FLEMING ISLAND - A place of joy. That’s what Vivien Aqui McWilliams calls her family’s persimmon farm. 

Situated on 2½ acres of land on Raggedy Point Road, the orchard stretches far and is filled with tall trees and wide varieties of the "super fruit."

The largest persimmon farm in Northeast Florida, Sweet Persimmons, allows customers to walk through the orchard and freely pick from the trees. 

The farm was once her father’s, Wilfredo “Willie” Aqui Sr. After retiring, he moved to Fleming Island in 2000. McWilliams said that with tons of land and nothing to do with it, her father began trying to find ways to use it. 

“He basically made it his oasis,” she said. 

Back in their hometown, Willie previously had a couple of persimmon trees, so he was well-versed in the fruit. But he still began more research using the 1994 book Oriental Persimmons in Florida by E.P. Miller and T.E. Crocker. 

Flipping through the pages, McWilliams said that’s where her father kept all his notes on all things persimmons, including how to grow and care for them.

She said that one day, her father was able to procure a bunch of skinny sticks, which would become a family heirloom. 

“[He] basically started the gridwork on the property and just made rows and rows,” McWilliams said. 

From his home, Willie grew just a few trees, discovering the ins and outs of persimmon farming. But soon, his fruitful spirit grew. And he wanted more. 

With 1,000 persimmon trees, she said her father grew five varieties of Japanese persimmon fruits- Fuyu, Saijo, Honan Red, Tanenashi and Hachiya.

Willie’s Sweet Persimmons was a hidden gem, welcoming local customers who wanted a taste of what each season had to yield. 

Although her father passed away five years ago, McWilliams said her family comes together every season to continue his legacy.

McWilliams, her husband Scotty, her sister Leah and her mother Amelia tend to the farm every season.

With 500 trees left at Sweet Persimmons, McWilliams said the Fuyu remains their most abundant type. 

As the only non-astringent, McWilliams said you could pick the Fuyu from right off the tree. However, the rest are all astringent, meaning they are not edible until fully softened and ripe, almost like a water balloon. 

McWilliams said her dad’s favorite was the Saijo. 

“He would put them in egg cartons, throw them in the freezer when they were really soft like that and then take them out and just use a spoon and eat it,” she said. 

The persimmon fruit has proven to be in high demand with local customers. 

With many health benefits, including its ability to fight cancer, improve vision, regulate blood pressure, soothe the stomach, and its sweet taste, McWilliams said it keeps customers coming back for more. 

She said it's amazing to see the smiling faces of returning and sometimes new customers each time they walk through the farm and hold up that home-grown sign. She said she enjoys having customers make delicious treats and meals using the fruits from the orchard.

She said she remembers a time when the girl's track and field team at Fleming Island High ran from the school to pick fruit on the last day of the farm season.

“This has just been kind of like a destination for a lot of people,” McWilliams said.

In 2022, the farm sold almost 4,000 pounds of persimmons for its last productive yield, equivalent to about $20,000, which she said was all her father’s doing. 

“That’s what he did,” McWilliams said. “For my mom and our family to help pay for the taxes on that property. That was part of his legacy [and] he wanted to make sure, in essence, that it was self-sufficient.” 

The trees, which are about 15 years old, don’t require much maintenance. Scotty and Leah are the grove managers, and to keep up with the trees, McWilliams said they mix just two ingredients- 10-10-10 fertilizer and Epsom salt. Throwing a handful at the base of each tree, water, and sun work the rest of their magic. 

However, McWilliams said this season couldn’t have been the same experience as previous ones, with the farm having to halt their annual U-picks. Having just enough fruit to give, they had to limit it to a first-come, first-served basis. She said it was a tough decision for the family. 

“It’s hard not to be able to open up and have enough fruit for people to pick,” McWilliams said. 

But there’s always next year. To grow, to learn and to continue her father’s legacy.

McWilliams said she could still feel her father’s presence in the orchard, sitting in his chair amongst the persimmons. 

She said she hopes to continue to share a piece of him and her family with the local community, given all that he has left. 

“Having places like our farm…it gives the opportunity for people to connect with friends [and] family,” McWilliams said. “To me that’s what our family’s about.”