Our Story

In the winter of 1978 our (Woody & Bud Johnson’s) parents began spending a few months during the winter in the Rio Grand Valley, close to Mission and McAllen, Texas. Our father, Maynard Johnson, was never one to sit still, and traveling through the Texas countryside, he was intrigued by the citrus groves that were for sale. He soon purchased one, and then another. Before long, his holdings amounted to several hundred acres.

In search of a better market for the fruit we were growing, MinnTex Citrus was started in Windom, Minnesota in January of 1981. We began calling on groups and organizations to sell Texas grapefruit and oranges for fundraising projects—hence the name MinnTex. The initial response was very encouraging, and the business was on its way. In 1983, our father passed away and most of the citrus groves were sold. However, MinnTex Citrus continued to provide high quality citrus from the packing houses even though our family no longer owned the citrus groves.

Over the years we have provided our customers with quality Texas citrus, California navel oranges and Washington apples and pears. In the early 80s, we pioneered a large assortment of pre-mixed boxes. Cheese and sausage selections were added in the mid 80s to complement our fruit selections. In 2003, three different assortments of nuts were added.

Today MinnTex Citrus continues to be a family owned and operated business that specializes in meeting your fresh fruit and cheese/sausage fundraising needs. We take pride in offering our customers high quality products at a reasonable price—a combination that is unique in the fundraising business.

Monticello, IA

In 1981, Bud Johnson moved to McAllen, Texas to help manage the family’s citrus groves. The experience gained from growing grapefruit and oranges provided a unique insight into that phase of the citrus industry. After his father’s passing in 1983, Bud moved to Monticello, Iowa to establish the Iowa branch of MinnTex Citrus. Business operations began out of a 400 square foot room in a rented building. 1993 presented the opportunity to purchase 4 acres and build a 14,000 square foot building. Currently, their facility has grown to 55,000 square feet with 4 additions since 1993. Peak employment has 80 people during December and a smaller crew for the spring sale in March. Georgia, Bud's wife, assists in the overall management of the company. In 2010 Mike Schemmel joined MinnTex as a warehouse manager. In 2011 Tiffany Rave joined the MinnTex Citrus team to assist in the office and work directly with customers. Morgan Stogdill joined MinnTex in 2020, and is also the Sports and Marketing Director of the Eastern Iowa Sports Facility.

From January through May, the Johnson’s turn their warehouse into an indoor softball and baseball facility with artificial turf. It is the largest fully netted space in Iowa. During February and March, it has been host to over 80 softball and baseball teams who participate in tournament play. The largest building, at 120 feet x 150 feet, contains the Bohman-Jindrich field, a 60’ diamond with an outfield. The Eastern Iowa Sports Facility’s website is eiowasf.com