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	Leland & Wanda Young Haines City Citrus Growers Association

• The Youngs share stories in their barn, which has become locally famous for its boisterous parties. For gatherings of 2 or 200, they pride themselves on making everyone feel right at home.
• Leland stills does most of the grove work with his own hands. Here, in his prized barn, he affirms that work done by hand and done with care will hold up to any test.
• Leland and Leslie, one of the Youngs' three grandchildren. Their family spends a lot of time together here, where Leslie says is "the best place to grow up."

One day, Wanda Young's husband asked if she would like a house at the beach, or maybe a place in the mountains. Having lived on the same land for over fifty years, she knew he was up to something. When she asked him what he was really offering, he just smirked and answered, "How about a barn in the backyard?"

And so Leland Young built the family's self-proclaimed "party place of all Polk County" the same way they do everything — with a little self-reliance and plenty of personality.

It wasn't long before every hand-laid wall of the barn was covered with thousands of antique pieces collected over the years. Dusty license plates and old tools flank a parade of faded photographs of friends, family, political figures, and even Miss USA contestants who've been lucky enough to spend an evening there. After nearly thirty years, an air of revelry emanates from every weathered nook and cranny.

"It was my dream to build this barn," says Leland, looking around. "We've made a lot of friends here." He estimates around 50,000, conservatively.

Naturally, their storied social hub also doubles as the center of the family citrus operation. From the office inside, Wanda handles the finances and business affairs. Outside, Leland tends to the groves. They both agree it's a division of strengths.

"He tells me he needs a new tractor," jokes Wanda. "And I tell him he can't afford it." Their system comes from an understanding that can only exist between two people who've known each other since grade school and have shared 55 years of marriage.

Wanda and Leland both grew up in families with a rich history in the Florida citrus industry during the 1920s and 30s. Wanda's father, as well as Leland and his father, all worked for Pasco Packing Company in Dade City. Wanda recalls learning to count as a child by sorting tickets to tally credits for the fruit each picker brought in.

The Youngs bought their first groves after Leland completed service in the military, and today he continues to do the work himself. When freezes and hurricanes damaged the citrus trees and threatened the survival of the groves, he carefully brought them back to life.

Their son Scott carries on the third generation of the family's growing tradition. A positive fusion of his parents' strengths, he brings a healthy outlook to being a grower in the 21st century: "Not only do you need to be able to start a diesel engine, but you better know your way around the internet as well."

New agricultural challenges brought on by pest infestation, regional development pressures, and the ever-changing global economy have compelled the Youngs to look to the expertise of others to stay economically viable in a complex growing industry.

"Back then, you worked by the seat of your pants," Leland said. "It's different now, more technical. You used to go by what felt right. Now, with all the technology, you have to go by what does right."

Marketing their fruit through cooperatives like Florida's Natural GrowersWant to show your support?
Post an orange in our virtual grove. is what they call "the best tool for the little guy." It helps them to remain competitive in a market of growers big and small. That, and of course, a good product. "We have always had, and will always have, the best oranges in the world. The cooperatives are single-minded in trying to give the world the best fruit and orange juice we can. It's a wonderful, healthy product. And that's it."

It's evident that the Youngs have a true love for their work and lives as citrus growers. Their legacy tells itself a lot like the inside of the barn. Though scattered about, each of the pieces exists as part of a larger picture.

"I have a great belief in the resiliency of the citrus grower. We will meet the challenges and we will win," Wanda asserts. "If you do for yourself what's right, you can fall back, regroup, and always manage to come out on top. Around here, growing is all we know. We grow oranges and we grow families. It's what we do, it's what we've always done."