August is National Peach Month!

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 Of course it is—August is when peaches are at peak flavor and abundance. Peaches are a favorite crop of ours for many reasons, the most important of which is the fabulous flavor!

 

We are grateful for those long-ago explorers who brought peaches from China, where they have been cultivated for over 6000 years. From China to Persia to Rome to Africa and Europe, to South America to England to North America, the peach has gotten around!  So glad peaches wound up in our area.

 

Peaches are part of our family lore, symbolizing determination and overcoming difficulties. When my grandfather, John Webster, had peach crop failures 3 years in a row during the Depression in the 1930s, he continued to farm. He renovated the orchards, tended the trees, and finally had a good crop in the 4th year. But what a difficult time that must have been for the whole family.

 

We still love peaches! But peaches are a big reason why we have a variety of crops, because we know from experience that stuff happens which is beyond our control—hurricanes, spring freezing weather, wind storm.


So, enjoy your peaches! In August, we also have green beans, lima beans, peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, melons…you get the idea.

 

The hard times have helped us broaden our crop selections and to be creative in our procedures to have greater predictability for harvests. Stuff still happens—spotted lantern fly, hail, wind storms, late spring frosts, etc., but diversity helps keep us going. If one crop is a failure, then another does well.

 

Thank you for your support of our family farm. You make it possible for us to keep growing!

 

Remember, eat your peaches! Now is the time.

 

 

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