Valley Bounty: Clarkdale Peaches

Peaches Return this Summer

After much anticipation, peaches are ripe and now available on farm stands and at farmers’ markets in the Valley. Ben Clark, fourth generation farmer and owner/operator of Clarkdale Fruit Farms, explains that western Massachusetts is generally the northern border of where peaches can be grown consistently.

One hundred years ago, Clarkdale Fruit Farms planted their first peach trees in their orchard in west Deerfield. Forty years ago, Clark’s father, Tom Clark, expanded the orchard to approximately 2,500 peach trees over nine acres.

For over thirty years, the Clarks farmed peaches reliably on their site, despite New England’s changeable weather. The strategic location of the peach orchard on top of a south facing drumlin offers a well-drained site with good airflow and full sun. “We definitely use our terrain to our advantage,” says Clark. In the spring, cold air settles below, giving the peach buds slightly warmer air on the hill.

With severe weather wrought by climate change, the farm lost their peach crop twice in the last seven years, in 2016 and 2023. Due to subzero temperatures in February last year, the entire crop was lost and there were no peaches at Clarkdale or throughout our region. Clark explains that compared to apples, “peaches and other stone fruits (nectarines, cherries, plums) are more sensitive to cold, and the wood of the trees is not as hardy.”

Clarkdale has frost sprinklers in the low-lying areas to protect the apple trees from late frosts once buds have formed. With support from last year’s Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund, Clarkdale Fruit Farms purchased a frost fan to help move air and regulate temperatures for the peach trees in the event of a late frost.

“Unfortunately, we must be proactive in protecting our crops. It’s something I wouldn’t normally have bought because it’s a capital purchase that I might use only once or

twice a year, but if I use it and I can save my crop, it’s worth it,” says Clark.

Farming fruit takes the long view, but when it comes to peaches, the younger trees produce more fruit, with a twenty-year lifespan for production. Clarkdale replants 5% of peach trees annually, using bare root trees grown in a nursery. The farm grows the saplings for two years, then prunes them in the third year, when they begin fruiting. In total, it takes five years to bring the tree fully into production, and then fifteen years of strong fruit production is expected.

So far this year has begun with plentiful blooms, producing a heavy fruit set. Peach trees are limited in how much weight they can hold. If there is too much weight on the branch, it can snap. Clarkdale still thins peaches by hand, and the farm crew completes this in two passes, leaving six inches between fruit.

Careful attention to growing conditions and manual labor to enhance the fruit’s formation produces a superior tasting fruit that local devotees notice. “We want to grow the best quality, best tasting fruit.” says Clark. “Peaches are more work than apples. That’s why they are more expensive than apples.”

While California growers pick fruit two weeks ahead of ripeness to allow for transport, New England growers pick ripe fruit off a tree, and return to do it again another time or two. Clark says, “We train our workers to pick within a day or two of peak ripeness. This means we generally pick every variety three times, where we pick apples once. It’s more labor intensive but produces the highest quality fruit.”

As the trees age in the presence of New England humidity, they become susceptible to diseases. Clarkdale Fruit Farms uses Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which Clark explains as “producing a high-quality crop while using the least toxic inputs for humans and climate.”

This translates as applying common sense to science. For example, the farm is licensed to use fungicides, and they choose the least toxic option. An onsite weather station links the farm in real time to Cornell University, so they can monitor temperature and precipitation, which then informs the timing of applications to be at an absolute minimum.  Using this approach can reduce the overall number of sprays from an average of six per season to two.

Clark says, “I grew up here and my kids are here. We don’t bring in pollinators on our farm. Instead, we rely on the naturally existing pollinators for our land, and we don’t want to do any harm to them.” Where appropriate, the farm uses simple adaptations to protect stone fruit crops, including bird netting on cherry trees.

Care and concern for stewarding the land and feeding the community has been the mission of the Clark family for decades, with Ben Clark serving on CISA’s board from 2011-2020. Last year, Clarkdale Fruit Farms was awarded CISA’s Local Hero Award.

Orchard management and community engagement aside, sweet, juicy peaches keep generations of families visiting Clarkdale. The early varieties are clingstone, which are the peaches used for commercial canning, where the peach flesh sticks to the pit. These show up first at their farm stand through mid-August, then the freestone varieties become available. Freestone peaches release easily from the pit. Although both kinds are delicious for eating, Clark recommends waiting for the freestone peaches for home preservation, because they are easier to work with.

For home cooks who want to freeze peaches, allow the peaches to fully ripen, scald them for five seconds to remove the skin, then pit and slice them. Save the juice for smoothies or cooking. When making smoothies and jam, bag the peaches together. If separate slices of peaches are desired for a recipe, freeze them on a baking sheet before adding to a freezer bag. Clark notes that some bakers make their pie crust and put the peach slices in the crust, then freeze the whole pie until they are ready to finish it and bake it.

Peak season for peaches is August, and larger quantities for cooking and canning will be available in mid-August. Peaches are a highly perishable crop. First quality peaches are picture-perfect and ideal for eating as is. The farm offers utility grade fruit, which might have dents or bruises, but is half the price and are still delicious.

After last year, having peaches to offer and seeing customers again at their retail store is a joy for Clark. “Our family is very happy to have peaches, and our customers are just as enthralled. It’s wonderful that people appreciate the seasonality of where we live.” Clark concludes, “to have a fresh peach on a warm day in its perfect ripeness–that’s one of the joys of summer.”

Lisa Goodrich is Communications Coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, (CISA). To learn more about Clarkdale Fruit Farms, check out their social media or website at www.clarkdalefruitfarms.com. Peaches are available at their farm stand, which is open daily, from 9am-5pm.

Image credits: Blossoming peach trees and frost fan by Paul Shoul. Peach images CISA file photos.