Uncle Matt’s continues to grow

Recently, Uncle Matt’s added Target to the stores that carry the the family’s brand. Target has 30 million customers every week.

Clermont was once surrounded by a 360-degree vista of orange groves.

Then triple freezes in the 1980s wiped out the neat rows of leafy green trees that filled the air with perfume. Left in its place were barren, sandy hills.

With one exception. A grove that is the country’s No. 1 organic orange producer, known affectionately as Uncle Matt’s.

“Uncle Matt” is Matt McLean. He and his family are longtime Clermont residents and successful citrus growers.

Benny and Ben McLean, who are Uncle Matt’s father and brother, devised a clever protocol to keep their citrus trees “warm.” This tried-and-true technique is a testament to the power of cooperation with Mother Nature. However, history reminds us that she hasn’t always been kind to citrus farmers.

Benny often reminisces about the pivotal moment that changed the citrus landscape in Central Florida. While Citrus Greening Disease is often blamed for the decline in the state’s overall orange production, the devastating blows began in the 80s when a series of freezing temperatures severely damaged all citrus groves. In 1983, 1985 and 1989, the heart of Florida saw temperatures as low as 17 degrees. Farmers judiciously prepared with their freeze procedures, but sustained winds during these frigid days and nights were ineffective.

Long before “organic” became a buzzword in households across America, Benny was already farming in a way that honored the land and protected the health of the fruit and people who enjoyed it. With a background in soil science and an instinctive respect for nature, Benny knew something that science continues to prove today: healthy soil grows healthy fruit. He often says with a chuckle, “I didn’t know what organic was. I just didn’t want to spray chemicals on my fruit.” That simple mindset—farming with integrity, humility, and respect for nature—would later become the foundation of Uncle Matt’s Organic.

When his son Matt officially founded Uncle Matt’s Organic in 1999, Benny came on board as Production Manager, bringing with him decades of hands-on farming experience, a quiet wisdom, and a work ethic that still sets the tone for our entire team. From sunrise walks through the groves to testing new soil blends or pest management strategies, Benny is a constant presence on the farm and a mentor to the next generation of growers.

Benny’s passion for innovation and sustainable farming never stopped. When Citrus Greening Disease began devastating citrus groves across Florida, Benny teamed up with Matt’s older brother, Ben, and researchers at the University of Florida to take action. Instead of reaching for chemical treatments, they turned to nature, releasing tiny, beneficial tamarixia wasps to control the Asian Citrus Psyllid—the insect that spreads the disease. Every week, Benny continues this practice, helping protect our groves the organic way.