Joe Franklin owner of Franklin's Citrus Farm, located on 301 South of Statesboro, will be featured in a story by CBS correspondent Ben Tracy for CBS Sunday Morning. Tracy spent two days in Statesboro on Franklin's farm with his production crew filming the segment. The segment will air during the CBS Sunday Morning Show on Sunday, November 20, 2022. The show runs from 9 AM to 10:30 AM.
The segment is titled, "U.S.: With climate change, crops migrate north." A story on the CBS Morning website promoting the segment includes a photograph of Franklin and Tracy walking down a row of Satsuma trees on Franklin's farm just outside of Statesboro.
According to the website story the interview will focus on how climate change is already changing what crops can be grown and where they can be grown.
How CBS discovered Franklin
James Murdock, a Metter, GA native and a freelance writer with The Bitter Southern magazine wrote a feature on Franklin in January, 2021. Murdock came home for Thanksgiving and his mother had some Franklin Satsumas and Georgia Kisses which he tried and loved. He was perplexed that she purchased them at a farmstand in Statesboro. He was even more surprised that they were grown here.
Murdock came over to visit with Franklin and wrote a wonderful story on his Statesboro citrus farm entitled "Orange is the New Peach".
CBS Sunday Morning filming in Statesboro
"Evidently the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Jane Pauley producer read the story in New York. They were working on a show on global warming and how it has changed what produce they grow and where farmers can grow the produce. From this article they decided to reach out to me and come down for a story," said Joe Franklin. "I said come on down. Heck, they sent five people from New York and spent two days filming here. I am apparently one of several farmers they are featuring on the show."
Franklin said during the interview that CBS correspondent Ben Tracy was very interested in how global warming and climate change had impacted farmers and how a lot of crops are moving north due to warmer weather.
More than Satsumas
Franklin has been in the citrus business over 12 years and is one of the largest citrus growers in the region. The farm consists of 78 acres and approximately 12,000 citrus trees which have the capacity to produce nearly one million pounds of citrus. His Georgia Kisses have been sold in Whole Foods for year. However, due to a late freeze he does not have the volume of Georgia Kisses to meet the needs of Whole Foods this year.
Franklin is most known for his Satsumas and Georgia Kisses but he is experimenting with a variety of citrus including kisses, grapefruit, lemons and more. You can check them all out below.
Buy them at the farmstand or online
Franklin Citrus Farms are in the middle of the season now. The season ends in mid February. The farm stand is located a few miles south of the Georgia Southern Campus on Hwy. 301 South and is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM. The farmstand is actually located on the edge of Franklins citrus farm.
If you don't live close to Statesboro, but want to try these new Georgia Grown citrus you can order them online below and Franklin will ship them right off the tree in Statesboro, Georgia to your home.
