A Peach of a Day

Peach season is just coming to a close here in the Peach State.  Peaches, along with pecans, peanuts, paper and poultry are sometimes referred to as the 5 “P”s of Georgia agriculture.  Peaches are a big deal in Georgia!
Peach orchards are a common sight along the country roads of southern Georgia.  I recently had the opportunity to visit one of these orchards.  Southern Belle Farm is a family-owned, working farm.  At its peak, the Farm included 375 acres of land and 350 Holstein dairy cows.  Then the owners decided to switch from dairy to beef and focus on agritourism.

Southern Belle Farm has evolved into a multi-faceted attraction.  The U-pick/fresh produce operation offers strawberries in the spring; peaches, blueberries, blackberries and flowers in the summer; pumpkins and corn in the fall; and Christmas trees in the winter.  There are special event facilities and fun activities including an animal barn with chickens, rabbits, donkeys and goats.

The goats were highly entertaining but the peach orchards were the main draw.  The rich green peach trees were loaded with beautiful ripe fruit.  The peaches were in various stages of ripeness and the colors ranged from soft yellow to deep orange-red.  They were literally “ripe for the picking”.

Quite a few peaches had fallen to the ground resulting in a noticeably sweet aroma in the air.

The peach orchards at Southern Belle Farm are a feast for the senses.  Beautiful country views and sunset-colored fruit; delicious, juicy sweetness; pervasive sugary aroma; soft fuzzy surfaces; and…

… insistent bird song.  Well… it may have been more of an alarm than a song!  A pair of Brown Thrashers (Toxostoma rufum) were making lots of noise in their efforts to protect a nearby nest.  Interestingly, the Brown Thrasher is known for its ability to mimic the sounds of other birds and is reported to have the largest song repertoire (ie over 1,000) of any North American bird.

It was a pleasure to wander amongst the trees selecting one perfect peach after another.

In no time, my basket was full and I’d picked a half-peck.

I didn’t take much notice of the peach varieties as I picked.  But I’ve since learned there are 3 types of peaches: clingstone, freestone and semifreestone.  Clingstone peaches have pits that cling to the flesh of the peach.  They are typically smaller, sweeter and earlier in the season.  Freestone peaches have pits that separate easily from the flesh.  They are typically larger, juicier and later in the season.  Semifreestone peaches are somewhere in between with pits that start out clinging but separate easily once ripe.  The sweet, delicious peaches I picked were freestone.

Within those categories, there are a number of different cultivars such as Gala, Majestic, Red Globe and Loring.  Peach varieties were identified throughout the orchard as were the pre-picked baskets in the Farm’s Country Market.

Despite Georgia’s obsession with peaches, this stone fruit isn’t native to the region or even to North America.  The peach tree (Prunus persica) originated in Northwest China and was introduced to Georgia’s coast by Franciscan monks in 1571.  Surprisingly, the peach rose from this humble beginning to sponsor an economic boom.  A number of enterprising individuals played important roles in this fascinating transformation but Samuel Henry Rumph may just be the most famous.  According to the Georgia Peach Council, “Rumph, a middle Georgia peach grower during the late 1800’s, is credited with being the “Father of the Georgia Peach industry” as he revolutionized the industry with a new variety which he named after his wife Elberta. This yellow-fleshed peach was of superior quality and shipped better than previous varieties. Not only did he breed this superior variety but he also invented a way to ice train cars loaded with peaches, thus getting this “Queen of Fruits” into the populous Northeast.  Rumph never patented his Elberta peach or the refrigerated train car. Instead he opted to share this windfall with his neighbors and the “Georgia Peach Boom” began.”
The heyday of the Georgia Peach Boom was between 1870–1930.  I recently came across a vintage label at a local antique shop which coincides with that timeline.  It is a vibrantly-colored crate label for Dixiana Georgia Peaches circa 1930.

These days, California and South Carolina produce far more peaches than Georgia but peaches remain a big part of the state’s identity.  The Georgia Peach Council proudly boasts “After all, you can’t feed your children VOLUME of peaches. You feed your children sweet, flavorful Georgia peaches. Quality and sweet flavor is all that matters. Sweet Georgia peaches give you both… every day, every peach.”  The Council attributes this unique flavor to “our searing hot nights and intense high humidity [which] allow our peaches to produce sweet Georgia sugar all day AND night. Most other growing regions cool down at night and the peaches take a break from producing sugar.”
The Farm’s Country Market is packed with fresh picked produce, baked goods and local food items.

There are a number of peach products including a few surprises like the Mayhaw Peach Jelly pictured below.  Mayhaw berries, as a nearby sign explained, “look very much like cranberries or small crabapples [in the wild].  They vary in taste, but the berries are usually fruity and tart.  Most would say they’re far too tart to eat straight from the tree—and that’s where the jelly comes in.”

There was also fresh peach ice cream!  Yum!  Unfortunately, I wasn’t nearly fast enough to style and shoot my ice cream before the Georgia sun turned it into a sticky, albeit delicious, hot mess!

More Info

Southern Belle Farm is located in McDonough, Georgia.  You can learn more about this fun destination on their website or Facebook page.
Georgia Grown provides a convenient list of peach orchards, farms and farmers markets on their website.
The Georgia Peach Council says “They don’t call us the “Peach” state for nothing!”.  Check out what else they have to say on their website.
You may also enjoy the post, Blueberry Zaniness, about a visit to a local blueberry U-pick operation.

Today’s Takeaways

1. U-Pick orchards and farms are a fun, summertime destination.
2. The history behind a crop or product, unique to your region, can be fascinating.
3. Consider learning about and supporting your local agritourism businesses.