Trouble finding peaches? These North Texas orchards have fruit in stock despite shortage

North Texas peach farms are maintaining a steady supply despite a peach shortage across the United States.

Drought conditions last year paired with a mild winter and late cold snap this year proved detrimental for the peach crop throughout the country, including the Texas Hill Country.

Ham Orchards manager Richard Strange said he’s received calls from orchards all over the country asking if their peaches are in stock.

“This is probably one of the worst peach crop seasons for the country that I can ever remember,” said Strange, who’s been growing peaches for 46 years.

This year Ham Orchards, located in Terrell, has seen a 60 percent crop from their typical supply.

The orchard opened for the season mid-May and has maintained supply while a third of the way through peach season.

Although he’s received calls from people outside of the area wanting to buy peaches, Strange is committed to providing for his storefront first.

“I can’t sell my peaches wholesale to somebody in Louisiana or Arkansas or Austin and then turn around and then have a weekend come up the next weekend and I’m short here at my place,” he said. “My priority is to keep our store running and keep a good supply for our loyal customers.”

A series of cloudy days versus hot, sunny days makes all the difference when it comes to which peach variety is ripe and ready to sell.

Ham Orchards keeps customers updated on which varieties are ready via their Facebook page, although Strange said all the peaches will get sweeter further into the season.

Customers can buy peaches at the orchard until mid-August at 11939 Co Rd. 309 in Terrell.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service predicted a 30 percent typical season for Texas peach producers this year.

Despite this, Rees’s Peaches orchard in Aledo has seen a good crop, owner and founder Rees Atkins said.

“The length of winter is super relative to when a peach tree blooms or how well it does, they call it ‘chill hours’,” Atkins said. “This year we had a lot of chill hours but most of the hours came early.”

Each variety of peach tree requires a certain amount of chill hours.

Atkins said his early bloomer trees starting blooming in March and 20 degree days during that time would have been the kiss of death for the crop.

There are six peach varieties at Rees’s Peaches orchard: Texas Prince, Texas Royal, Majestic, Dixieland, Bounty and Belle of Georgia.

Texas Prince peaches are ripe in May and Texas Royal are ripe in June. Majestic, Dixieland and Bounty are all ripe in July, and Belle of Georgia in late July and early August, Atkins said.

Rees’s Peaches sell their peaches at the Cowtown Farmers Market on 8901 Clifford St. in White Settlement and at the Clearfork Farmers Market at 4801 Edwards Ranch Rd. in Fort Worth.

If you’re looking for more ways to buy, the Parker County Peach Festival will be held July 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. which has live music and peach stands.