 |
 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
News RoomNews ReleaseAugust 14, 2002 CONTACT:
Bay State Peach Harvest A WinnerAlthough Massachusetts is perhaps better known for its fall apple crop, many Bay State tree fruit growers also produce that oh-so delectable late-summer treat, the tree-ripened peach. And this growing season has been particularly fruitful for Massachusetts peach growers. "Peach size and quality are the best in years," says Amesbury orchardist Glen Cook of Cider Hill Farm. "Warm mid-summer temperatures, and just enough, but not too much, rainfall have given us a bountiful peach crop with undiluted peach flavor and sugar content." Since early May, when the pink peach flowers were visited and pollinated by bees, to the current "dog days" of August, fruit growers have been watchfully tending their crop of stone fruit -- including peaches, nectarines, cherries, and plums -- to produce a high-quality, tree-ripened fruit dripping with juice and flavor, according to UMass Extension fruit specialist Jon Clements. "There's nothing like a fresh-picked locally grown peach and we're fortunate to have orchards across the Bay State that produce this much-anticipated crop," says Douglas P. Gillespie, Massachusetts Commissioner of Food and Agriculture. "Massachusetts' 100 commercial tree fruit growers produce approximately 30,000 bushels of peaches and nectarines annually on 350 acres." Commonly grown peach varieties include Earliglo, Jersey Dawn, Newhaven, Redhaven, Harmony, Encore, Canadian Harmony, Garnet Beauty, and Summer Beauty. Local fruit growers have also been quick to plant and harvest new, larger, tastier, and better-colored peach varieties. These include the Flaming Fury and Stellar series of peaches with names such as PF-1, PF-15, Rising Star, and Glowing Star. When visiting a local farmstand, farmers' market or pick-your-own orchard, look for fruit that is still firm but not green. The skin color should be fading from green to white or cream with a nice red blush covering a portion of the skin. Peach skin is slightly fuzzy while nectarines are hairless and redder. At home, peaches should be eaten soon or stored in the refrigerator where they can be kept one or two weeks before losing flavor and quality. The peach harvest season runs from roughly late July to mid-September when more attention turns to the apple crop. One south-central Massachusetts community is so enamored with peaches they hold an annual Peach Festival. Since 1985 the Wilbraham Peach Festival (www.peachfestival.org) has drawn thousands of people to celebrate the local peach crop as well as partake in such activities as a parade, amusements, food booths, and entertainment. Long-time Wilbraham peach grower Wayne Rice says "If the weather gods continue to smile on us we'll be looking good for the Peach Festival this year August 16,17, and 18." To find a grower or farm-stand with peaches near you, visit the Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association web site, www.massfruitgrowers.org, or the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture "MassGrown" web-site, www.mass.gov/massgrown. -- 30 -- The University of Massachusetts is issuing a parallel release on this topic.
|
More Information: |
 |
||
