Early varieties of Michigan peaches are getting plucked from their trees and are available for purchase. Mark Schilling, owner of Mick Klug Farm, Schilling Family Farms and president of the Michigan Peach Sponsors, says this is the best year he’s had in three years.
“We were quite fortunate this year, especially considering the last two were very bleak as far as peaches,” he said. “In the state of Michigan, we have a really beautiful crop.”
Some of the earlier varieties are experiencing split pits from this spring’s frost.
“It’s nothing horrible, it’s just what the early varieties tend to do, especially when there’s a cold spell,” said Schilling. “They’re growing beautifully, they’re clean, but as the varieties go forward and you get closer to the Red Haven [variety], that split pit problem tends to fade out.”
There were many crops that benefitted from that dry weather early in the growing season, but it was a concern for Schilling and his peaches.
“Whether it’s apples, cherries, peaches, when they’re setting this fruit and there’s no rain, it puts stress on the tree, which makes the fruit weak and small,” he said. “We got all that rain at the right time for these peach trees to really soak it up and make some big peaches. As long as you keep a good spray program—which is key to keep the bacteria off the skin of the peach—the rain was a good thing.”
Schilling also grows apricots, and it’s turned out to be a good year for those as well.
“We have a lot of apricots right now, and they’re beautiful this year,” he said. “We’re quite thankful to have them because it’s been two, possible three seasons since we’ve had a decent apricot crop like this.”
To purchase Schilling’s fruit, Mick Klug Farm opened a storefront in downtown New Buffalo. You can also purchase fruit online.
