Orange County citrus nursery to plunge into plenteous harvest
10/25/2007
By MIKE D. SMITH / Associated Press
Where Orange County got its name is a mystery.
But whatever its origin, there's never been any large-scale commercial production of the fruit or trees in the county that bears the name until now.
Atop part of a 140-acre slice of the more than 231,600 acres Orange County now covers, a Louisiana family may be using the county's hospitable growing climate to make history.
Saxon Becnel and Sons of Texas Citrus Nursery already have sprouted thousands of seedlings that eventually will become the orange trees that homeowners will be able to buy at Lowe's and Home Depot next fall.
The Becnel family has been in citrus production along the Mississippi River in Belle Chasse, La., near New Orleans, since the 1850s, father Saxon Becnel said.
The tradition almost came to an end in 2005. Hurricane Katrina pushed the river over its levees and ravaged the family's fields.
They began looking for new locations and were drawn to a tract of land along FM 105 in Orange County.
The identical climate and easy access to the Sabine River Authority canal an abundant source of fresh water were huge pluses, Ricky Becnel said.
"It actually is an ideal site," he said.
The family bought land from the Stark Foundation in 2006, bought certified California citrus seeds and set up living quarters and a pump system.
They hooked up with Texas A&M University's Citrus Center in Kingsville to make sure they followed the rules for a disease-free, healthy crop, Saxon Becnel said.
"We're doing everything they ask us to do so we can be upfront, first-class," Saxon Becnel said. "That's our hope."
Despite being without power for a few days after Hurricane Humberto which also stripped leaves from the young plants Saxon Becnel expects the family's Orange County operation to generate 85,000 seedlings when they are ready to sell next fall.
"These trees would be sold this winter but we want to make 'em the best," he said.
The nursery also will produce kumquat, grapefruit, lime and satsuma trees, among others.
Fig trees might be available this winter, he said.
The Becnels' view of Southeast Texas' climate is backed up by science, said John Da Graca, deputy director of Texas A&M-Kingsville's Citrus Center.
"Historically, citrus culture began south of Houston and spread to Southeast Texas until freezes and diseases killed them off in the early 20th century," Da Graca said.
Milder winters common across the southern half of Texas are attracting citrus farmers. Operations even have begun in drier parts of the state such as El Paso, he said.
Nationwide, Florida reigns supreme in the number of acres devoted to citrus production, followed by California.
Texas and Arizona tie for third. About 70 percent of Texas citrus culture is devoted to grapefruit, and most of the other 30 percent goes to oranges, Da Graca said.
Satsumas most commonly are grown along the upper Texas coast because they are more tolerant of the cold snaps that can grip the region, Da Graca said.
Small nurseries growing pomelos, an Asian fruit resembling grapefruit, have sprouted up near Houston, he said.
The Becnels' Louisiana fields are on the mend and now producing about 150,000 trees per year, Saxon Becnel said.
Family members said they have been welcomed with open arms to Southeast Texas, and might someday make the area home, he said.
Orange County could be the step to something bigger, Ricky Becnel said.
"The whole state of Texas is just open territory," he said. "We see there's a need, and we hope to fill that void."
