Massachusetts Is in the Heart of Peach-Picking Season

When you think of crops grown in Massachusetts, you might think of corn, cranberries, pumpkins and apples – but don't forget peaches.

Strawberries and blueberries are also plentiful in Massachusetts during the summer months.

The peach season typically runs from mid-July to September in Massachusetts but can vary by up to two weeks at local orchards. Peaches and nectarines are the same species with only slight differences, and both are grown in Massachusetts.

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Peach farmers report a productive growing season after frost in February and May severely damaged peach crops in some Massachusetts communities in 2023.

Even the rain has not damped the spirits of the state's peach farmers, many of who suffered losses from heavy rains last summer.

Ben Clark with Clarkdale Fruit Farms in the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts tells WWLP 22 News, "This year we are fortunate we didn't have the freeze."

"The trees are healthy," Clark said.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment said peaches are "an excellent food for southern New England."

"Most areas in southern New England have weather suitable for growing peaches," the Center said. "The quality of New England-grown peaches can rival that grown in almost any other part of the country."

Some of the best peaches that grow in Massachusetts do so in Acushnet.

The Town of Acushnet is preparing to celebrate the 43rd Annual Apple-Peach Festival on September 7 and 8, 2024, at the Long Plain Museum at 1203 Main Street, featuring a parade on Sunday, September 8.