FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Al’s Family Farms in Fort Pierce is hosting a special reopening celebration on Saturday, 13 months after a tornado tore through the property ahead of Hurricane Milton.
WATCH BELOW: 'This is what it looks like when you shoot out the other end,' Jeff Schorner tells WPTV
“It was surreal what we went through,” said owner Jeff Schorner. "God wants us to rebuild and that’s how we’ve been rolling for the last 13 months.”
For 48 years, this third-generation family business has been a staple in St. Lucie County — known for its fresh-squeezed orange juice, citrus shop, and hometown charm.
The tornado left behind splintered wood, twisted metal, and damaged buildings.
Schorner said giving up was never an option.
“Anything I could get with a forklift, I was grabbing and saving all the old timbers — because the timbers are 100 years old," he said.
Schorner told WPTV reporter Brooke Chau, hundreds of family and friends eagerly volunteered to help with the cleanup process.
Rather than replace what was lost, Schorner and his team salvaged what they could.
From damage to determination, Al’s Family Farms has become a symbol of resilience — restoring not just a business, but a piece of St. Lucie County.
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“This is what it looks like when you shoot out the other end,” Schorner said. “To all the people in the future that go through disasters — watch what we do. You can have hope and rebuild too.”
Al's Family Farms is inviting the community to celebrate its comeback. The reopening event is this Saturday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring family activities and plenty of fresh Florida citrus.
For more information on the event and the farm’s story, visit Al’s Family Farms website.
