Ga. growers see best peach crop ever after big losses last year
ATLANTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Georgia farmers begin picking peaches in May.
Jake Carter, a third-generation farmer and owner of Southern Belle Farm, began picking peaches on Monday. He said this crop is the best crop he’s ever seen.
“No matter where you go, whatever corner of the state that you enjoy getting your peaches from, they should have a great crop,” said Carter.
He said this year could be life-changing for some farmers who lost everything during a late deep freeze that destroyed the majority of the peach crop last year.
MORE | South Carolina dad is cooking up cicadas for meals
It’s cicada season, and while some find the red-eyed bugs a bit of a nuisance, one South Carolina man is proving they’re not only fascinating – they’re also a feast.
“It’s really a shot in the arm. There are lots of great farms in the state of Georgia and everyone I know of has a tremendous crop,” said Carter.
Pam Knox, researcher at the University of Georgia, studies the impact of climate change on crops. She said there was a time in March that it got close to freezing, but thankfully for farmers, it didn’t have much of an impact on their crops.
MORE | Augusta’s new Kroger Marketplace store to open within days
The new Kroger store is nearly ready to open near Jimmie Dyess Parkway and Gordon Highway, the company announced.
“The peaches were able to squeak by with not much damage. All the peaches were left on the trees. There were so many peaches that a lot of producers had to go in and thin them. If you have too many peaches, they don’t grow very big. you know, they’re less marketable because we like those big juicy peaches,” said Knox.
For a list of Georgia farms harvesting peaches this season, click here.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
