Reprint from the Progress Times - December 28, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

 

Local grower featured in Good Housekeeping Magazine

A local citrus grower got national attention when Good Housekeeping Magazine featured South Tex Organics as number one in the magazine’s "10 Best Mail-order Goodies for Giving (or Serving)" feature this December.

South Tex Organics was founded in 1984 by Dennis Holbrook who, after a lifetime of working in and around citrus, began to wonder about the benefits of organic growing.

"I had a friend in Austin who had a specialty produce house," said Holbrook. "He had cherry tomatoes, grown both organically and conventionally. The organic tomato just exploded in my mouth. The difference was more than just noticeable."

Concerns about taste and toxins used as pesticides in conventional farming eventually persuaded Holbrook to decide that farming organically was nature’s way and the best way to grow the most nutritious and best tasting citrus.

"If you’re putting all these things into the soil it stands to reason all that will make its way into what you’re growing," said Holbrook.

After a few years of completing converting from conventional chemical assisted farming to organic farming, South Tex Organics is now the largest organic citrus and vegetable grower in Texas with over 500 certified acres in his operation. South Tex Organics’ product line includes the Texas Rio Star grapefruit, a variety of oranges, Meyer lemons, red and yellow onions and watermelons.

Not content to simply rest on his achievements, Holbrook has remained an active supporter of the organic industry. Holbrook is a member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) as well as a founding member of the Texas Organic Growers Association (TOGA) where he serves as president and chairman of the board. He was appointed by Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower in 1989 to serve on the first Texas Department of Agriculture’s Organic Certification Review and Standards Advisory Committee.

Although he has traveled around the state, Holbrook’s roots, like that of his citrus, remain in the Rio Grande Valley.

"The Valley is truly the best place for citrus," said Holbrook. "By virtue of being a subtropical environment and having a river delta we have ideal weather and soil. Those two enables us to grow the way we can."

South Texas Organics ships Valley citrus all over the nation including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.