Just Peachy! Why Virginia peaches taste so good!

PINEY RIVER, Va. (WFXR) — Virginia’s peach season extends from June through September, but this period, July and August, is the height of the season. When it comes to peach growing and production, Virginia ranks 11th in the United States. California, South Carolina, and Georgia are the top producers nationally. Peaches have a nine million dollar a year impact on Virginia’s economy.

At Saunders Brothers Farm in Nelson County, peaches are a way of life. The farm has been in existence for 110 year and it has grown peaches since just before World War II.

“We’re about 60 acres of peaches, total,” said Marshall Saunders of the operations at the family’s orchards and farm.

He was joined on this day by one of the farm’s owners, Jim Saunders. They routinely walk the orchards to ensure their peaches are growing the way they should.

” I want to see how advanced they are, you know if they’re ripening good, and they are,” said Jim Saunders as he moved limbs around on trees to get a good look at the peaches still growing.

Saunders Brothers grows its peaches high on mountain ridges. That provides rich soil with plenty of sunlight and rain. It also provides some frost protection because of the way atmospheric currents flow. Those currents often mean frosts and lower temperatures at slightly lower elevations.

While other state produce more peaches, Virginia peaches have a reputation for flavor and quality. They are grown for immediate consumption. Saunders Brothers grows multiple varieties of peaches that favor flavor over shelf-life. They are also picked a little later to allow full flavor to develop. Most of the peaches grown by Saunders Brothers are sold at the Saunders Brothers Farm Market.

While it takes expertise to grow the dozens of varieties of peaches that Saunders Brothers does, it also takes knowledge of what customers want, and how tastes change through the years.

“Some of our customers like a sub-acid sweeter peach with higher Brix, Brix are sugar levels,” said Marshall Saunders. “Some of our customers like a more tangy flavor like that southern peach traditional peachy flavor.”

“People in the community know us for our peaches,” said Jim Saunders as he gestured around the family’s farm market. “We’ve been selling peaches out of this market here since like 1940. My grandfather and his brothers sold peaches out of here.”

Saunders Brothers also grows and sells a variety of other fruits including apples and Asian pears.