By Clint Thompson Peach producers struggling to produce a crop this year are likely already starting to think about next season. It is all about reducing input costs at this point, believes Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “Going forward, they’re probably going to do as little as possible …
Don’t Miss the Deadline: Peach Commodity Commission Nominations Due by May 26
Any peach producer interested or knows someone that is interested in serving on the Georgia Agriculture Commodity Commission for Peaches need to remember that nominations are due by Friday, May 26. Nomination forms can be found at – agr.georgia.gov/cpf, under the nomination form tab or by emailing andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov. Nominations will be accepted through email or by mail at Andy Harrison, …
Middle Georgia Peach Crop: About 5% Remain Following March Freeze Events
By Clint Thompson Peach lovers already know there will be slim pickings with this year’s crop. Unfortunately, that equates to about 5% in middle Georgia, estimates Jeff Cook, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agriculture and natural resources agent for Peach and Taylor counties. “We really don’t have anything to harvest. If we have peaches, they’re going to be mid-June to …
Adaptability Vital for Peach Producer
Risk mitigation through variety diversity helps Titan Farms succeed. By Clint Thompson Adaptability fuels Titan Farms’ success as a national leader in peach production. It will be the key for Chalmers Carr as his South Carolina-based farming operation navigates the current challenges facing peach producers. “There are generational farms where people may not want to have the same risk profile. …
Georgia’s Peach Crop to Be ‘Very, Very Short’
By Clint Thompson One of Georgia’s most popular and well-known agricultural commodities is expected to be down in production this year. The sweet taste of Georgia’s peach crop is expected to be in limited supply. The March freeze events devastated the state’s crop, according to Robert Dickey, producer in Musella, Georgia. “The peaches, unfortunately, are not looking well. The last …
Florida Peaches Expected to be Smaller This Season
By Clint Thompson Florida’s peach producers are well underway in harvesting this year’s crop. The peaches this year are undersized, due mostly to the warm spring leading up to harvest, says Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “Down south in central Florida they’ve already been picking U-F Sun and U-F Best …
Florida Peach Crop Expected to be Undersized This Season
By Clint Thompson Florida’s peach producers are well underway in harvesting this year’s crop. The peaches this year are undersized, due mostly to the warm spring leading up to harvest, says Jose Chaparro, associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). “Down south in central Florida they’ve already been picking U-F Sun and U-F …
North Alabama Peach Producer: Worst I’ve Been Hurt
By Clint Thompson The mid-March freeze event stymied peach trees already in bloom in central and northern Alabama. It is a significant loss for producers, believes Jeremy Calvert, who operates J Calvert Farms in Cullman, Alabama, “I’ve picked 14 crops, and I think this will be my 15th. This is the worst I’ve been hurt,” Calvert said. “We still have …
Upon Further Review: Warm February Detrimental to Peach Crop This Year
By Clint Thompson Abnormal weather conditions brought warm temperatures to Georgia in February. Unfortunately, it also led to peach trees blooming earlier than they were used to. The result was extreme vulnerability to a pair of freeze events in March that has impacted the crop statewide. “People talk about late freezes, but it really wasn’t that late. March is wintertime. …
Freeze Events ‘Bad Timing’ For Peaches
By Clint Thompson The impact on Georgia peaches from two March freeze events is still under review, though trees were negatively affected. There was no way they couldn’t have been, especially with the unseasonably warm temperatures in February. “It’s been bad as far as the cold. It’s not what we need, it’s what I was afraid was going to happen. …