Highlands County Youth Citrus Project: Citrus Tree Silent Auction

Tacy Callies Citrus, Florida

The Youth Citrus Program has grown over the past three years. This year, 94 young people have successfully grown citrus trees that they will exhibit and sell at the Highlands County Fair Feb. 8–16, 2013. The trees are all Hamlin on X-639 in excellent condition in 5-gallon pots. The trees are inspected by the DPI, and can be planted in your yard or used as resets in your grove.

Support this project and these young people by purchasing their citrus trees at the county fair. There are three options for purchasing one or more of these citrus trees.

The first option is the silent auction. The participants will sell their citrus trees in a silent auction, whereby individuals or businesses can bid on these trees. The citrus trees will be in the Youth Citrus Program fair exhibit at the fair. A silent auction bid sheet will be displayed by each tree where individuals can make their bid. If you are unable to go to the fair, you can contact the Highlands Extension Office (863-402-6540) and they will place your bid(s) for you. You can bid by entrant name for a tree or group of trees. The silent auction will end Thursday evening, Feb. 14th.

The second option is to buy a Champion citrus tree. The Champion and Reserve Champion Trees will sell in the live auction during the Junior Livestock Sale on Thursday, Feb. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Fairgrounds. Again, if you cannot go to the live auction and would like to bid on these two Champion trees, let the Highlands Extension Office know and they can bid for you. All you need to do is give them a limit.

A third option is to “add-on” to the sale price of the citrus trees being sold at the fair. The “add-on” rules require you add-on to all of the trees and the add-on minimum bid is $5.00 per tree for all of the 94 trees or add additional increments of $5.00 per tree for all of the 94 trees.

This project is a focused program to get young people interested and engaged in the citrus industry in Highlands County. The Youth Citrus Project has been an effective means to introduce young people in Highlands County to the citrus business.

If you would like a list of names of young people who will be exhibiting trees, contact the Highlands Extension Office for a list.

The corporate sponsors who have contributed to this project for 2012 and 2013 to support the project and premium monies that are paid based on ribbons the participants have earned are:

Syngenta Crop Protection
Cutrale
Bayer Crop Science
Wedgeworth Fertilizer
Triangle Chemical Company
Monsanto