Peaches make comeback while corn has struggled in drought

Lorie Munden’s breads, sweet rolls and cheese straws, all made with the recipes from The Bread Lady RosaMargaret Thompson, also enjoys brisk business at the Downtown Laurens Farmers’ Market.

Laurens, South Carolina – Following a few years when late spring cold weather caused less-than-stellar peach crops, the trees at Coggins Farms are full and the peaches are selling out most Saturdays well before the Laurens Downtown Farmers Market technically ends at noon.
“Last year was a complete loss, and two years before that were maybe half crops,” said owner Tommy Coggins. “But a little rain here and there helps and these have sized up pretty good.”
The three recent years of losses were due to late frosts or late hard freezes.
“I sprayed them this year to delay the blooms, but the first two varieties to ripen still showed a little frost damage, and it affected the sizes of peaches a little bit,” Coggins said. “We did put a little water out on the first group but haven’t had to since we’ve had a little rain. So these are pretty. That’s all I can say.”
The Coggins have grown peaches for generations but had discontinued their peach business until a few decades ago.
“We packed peaches until 1970 and then I started back around 2000,” Coggins said. “We have 15 different varieties including white peaches.”
In addition to the Saturday Farmers Market in Laurens, Coggins has for years offered an honor system roadside stand. That worked fairly well until this summer when thieves broke into the box and stole more than $500.
He’s now moved the stand farther up the driveway at 6254 Hwy. 221 South, so he can better keep an eye on it.
“This weekend we’ll have the stand out there,” Coggins said.
As for the other Laurens County farmers, Clemson Extension Agent Bryan Smith said the rains this past week are a help.
“The recent rains have helped bring things back,” Smith said, although it’s too little, too late for most of the local corn harvest to see much success.
According to drought.gov, most of Laurens County is listed as remaining in “moderate drought,” and the eastern portion of the county is listed as “severe drought.”
“Unless farmers had irrigation systems, much of the corn was a loss, and some pasture grass died when rains didn’t come at the right time,” Smith said. “Now army worms have been reported in the county. But we see these cycles of drought now and then. It’s hard on farmers but it’s not unusual. We had droughts in 2006, 1986 and many other years, and this has been another drought cycle.”