The Following excerpts have been reprinted from:
"Indian River Grapefruit - The World's Finest Citrus from Florida" by the Indian River Citrus League, Vero Beach, FL
"The Indian River Citrus District comprises a narrow strip of land on the Eastern Seaboard of the State of Florida, stretching 200 miles from the Daytona Beach area to West Palm Beach. In fact, it is so narrow that out of the six counties which make up the District, St. Lucie County (Ft Pierce) is the only one wholly within it's boundaries. There are over 30 packing houses, numerous gift shippers, a number of major citrus sales agencies, and major citrus processing plants located in the district.
The colorful history of the Indian River Citrus District goes back to 1807 when Captain Douglas Dummitt , sailing south along the Florida East Coast, smelled the fragrance of orange trees and was determined to find these trees and to secure some for his not yet established homestead. On the East Bank of the Indian River, north of Titusville, Captain Dummitt and his family settled on what is known today as the "north end" of Merritt Island, Florida. .... The orange trees he found and planted at his homestead was to become the first-known citrus grove in what is today the "Indian River Citrus District". Even now some of those original trees may be found at the original site of the Dummitt House.
...... During the 1920's, the Indian River name had become so well known that growers of citrus in other areas of the State of Florida began describing their fruit as "Indian River". (note; this still happens with road-side stands today!!) Growers in the district became concerned over the misuse of the name and several influential growers, led by the late Will Fee of Fort Pierce, went up and down the area urging growers to join in a concerted action to stop this infringement. In 1930 the Federal Trade Commission issued a "cease and desist" order prohibiting the use of the term "Indian River" on citrus not grown in the Indian River Citrus District. Soon thereafter, in 1931, the Indian River Citrus District was formed."
Why is "Indian River" Citrus the Cream of the Crop??
The Indian River Citrus District was mapped and described because of the excellent soil and water conditions that prevail on the eastern seaboard of Florida. It is precisely these reasons that make "Indian River" grapefruit the finest eating grapefruit in the world today. Underneath the Indian River Citrus District is the distinctive Anastasia formation, composed of coquina limestone, which the root system of the citrus trees tap for essential minerals and nutrients during their growing cycle.
The District, generally, is extremely flat. This flatness, in concert with a high water table only two to three feet below the surface of the land, provides the trees with enough moisture to obtain the highest quality of texture, shape and flavor.
Indian River soil is rich in calcium an other minerals that abet citrus groves. The nearness to the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean also has a major bearing on the exceptionally good taste of Indian River citrus. Most Importantly, citrus trees need approximately one inch of water per week to bear good citrus.
Another plus for the growing conditions is that the average annual rainfall over the majority of the Indian River Citrus District is approximately 52 inches per year. These natural elements combined with excellent production skills and improved scientific research, produces a very high quality citrus that is thin skinned, has a high sugar content and flavor that is recognized around the world."