Grapefruit trees at Lone Star Citrus Growers groves in Mission on Dec. 16. A pair of natural disasters — including Winter Storm Uri in 2021 — and a lack of water has put the million-dollar citrus industry and regional leaders on edge.— a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.
MISSION — In January, Elle Holbrook will be crowned Queen Citrianna, the face of the Rio Grande Valley's citrus industry for the next year. Her title and the competition created to earn it are part of the Texas Citrus Fiesta, a decades-old celebration of the industry rooted in the Valley. Holbrook was among the dozens of young women competing for the crown as duchesses, each representing a citrus product. As the duchess of Rio Red Grapefruit, a staple of Texas citrus, she donned an elaborate red gown with rhinestones running down the length of the dress’s skirt to resemble sections of a grapefruit. Next month, she will debut a new white and gold gown during a ceremony held in Mission, where John H. Shary planted the first large commercial citrus orchard in the Valley. But as 17-year-old Holbrook prepares to make her first appearance as queen and the city readies for a string of festivities, the future of the citrus industry is uncertain. A pair of natural disasters — including Winter Storm Uri in 2021 — and a lack of water have put the million-dollar citrus industry and regional leaders on edge. “The freeze killed all of our lemon and lime crop of our personal farm, which was very sad because it was a big industry,” said Holbrook, whose family owns South Tex Organics, the largest grower of organic citrus in Texas.The company, started by her grandfather, Dennis Holbrook, suffered from the winter storm and yielded little to no crop the year after the freeze. Nearly four years later, production levels are still not where they once wer
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