Farming Practices
All of Seley Ranches' products are certified organic; holding certifications with the Guaranteed Organic Certification Agency (GOCA) and in compliance with all applicable National Organic Program (NOP) standarts.
Seley Ranches fully supports sustainable agriculture. The most visible result has come from our solar program. In 2004, we installed solar panels to power our wells and other equipment. These panels produce enough energy to power 38,183 single family homes per day and have helped us to avoid over 2,376,781 pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. This is just a start and we will continue to strive for further advancements in sustainable agriculture.
Citrus Fruits
Seley Ranches is a 400 acre citrus orchard with five key products;
Grapefruit, Oranges, Tangerines, Minneolas and Lemons. Each product
consists of one or more varieties with different characteristics and
growing seasons. (Details for each product are listed below.) In
addition, Seley Ranches has developed an on-going program to continually
replace its orchards, ensuring that its production and quality levels
are at their finest.
Grapefruit
Our flagship product since 1967, Seley Reds are known throughout the
world for their sweet flavor, their deep reddish color, and their thin,
unblemished yellow skin. During the 2008 growing season the 120 acres of
Grapefruit orchards produced over 3,200,000 pounds of fruit that
eventually reached markets spanning the globe; including Europe, Asia,
and Australia. The Grapefruit crop consists of four varieties:
|
Marsh Ruby - the original "Seley Reds". Sweet, thin
skinned and with a low acidity level; making for a heavy, sweet
fruit. Season extends from November through April. |
|
Rio Reds - originally
developed in Texas and modified for desert conditions. Similar in
flavor to the Marsh Ruby, but with a deeper red color and a later
maturing season (November through April). |
Oranges
Our 20 acres of Oranges are devoted exclusively to the
Valencia variety. This is an exceptionally flavorful variety, known for
its deep orange color, heavy juice content, few seeds and thin skin.
This product is excellent for eating and as a juice fruit. The growing
season extends from late January through February.
Tangerines
The "Daisy" variety produces an exceptionally sweet, seeded fruit. On an
annual basis, production levels can fluctuate dramatically with a target
production level of approximately 350,000 pounds. The season extends
from November through December. Look for our new variety "Tango", and
seedless Daisy in the near future.
Minneolas
Minneolas are a flavorful Tangerine-like fruit that boast of a
reddish-orange color, a loose skin (great for peeling!) and few seeds.
On an annual basis, approximately 150,000 pounds are produced. Their is
a limited growing season, spanning the month of January.
Lemons
Our 125 acres of Lemon orchards consist of the Eureka and Lisbon
varieties. Both varieties share similar characteristics with the
exception of their growing seasons: Eureka typically starting sooner. By
combining both varieties, we have been able to enjoy an extended growing
season, lasting from October through December. In 2008, approximately
3,700,000 pounds of fruit were produced.
