By Clint Thompson
Fruit and vegetable season is wide open across Alabama. Crops are being harvested and sold in counties all over the state.
Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA), discussed the current situation facing his state’s specialty crop producers.
“It’s wide-open peach season. The peach crop seems to be doing well, definitely better than the last couple of years. We’re very optimistic about it. I’ve gotten to taste test a few myself, and man they are good. There seemed to be some pollination issues with the early peach crop, but as we get into the main season, those varieties seem to be doing better,” Thaxton said. “We’re kind of getting into the thick of our watermelon season with July 4 being the target date. Our watermelon growers are starting to get that crop out of the field, and we’re optimistic about how that will go.
“Our direct market, diversified sellers are wide open with their seasonal summer vegetables, selling at farmer’s markets, farmstands. We just pray that we’ll continue to have good weather; enough rain but not too much.”