THINGS TO DO
Peachy keen By Brian J. Lowney
Most folks who live along the South Coast know that July is peach season – a time to savor plump juicy fruit that explodes in your mouth, runs down your chin, and covers your clothes with sweet nectar. Whether you want to snack on a luscious tree-ripened fresh peach or to use the sweet fruit to make a delicious pie, salad, jam, or other summer treat, the region boasts an abundance of delightful orchards where visitors of all ages can enjoy the bounty of summer fruits and vegetables. At Dartmouth Orchards in Dartmouth, farm owner Brian Medeiros has been busy preparing for what he hopes will be a busy season. “We have been growing peaches all of our lives – for more than 80 years,” Medeiros reveals. “Last year we got hit with a freeze and we lost most of our peach crop,” he lamented, adding that this year, he is hoping to avoid weather conditions, including hail storms and hurricanes, which can wreak havoc on the peach crop. “A lot can happen,” the lifelong farmer continues. “You have to do a lot of praying.” According to Medeiros, his large farm grows 18 varieties of peaches. Some customers prefer yellow peaches while others prefer white-fleshed varieties. “Peach season starts about the third
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July 2021 | The South Coast Insider
week in July and ends about late September,” he says. “People love my peaches and some customers come every day to buy them.” Medeiros shares that growing peaches is laborious and requires constant dedication. “Our work starts in January with pruning and fixing all the equipment,” he emphasizes. “We monitor disease control. Our work never ends. The trees need constant upkeep.”
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It takes several years to grow fruit. It’s an investment of the heart The farmer shares that many local farms in the area have been sold to housing developments. “There aren’t many people growing fruit,”
Medeiros adds. “It’s a lost art. It takes several years to grow fruit. It’s an investment of the heart.” The busy farmer shares that he is most satisfied when visitors stop at the farm stand, purchase a box of peaches, bite into a piece of the delicious fruit, and the juice lands all over the floor. “When the juice runs down their legs, I know that I did my job,” Medeiros chuckles. Medeiros shares that one of his favorite and most simple summer recipes is to slice fresh garden tomatoes and fresh summer peaches. Layer the thin slices together, gently sprinkle with fresh basil, add some feta and sprinkle with some balsamic vinegar. “You want to taste the peaches and tomatoes,” he says. “This a delicious summer treat. Enjoy.” For more information about the availability of fresh peaches, call Dartmouth Orchards at (508) 992-9337, or visit the stand on Facebook.
Aren’t you a peach?
At Noquochoke Orchards in Westport, six generations of the Smith family have been growing peaches and the family
