Georgia Magazine - September 2019 - 28

LINDY SAVELLE

DY
S

AV
E

Although it may seem counterintuitive, using ice to protect citrus trees from extreme cold is a standard
practice, as the Savelles do at their grove in Thomas County and test plot in Mitchell County.

LLE

Increasing acreage

PERRY SAVELLE

seed," Savelle says.
She says the sandy loam in
South Georgia is great for Satsumas
and "we've got the weather. We've
got farmers who know how to grow
things.
"The closer you grow it to freezing-without freezing it-is important to taste."

two or three late freezes in March that
knocked off some fruit. So that kind of
slowed it down a little bit," Price says
of that first harvest.
"[2019] is going to be the big
year," Savelle says. "We're going to
see the acreage just soar. Last year it
doubled, from 40,000 trees to nearly
80,000 trees, around 75,000 now.
People are putting in 35 acres here
and there, and that will add up in a
hurry."

A former FBI agent, Savelle and
her retired-banker spouse, Perry,
The potential for a
came home in 2015 to their farms in
South Georgia. But the word "retirebumper crop
Lindy Savelle and Sam Pardue, dean of the College
ment" didn't figure into their image
Price estimated in 2017 that
of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the
of life after careers. "We just closed
144 trees on just a single acre could
University of Georgia, promote Georgia citrus.
one chapter of our lives and opened
produce about 30,000 pounds of
Learn more at squeezethedayga.com.
another," she says.
fruit in 10 years, when they hit their
Focused on Satsumas at their
stride. That math is staggering when
farms, she's also eager to introduce other types of citrus, such as
you take into account the more than 750 acres that are currently
grapefruit. Another possibility, she says, is kumquats, which are
planted. And it's not stopping there.
among the more cold-hardy citrus types. Kumquats can tolerate
While production could be huge, marketing that fruit is the
temperatures as low as 14 degrees without suffering damage. By
only way to convert it into income for the farmer. Although some
contrast, most citrus is damaged at 28 degrees. Marketing this
grocery stores and specialty-food stores have offered Satsumas
exotic fruit, however, could be a challenge.
for some time, most of South Georgia's growers are selling at
The couple has about 5 acres planted, with 200 Satsuma
roadside stands and area farmers markets. But will those outlets
trees on their farm in Mitchell County and about 800 on their
be enough to handle all the potential production?
farm in Thomas County, she says. Their trees likely will bear
Many other citrus varieties may make their way into South
fruit about one year early, but that first year's crop "won't be
Georgia farms, but meanwhile, the Satsuma orange is giving the
pretty and won't taste very good," she says. But it's a start.
state another locally grown product to enjoy.
The first Satsuma trees were planted in Georgia in 2013,
"With the growth of the industry in our state, citrus could
and the first big commercial harvest came last year, according to very soon become a significant contributor to Georgia's agriculthe UGA Extension Service in Lowndes County.
tural economy," Saville says.
"It wasn't as much as it could have been, because we had
Jane F. Garvey is a food, wine and travel writer from Decatur.

Georgia Magazine

September 2019

http://www.squeezethedayga.com

Georgia Magazine - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - September 2019