Today we’d like to introduce you to Tara Boshell. Them and their team share their story with us below:
John Arnold, a 3rd generation Citrus farmer, has been in the citrus industry since he was a young boy. Realizing tourism was going to be Central Florida’s #1 industry & located just 15 minutes west of Disney World, John started getting creative. He realized that people associate Florida with Citrus and the opportunity to create a sustainable Agritourism operation became apparent. Shortly after graduating from College, John opened The Showcase of Citrus in 1989. Using parcels of his families land in South Lake County, John began to create a destination where visitors could reconnect with their own family & friends in an open-air environment.
The Showcase of Citrus was going to be a place that offered “a vacation from a vacation.” A wide-open space that allows guests to take a break from the crowds typical of the big theme parks and, most importantly, it be affordable, Over the years, the Showcase of Citrus’s U-Pick Citrus operation and its Open-air country store has grown to include tours on the Worlds largest 4×4 tour trucks which take guests on an exciting ride across hundreds of acres of the working Citrus & Cattle ranch. Guests can also enjoy feeding farm animals, experience a Gem Mining activity, play on the playgrounds, relax along waterfront grounds, enjoy both kid-friendly and adult style beverages ranging from the World Famous Orange Juice Slushy or Creamsicle to a fresh-squeezed Mimosa. The Showcase of Citrus, Florida’s Fresh Air Attraction, offers a refreshing, relaxing, and entertaining open-air venue to guests of all ages.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Two days before Christmas in 1989, central Florida experienced a record-breaking freeze when an artic blast forced temperatures into the low teens and snow even fell in some areas. Statewide the Citrus industry was devastated. Growers who had prepared used micro-sprinkler irrigation to sprinkle water on the trees, thus keeping them warm. The results were amazing and provided hope for the future. Growers such as John learned the water had protected the trunk of the trees and their groves recovered.
In the wake of such devastation, there was proof the Showcase of Citrus could survive even the coldest temperatures; as the years went by, other major challenges were met with perseverance. Citrus canker, leaf miner insects and other Citrus diseases all took their toll. As an alternative to chemical methods of treatment to these new challenges, John instead took a more homeopathic and natural approach. He built a large-scale composting facility to convert the organic waste stream coming from area theme parks and municipalities into rich compost. It proved to be an ideal soil amendment to keep the trees healthy and vigorous and have the strongest natural defense mechanisms possible. It worked. 31 years after the Showcase was conceived, it is now Florida’s largest and most diverse Citrus venue one can visit and it’s open 365 days a year!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Showcase of Citrus?
The Showcase of Citrus is a very diversified Agri-Tourism venue with an Old Roadside America vibe that continues to adapt to the changing needs of todays families. The Old Time Country Store offers locally made jams, jellies, salsas, farm-fresh honey, hot sauces, soaps, and so much more. The Showcase of Citrus is open every day of the year and is family-owned and operated- even after 31 years. Most of the time, guests will see Tara or the girls working in the Old Time Country store/fruit stand while John and the boys are out back tending to the groves.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
John and Tara blended their families in 2012 and began working together to create an even more exciting, family-friendly environment. John, Tara, along with their six children, have worked hard at making the Showcase of Citrus a destination for people from all over the world to visit, relax, and enjoy Florida’s Fresh Air Attraction. Many T.V shows, movies, and popular clothing brands have filmed onsite.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@showcaseofcitrus.com
- Website: www.showcaseofcitrus.com
- Instagram: theshowcaseofcitrus
- Facebook: The Showcase of Citrus
