Weatherford area farmer Gary Hutton looks over some of the mature peaches on his farm.
(Star-Telegram Photo by Ron T. Ennis)
Peach growers hoping for best crop in a while
By Sarah Bahari
sbahari@star-telegram.com
Just outside of Weatherford, the O’Bannon family peach trees are thriving.
“It is finally a good year,” said Jean O’Bannon, who has been farming 7.5 acres with her husband, John, for 17 years. “And it’s about time.”
After a string of bad years that featured late freezes, hail, extreme heat and drought, area growers are harvesting what they say is the best crop in recent years, just in time for Saturday’s Parker County Peach Festival.
The 30th annual peach festival is expected to draw more than 30,000 visitors to downtown Weatherford, where festivalgoers can enjoy live music, children’s activities, arts and crafts, food booths, and of course, an abundant supply of the signature fruit. The festival also will feature the annual Peach Pedal Bike Ride and a 42 tournament for players of the domino game that has been called the National Game of Texas.
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In past years, the festival has been forced to import peaches from other parts of Texas. Not this year.
“It looks like a bumper crop,” Gazzola said. “We’re thrilled.”
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Gary Hutton, who owns Hutton Fruit Farm, one of the largest peach producers in Parker County with 40 acres, said the fruit can be hard to grow in unpredictable weather. The farm just west of Weatherford lost some because of the April freeze, but the trees are growing well now.
“Peaches need rain, but not too much rain,” said Hutton, who has grown them for 34 years. “They need cold, but not too cold. And they can’t take any hail.”
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