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	David Crews Waverly Growers Cooperative

• David Crews can often be found out in the groves with his trusty helpers, Bodacious & Cairo. He prides himself on doing a large part of the grove work himself.
• As a third generation citrus grower, David draws from his grandfather's and father's values in his own growing style.
• David appreciates the fulfilling lifestyle of being outside working with his hands. Here, he picks an orange for his regular lunch in the shade of his groves.

When David Crews planted his first grove in the late 1970s, the fruit didn't come right away. "My brother Jeff also planted one not far from here. His grove grew all kinds of fruit, but mine didn't. If it rained over there, it didn't over here. I couldn't do anything right — and I tried just about everything." He now recalls with good humor his critical search for answers. "I came out one day and asked God to show me what I needed to do. I haven't challenged him since, but that grove finally grew oranges."

Whether it was divine intervention or just divine patience, David's groves now flourish with full, picturesque citrus trees. These days you'll find him eating his lunch in the shade of his thriving grove, which seems more than fitting for someone from a long line of citrus growers.

His grandfather helped plant some of the original seedling orange treesWant to show your support?
Post an orange in our virtual grove. in the Bartow area of Florida in the early 1900s. His father planted his first grove in Alturas after serving in WWII. It was only natural that David entered the business after a youth spent learning about the citrus industry. After graduating from the University of South Florida in 1969 with a BA in Marketing, he and his wife Carol started their own groves and raised their two children, Emily and Matthew, with pride in their citrus heritage. It seems to have caught on, as Matthew, who recently purchased his first grove, carries on the fourth generation of Crews citrus growers.

Though he maintains a more modest operation, David believes that being a part of a cooperative like Florida's Natural Growers is the best way for relatively small growers to receive the marketing and purchasing advantages larger growers do. It also helps him keep up with the latest information, and as the president of the Waverly Growers Cooperative, his education continues still. "I learn from experiences of other growers, taking classes, and mostly by doing."

His hands-on approach drives him to do the majority of his own grove work, whether it's mowing, pruning, applying herbicide, irrigating, or planting new citrus trees. "If I’m doing the disking, I can see all the trees. I believe that doing certain things lets you see other things."

With their legacy, the Crews family strives to foster the agricultural heritage that once dominated the Central Florida region. "While growing up, my grandfather, my father, my brothers, and most everyone in the area was involved in agriculture. Now, being in agriculture means you’re in a minority industry," David says. "Many groves have been pushed up for development."

Still, he remains hopeful and continues to develop innovative ways to refresh his business. He planted the first Fallglo tangerine grove in Polk County, growing a flavorful piece of fruit that is 5/8 tangerine, 2/8 orange, and 1/8 grapefruit. Even though the local papers reported someone else as having done it first, David stands firm that his trees were actually planted six months before. But the glory is a small sacrifice to make when you can keep good fruit growing — a common sentiment that rounds out most of David's anecdotes.

As he deftly halves an orange and checks it for sweetness, he reaffirms his commitment to growing Florida orangesWant to show your support?
Post an orange in our virtual grove.. "I do believe that we can continue for a long time if we continue to produce a product that looks good, tastes good, and is good for you."