Florida and orange juice were once practically synonymous.
For generations, endless orange groves stretched across the state, Florida supplied much of America’s citrus, and a glass of orange juice was as much a symbol of the Sunshine State as beaches and palm trees.
Today, much of that industry has disappeared.
In this episode of We Have A Problem, Kaylyn sits down with filmmaker and Park Vibes host Dan Fletcher to uncover what happened to one of Florida’s most iconic industries.
Dan recently traveled through Central Florida for his mini-documentary How One Bug Ended Florida Citrus, documenting abandoned groves, struggling growers and the researchers racing to save what remains of Florida citrus.
At the center of the collapse is HLB—better known as citrus greening—an incurable disease spread by a tiny insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. Since the disease arrived in Florida, citrus production has plummeted, groves that once dominated the landscape have disappeared, and land that once grew oranges has increasingly given way to something very different.
So how did one tiny bug help bring an agricultural powerhouse to its knees?
Kaylyn and Dan talk about the rise and fall of Florida citrus, why HLB has been so difficult to stop, what happened to the growers caught in the middle, the role hurricanes and development have played, what scientists are trying now—and whether Florida orange juice can actually make a comeback.
They also explore a bigger question behind Dan’s work: what happens when something so deeply connected to a place quietly disappears before most of us realize we’re losing it?
Florida hasn’t completely lost its orange juice.
But the Florida citrus industry Americans grew up with is almost unrecognizable.
So, let’s talk about it.
About Dan Fletcher
Dan Fletcher is the host and creator behind Park Vibes, a documentary series exploring the hidden stories behind America’s parks, wildlife, public lands and natural places. Through on-location reporting and storytelling, Park Vibes examines how history, science, conservation and human decisions have shaped some of the places and landscapes Americans often take for granted.
Find Dan + Park Vibes
YouTube: Park Vibes
Website: ParkVibes.com
Watch Dan’s original mini-documentary: How One Bug Ended Florida Citrus
In This Episode
• How Florida became an American citrus powerhouse
• What happened to Florida’s orange groves
• What HLB, or citrus greening, actually is
• How the Asian citrus psyllid spreads the disease
• Why scientists haven’t been able to stop it
• What Dan discovered while filming in Florida
• The farmers and communities affected by the citrus collapse
• Hurricanes, development and disappearing groves
• Why Florida orange production has fallen so dramatically
• The research underway to save citrus
• Whether Florida’s orange industry can recover
• What the disappearance of citrus tells us about the future of American agriculture