The Mandarin Community Club is selling fresh Florida citrus again. This year's lineup includes grapefruit grown under screens that block the disease devastating the state's groves.

Preorders for the club's second annual Florida Citrus Fundraiser opened Sept. 1 and run through Nov. 12 for pickup orders and through Dec. 15 for shipped orders, according to the club's fundraiser page. Buyers can choose navel oranges, satsuma mandarins grown in North Florida, red grapefruit produced under the Citrus Under Protective Screens (CUPS) program, or a combo box with all three.

The red grapefruit is the new addition. CUPS involves growing trees inside large screened structures that keep out the Asian citrus psyllid, the insect that spreads citrus greening disease. Brett Nolan, vice president of the Mandarin Community Club's board of directors, wrote in Florida NewsLine that the grapefruit ranks among the first large-scale CUPS harvests available to the public.

Florida Citrus Production Has Plummeted in Decades

The stakes for Florida citrus are steep. Production has fallen from roughly 300 million boxes in the early 2000s to about 14 million in recent years, according to Nolan's Florida NewsLine article.

Farm Bureau Partnership Expands Options, Cuts Prices

Last year's inaugural fundraiser moved more than 3,300 pounds of citrus into homes and businesses. For 2026, the club is partnering with the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, a nonprofit that works with the state's farming industry. Nolan wrote that the partnership brings additional citrus options, lower prices and a share of proceeds going to support Florida's remaining groves.

How and When to Pick Up or Ship Orders

Pickup orders can be collected the evening of Friday, Dec. 4, during the club's annual Christmas Tree Lighting. Nolan described the event as the largest live-cut Christmas tree lighting in Jacksonville during a 2025 First Coast News appearance. Boxes can also be shipped anywhere in the contiguous United States as gifts.

Residents who prefer to order in person can visit Mandarin Markets at 2955 Orange Picker Road on Saturday, Sept. 26, or Saturday, Oct. 24.

Neighborhood's Deep Roots in Citrus Farming

The fundraiser ties directly to Mandarin's roots. The neighborhood was named in 1830 after the mandarin orange, and in the 19th century it was a farming village that shipped citrus north on St. Johns River steamships. The club itself was founded in 1923 and is housed in what Nolan called "one of North Florida's most historically significant buildings," the 1872 Mandarin Schoolhouse.

How to Place an Order

Orders can be placed online at mandarincommunityclub.org/florida-citrus-fundraiser.html. The club is located at 12447 Mandarin Road and can be reached at 904-268-1622.

Upcoming Community Dates

  • Sat, Sept. 26 — Mandarin Markets, 2955 Orange Picker Road (in-person citrus orders available)
  • Sat, Oct. 24 — Mandarin Markets, 2955 Orange Picker Road (in-person citrus orders available)
  • Thu, Nov. 12 — Pickup preorder deadline
  • Fri, Dec. 4 — Christmas Tree Lighting and citrus pickup, Mandarin Community Club
  • Tue, Dec. 15 — Shipped order deadline