Q&A With Mr. Peach And The Peach Doctor

If there’s one fruit that is most dependent on high quality to ensure repeat customers, peaches just might be it. Give your customer a substandard peach that is mushy, overripe, or not ripe enough, and whether they’re buying it at a farm market or a supermarket, they’re not likely to be back in the near future.

Fortunately for peach growers in the East, two individuals in particular have spent many years helping producers give consumers a positive eating experience. Extension leaders Jerry Frecon of Rutgers University and Desmond Layne of Clemson University may not have had the chance to work together much in the past, but they are connected by their experiences growing up in the industry and working side by side with growers to develop varieties their customers will enjoy.

In this exclusive report, Frecon (who is planning to retire at the end of this year) and Layne weigh in on the growers they have worked with over the years, the biggest challenges currently facing the peach industry, and the keys to a successful future for peach growers.

Early Farming Experience And Lessons Learned

Frecon: I was born on a fruit farm in Berks County, PA. My dad, Richard S. Frecon, was a successful lifelong fruit grower and businessman. He taught me how to be focused on marketing and making a profit, and how to work hard. I have two brothers who are also in the business: Henry is a fruit grower, and Dick is a package marketer. After earning my degrees and spending some time teaching and running a produce/garden center business, I moved to Louisiana, MO, to work in commercial sales and service at Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards Co. After working briefly in Oregon, I learned that Rutgers had an opening on their faculty in southern New Jersey, where peaches were the biggest tree fruit crop. I started there in the spring of 1982.

Layne: My dad, Dr. Richard E.C. Layne, was a peach breeder for his entire 33-year career with Agriculture Canada (Harrow, Ontario). My first summer job in 1977 at the age of 14 was picking peaches at a farm near my home in Essex County, Ontario. I also worked on local fruit farms each year during high school. From this experience, I realized that farmers are people with families, and farming is their livelihood. There’s such a risk they take to provide healthy food to people, and I respect that. Growing up, as I saw county agents come and help, I started to realize what a county agent did. That would be cool to do, I thought, to know enough to be helpful to a farmer so they could provide healthy food to people.

Most Significant Developments You’ve Seen In The Peach Industry

Frecon: New and better peach varieties, including white-fleshed peaches and nectarines; one of the best integrated pest management programs in the U.S. fruit industry; more soil testing and reduced nitrogen; low water use in irrigation; better pesticide application technology; better pesticides; improved practices that increase fruit size; better orchard floor management; better handling and storage of fruit; more consistent quality and flavor in the peaches that get to the consumer.

Layne: Microsprinkler irrigation; diverse cultivars (yellow, white, red-flesh, traditional, subacid, melting, nonmelting, donut types) to expand ripening season and range where (even low-chill) peaches can be grown; potential demonstrated for mechanical bloom and green-fruit thinning to reduce labor costs; protected cultivation (in China).

Evolving Communication With Growers

Frecon: We have much better systems of communication. Over the years I’ve used everything from newsletters to phone calls, personal letters and visits, field days, twilight meetings, and more recently email, discussion groups, websites, videos, and Facebook.

Some things have changed, and not necessarily for the best. It’s been forced due to a lack of support staff. Our specialists have declined, and we’ve lost a layer of applied research people. For me, I have a lot of experience in the business. But I feel sorry for new agents who need support, and it’s just not there. The good thing with the digital world is we have a lot of access to information from other states and can communicate with video and other tools. But we don’t have that personal touch as much as we used to.

Layne: I’ve done on-farm grower variety trials; on-farm demonstration/research trials; on-farm advising and problem solving; and plant problem clinic diagnosis. I also provide classroom educational programming, as well as educational field days, and writing damage assessments to assist with crop insurance/disaster declarations. More recently, my comprehensive “Everything About Peaches” website includes educational columns, videos, radio, variety evaluation data, and more.

A Sampling Of Growers You Have Worked With

Frecon: Santo John Maccherone and his son John at Circle M Farms in Salem County, NJ, have allowed my colleagues and I to do any type of research on their farm. Santo is an active leader in the industry. Most of his practices and varieties are the result of work my colleagues and I at Rutgers Cooperative Extension have done on his farm. He has a niche in the market for good high-quality fruit. He also has developed a marketing program for peach cider, which has given him a good secondary market.

Other growers include Sunny Slope Farms, Larchmont Farms, and Heilig Orchards.

Layne: I have a large, replicated variety trial at J.E. Cooley Farm in Chesnee, SC. James Cooley and I are in our fifth season of in-field evaluations. I visit his farm weekly during the summer to collect data. We talk on good days and sometimes on bad days. His operation is customer focused and emphasizes high-quality fruit. We regularly talk about all kinds of issues.

Other growers include Cash Farms, Watsonia Farms, Titan Farms, and McLeod Farms.

What Advice Would You Give A Grower On How To Build A Sustainable Operation?

Frecon: Most importantly, he needs to start with a good orchard site, with virgin ground for peaches (freedom from soil nematodes and diseases), a good soil profile, good water movement in the soil, air drainage, a favorable temperature history, and a good supply of water. A good site will make the difference between sustainability and bankruptcy, and will make it much easier to grow fruit efficiently and cost effectively.

Secondly, he must select good varieties; variety selection should be planned over the season of ripening, with good diversity and of course good size and flavor.

Layne: For direct marketers, it’s the following:
1. Know your market and customers.
2. Know your limitations.
3. Focus on quality and customer service.
4. Create a good website and use social media and news media to interact with, inform, and build your customer base.
5. Treat every customer the way you would like to be treated.
6. Peaches are “tender” fruit, so treat them with care so your customers can appreciate them most and at the peak of ripeness.
7. Don’t sell any junk.

For larger wholesale growers. I would say the following:
1. Know your market and customers.
2. Know your limitations.
3. Choose the best sites.
4. Choose high-quality cultivars and rootstocks.
5. Be a continual learner. Do your homework and stay involved.
6. Offer to work with and participate with scientists interested in conducting trials on your farm. Get to know your Extension and researchers in the region.
7. Keep trees healthy.
8. Be known for quality.
9. No junk in any box with your name or your family farm’s name on it.
10. Build a mutually beneficial relationship with your local, state, and federal government officials.

Biggest Peach Industry Challenges Right Now

Frecon: Profitability. I am increasingly concerned that as the cost of producing and marketing peaches climbs, consumers will be unwilling to pay a higher price. There are too many good items in the produce department that are taking shelf space away from peaches. Peaches have gotten some bad press in recent years: consumer dissatisfaction, inconsistent product, volatile availability, supposed high pesticide residues, and limited health value. The large retailers with a larger share of the market demand more of growers, all at a cost that cannot be recouped. Our acreage of this increasingly novel fruit keeps declining. Farm retailers may not see this problem as much as the wholesale growers and shippers.

My other concerns include the availability of labor to prune, thin, and harvest fruit; violent weather that is making it harder to grow peaches in recent years; and the loss of nematicides and fumigation for nematode control and management.

Layne:
• Maturity management/quality: picking fruit at the proper stage of maturity for a good eating experience
• Labor: a reliable pool of qualified, legal, skilled workers; continually increasing costs of H-2A
• Increased government regulations: food safety, safe use of pesticides
• Resistance to pesticides
• Armillaria (oak root rot disease).

Biggest Peach Industry Opportunities Right Now

Frecon: We have many wonderful varieties to diversify product offerings, particularly at the retail levels. We have better varieties today than we have had in the 48 years I have been working with peaches. I see some exciting work being done on mechanization of pruning, and thinning, which should help with labor reduction.

Layne:
• The buy local movement: a desire for tree-ripened, high-quality fruit
• Value-added products, specialty products, and possibly fresh-cut
• Growing market for fruit in Mexico.

Competition, From The Outside And Within

Frecon: I have always believed that collaboration builds trust. It seems that in the peach industry, some of our growers are getting so large they don’t want to collaborate with others. I think this attitude helped destroy the California Tree Fruit Agreement. The information generated by the Agreement helped everyone in the U.S. peach and nectarine industry. I think we need to grow peaches over a wider area and not be dependent on a few big production areas in California, Washington, Georgia, or South Carolina. This just goes along with my attitude supporting the small business and buying local.

I also think we need a free exchange of information on all issues related to the peach industry. My association with organizations like the National Peach Council and the International Fruit Tree Association has been particularly beneficial to me and more so to the many growers and shippers that have been a part of those organizations.

Layne: The first thing growers need to do is focus on marketing riper fruit with more sold locally and less at a great distance. They also need to make sure they would be willing to eat the fruit they are selling. Finally, a beautiful peach does not equal a delicious peach; you burn me once, and I’ll go on and eat some other fruit. Produce managers at the chain stores need to be more judicious about what peaches they put in the produce department, and how regularly they cull inferior fruit so that nothing looks unsightly, there is no rot, etc.

Fixing The Disconnect Between Growers And Consumers

Frecon: We’ve been talking about this for years, and have tried many different things. We know we could sell every peach we grow in our state, if we could get large retailers to focus on promoting and displaying our fruit. We’ve targeted consumers here in New Jersey, and emphasize buying local, with the taste appeal and freshness of local peaches. We also talk about the importance of preserving peach trees and farms in New Jersey.

Layne: I think in some cases it may come from the upcoming generation of farmers who know about social media and websites. They try to build relationships with customers. They can be there to talk with people when they come to the farm, and they aren’t afraid to tell their story. Building relationships with customers is more important than ever, as is building that personal connection with the farm. A great eating experience is a nice story for customers to share with others through Facebook, etc.

Thoughts On Today’s Varieties

Frecon: It might surprise you that I really have no favorite variety. They all have weaknesses. Personally, I think growers may put too much emphasis on the genetics of a variety for flavor and not enough on growing and handling the peach to develop that flavor. For example, we would have many great-tasting varieties if they were grown and handled properly. Low acid peaches have fabulous flavor but many have high red color. I think many growers pick them too early and are disappointed in the flavor.

I do not like peaches that are so juicy that when you bite them the juice squirts all over you. I have 50 shirts and pants with peach stains on them. I really think the juiciness has hurt people’s willingness to just pick up a peach and eat it as a snack — they are simply too messy. I have found many young consumers like firm or crunchy peaches with a low acid, and mild but very sweet flavor. The low acid firm freestone donut peaches, where the freestone pits pop out, are great for snacking. We have a wide range of great tasting peaches when grown and handled properly.

One other thought I have on varieties is that many great varieties have been introduced over the years, but through the process of bud selection, propagation, reversion, and lack of stability are not the same peaches after many generations. Thus a variety that looks sensational when introduced may not look the same after many propagations and years in the field. This increases the difficulty of recommending the same varieties over a long period of time and one reason why we have new varieties.

Layne: My favorite peach is Winblo. It has a yellow flesh, traditional acidity, melting, and is to die for. My preferred nectarine is Snow Queen. It has white flesh, traditional acidity, melting, and a perfumy taste.

A lot of people tell me the fruit they buy in the supermarket is disappointing, and that bothers me. I see it too in stores, when it doesn’t look or taste good. It’s been picked immature, shipped a long way, but ends up on the shelf anyway. The person who buys it doesn’t like it, and might buy something else next time. When people go to market and can buy a tree ripened fruit, and they love it, that’s the experience I would hope people have. We need to do a better job at picking fruit at the right stage of maturity so that all customers will have good fruit. We don’t want fruit on the market that will push people to buy another commodity.

What Do You Want To Accomplish In The Next Few Years?

Frecon: I hope to remain healthy enough to work in the industry and stay active. I am prepared to accept whatever my spouse and God have planned for me.

Layne: I want to take my peach knowledge to help growers in developing countries to launch and/or improve their peach industries to provide healthy, nutritious food for their people (i.e., USAID – Republic of Georgia, Afghanistan, etc.). I have also been invited to consider preparing a new book on stone fruits. Finally, I want to encourage more people to patronize their local fruit growers during the season and buy tree-ripened fruit (i.e., peaches) at the local stands/markets (when available) to ensure their best eating experience.

A Bit Of Background

Jerry Frecon, aka “Mr. Peach”
Title: Agricultural Agent and Professor 1, Rutgers University, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension
Education: Bachelor of Science, Delaware Valley College (DVC); Master of Science at Rutgers University
Early Experience: Pomology and horticultural marketing professor, DVC; Sales and research director, Stark Bros. Nurseries and Orchards
Key Influences:
• Dr. Dave Blumenfeld, DVC: “He was the best teacher I ever had.”
• Dr. Norman Childers, Rutgers: “He taught me the importance of taking scientific information and delivering it in a manner that could be understood by everyone.”
• Ernie Christ, Rutgers: “Mr. Peach in New Jersey, he was a great Extension teacher and demonstrator who could take a dry subject on horticulture and make it interesting and humorous.”
• Floyd Zaiger, Zaiger Genetics, Modesto, CA: “He is a great fruit breeder and introducer of tree fruit varieties. Going to Zaiger’s a couple times a summer was like going to heaven for a fruit evaluator.”

Desmond R. Layne, aka “The Peach Doctor”
Title: State Horticulture Program Team Leader, Professor of Pomology and Extension Fruit Specialist, Clemson University
Education: Bachelor of Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; Master of Science, and later Ph.D., in horticulture at Michigan State University
Early Experience: Assisting in his father’s (Dick Layne) peach breeding program; IPM scout for Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
Key Influences:
• Dr. Jim Flore, Michigan State: “He never lost touch with the practical side of farming. Sometimes you get lost in the clouds with your data. Jim helped keep me grounded.”
• Dr. Butch Ferree, University of Georgia: “He knew the area and the history and understood the common insect and disease problems that could pop up. He knew the cultivars and he was very instructive in helping me understand how southern growers think and how to diagnose problems.”

Learning From Each Other

Although Jerry Frecon and Desmond Layne have had limited opportunities to cross paths, there’s no doubt they’ve been able to learn from each other. “I have learned many things from reading Des’ columns and his book, but mostly I have learned from reading his web page on varieties for many years,” says Frecon. “I like the way he has the varietal information displayed. I use this information frequently.

“I have great respect for Dr. Layne. I also worked with his dad “Dick” Layne at Harrow Ontario, Canada. He is a respected peach scientist whose varieties have been very important in New Jersey.”

Conversely, Layne understands the respect Frecon has earned from his years of service to peach growers. “When I came into this job and talked to growers about varieties, Jerry’s name always came up. He was a role model as somebody putting the effort in to work with breeders to develop cultivars that would benefit his industry,” says Layne. “I would look at his annual reports and it gave me ideas on how to develop the database for my website. I used what he did as a model for what I did. The work we have both done to serve our industry has been helpful. When growers talk to Jerry, they know he knows his stuff.”