his wife Missy, he had a change of heart. Albritton ran for a Florida House seat in 2010 and served eight years until he was term-limited out.
“When my dear friend Denise Grimsley ran for agriculture commissioner, her Senate seat vacated, so I ran for the seat, which serves the heartland of Florida,” Albritton says. “And I have been serving that district since 2018.”
Albritton’s District 27 covers Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee counties as well as parts of Lee and Polk counties, encompassing some of the state’s key citrus-growing areas. He says his current role as Florida Senate president has been a busy but great experience.
“It is rewarding to work with this group of senators. They are great teammates and representatives for their regions,” he says. “As president, you are on the inside and there is so much activity swirling around you, but it has been rewarding.”
MAKE CITRUS GREAT AGAIN
Representing his district and all of Florida, Albritton has always fought for citrus growers. This year is no exception. In fact, the words “Make Citrus Great Again” made their way through the Legislature this session, as Albritton made it a priority to include $200 million in funding for citrus as part of Florida’s balanced budget for fiscal year 2025–26.
To read the rest of the article and see a video of Albritton discussing how to Make Citrus Great Again, click here.
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