Crop Chronicles
Silk Grass Farms Citrus: How We Grow, Process, and Blend Premium Belizean Juices
Discover how Silk Grass Farms cultivates and processes oranges and grapefruit in Belize — what we grow, how we manage HLB (citrus greening) with regenerative practices, and the citrus products we bottle for consumers and partners.
Belize has a long citrus legacy. Oranges and grapefruit have anchored the country’s juice industry for decades, with Valencia oranges and White Marsh grapefruit historically leading the way. Silk Grass Farms also raises lemon and lime trees. In recent years, however, citrus greening (HLB) reshaped the landscape, reducing national output and challenging growers across the region.
At Silk Grass Farms, we’ve responded by doubling down on soil health and precision timing — core to our regenerative approach. By rebuilding root resilience, increasing biodiversity with cover crops, and targeting nutrition at critical points (especially pre-bloom), we’re supporting healthier blooms, better fruit set, and quality juice even in a post-HLB reality.
Inside the plant, we apply the same care. Fruit is washed and sized, then extracted with cup-style equipment, finished and centrifuged to reach our flavor and oil targets, and micro-tested for safety and consistency. From there, we blend to specification so each bottle delivers the experience our customers expect.
Read on to see what we grow, how we farm and process it, and the citrus products we bottle for consumers and partners.
Fresh citrus fruits are harvested and then brought into the factory to be made into cold-pressed citrus juices and blends.
What Makes Our Citrus Exceptional
The story of Silk Grass Farms citrus begins across roughly 1,500 acres of Belizean groves, where oranges, limes, lemons, and grapefruit thrive under the tropical sun. Our approach to farming is regenerative by design — building soil health, fostering biodiversity, and supporting the natural resilience of our trees. By focusing on what happens underground, we’re rebuilding strength from the roots up, helping our citrus withstand the challenges of HLB (citrus greening) disease.
Cover crops carpet the rows between trees, feeding the soil and creating refuge for beneficial insects that help control the tiny psyllids responsible for spreading HLB. Compost and naturally occurring microorganisms enrich the soil, while careful nutrient applications at key points in the season — especially just before bloom — give each tree what it needs to produce healthy fruit. In Belize’s tropical climate, where flowering can stretch over months rather than weeks, this precise timing and attention make all the difference.
It’s a patient process. The benefits of regenerative farming take time, but the results are visible in our groves: vigorous trees, vibrant fruit, and juice that reflects the care that goes into every harvest.
From Harvest to Juice
Once the fruit reaches maturity, our team samples it to determine the right moment to pick — testing each batch for its °Brix-to-acid ratio, which ensures the ideal balance of sweetness and tang. For oranges, we typically wait until the ratio reaches 15 or 16, well above the minimum standard for juicing. Grapefruit, with its own bright character, is ready once it reaches a ratio of nine or higher.
The harvest is done by hand. Workers carefully gather fruit into 90-pound bags, load them into bins, and transport them to our nearby processing facility. There, every piece of fruit is washed, sized, and prepared for extraction.
We use cup-style extractors that gently press the juice from the fruit while separating seeds and membranes. This method preserves the natural flavor and aroma of the juice without introducing bitterness from the peel. Essential oils from the citrus skin are collected separately, and the juice is finished and centrifuged to achieve the perfect clarity and oil balance before undergoing microbial testing and quality analysis. Some of our juices are treated with high-pressure processing (HPP) to extend shelf life while retaining natural freshness.
Why Silk Grass Farms Citrus Stands Out
Our goal is to deliver a premium product that reflects Belize’s citrus heritage while meeting modern standards for purity and flavor. Historically, Belize’s citrus — especially Valencia orange and White Marsh grapefruit — was renowned for its color and sweetness. Even as global challenges like HLB have changed the landscape, our commitment to quality has never wavered.
Each blend and single-variety citrus juice produced by Silk Grass Farms is developed with both the fruit’s natural ratio and the customer experience in mind. Our straight orange, lime, and grapefruit juices highlight the fruit’s natural brightness, while our Citrus Fusion — a mix of lime, orange, and grapefruit — offers a refreshing, layered balance that reflects the diversity of our groves.
Citrus also forms the foundation of our broader juice program, complementing other crops like watermelon, pineapple, and coconut. Together, they keep our factory humming year-round and make full use of Belize’s abundant growing season.