Living a Healthy Legacy

Born in 1942 in Bartow, Florida, Ben (Benny) McLean has seen many changes through his decades in Florida, especially in Clermont, where he has lived and worked in the citrus industry since 1952.

Like juice squeezed from his oranges, Benny oozes knowledge, wisdom, and health. He works as production manager with his wife, Susan, two sons (Matt and Ben III), and 11 grandchildren in the family business, Uncle Matt’s Organic. Benny’s intense blue eyes twinkle as he recalls starting out at age 10 with a small hoe, weeding the groves alongside his father’s hand crew in the summer, along with his four brothers and three sisters.

Later, Benny earned a degree in agriculture economics and a minor in fruit crops from the University of Florida (UF). After a prestigious career working in every aspect of the citrus industry, Benny brought his valuable knowledge and expertise to his current job.

He credits his father Ben Sr. with teaching him two important lessons toward healthy living:

All science begins with observation (Is it something we are doing or not doing that is causing the problem?)

You have to understand soil, chemistry, physics, and biology.

These not only helped in the industry for which he works, but in all areas of his life. Following Benny’s legacy, both sons graduated from UF and are continuing in their dad’s example: knowledge to improve the industry through healthy organic farm practices.

In 1999, Matt recognized a need after working with juice processors in Germany, who requested organic oranges from Florida. Proudly, Benny says, “Matt rallied the whole family to discuss the opportunity, and asked his ‘Pappy’ (Benny’s dad), ‘Can we grow organic citrus here in Central Florida?’ My dad said, ‘Matt, are you kiddin’ me? That’s the way we grew it around here for the last 150 years—no one ever told us it was organic!’”

Benny quickly recognized the benefit in the plan to go back to the natural, organic practices of farming and the first grove to be converted to organic is behind Benny’s home. “From there we got it up to 1,500 acres,” says Benny.

He also boasts of his son’s, Ben III, efforts to find a cure to rid the citrus industry of the current threat of the “greening” bacteria by studying the DNA of older trees in the groves.

These trees survived the freezes of the 1980s and are proving resistant to the devastating bacteria. Benny’s inspiration and legacy of wisdom continue to positively impact his family, community, and industry toward the goal of healthy living.