Trenton peach farm experiences shortage after cold weather

TRENTON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Titan Farms in Trenton is the largest peach farm on the east coast.

Last week they opened their stands up sooner due to the warm weather coming in early. Now they have run into a big problem.

Those March freezes caused them to lose about 70 percent of their crop.

We stopped by their farm to see how they are making ends meet despite the setback.

It’s a sign of summer.

“People were constantly stopping, couldn’t wait until we were open for the season,” Karisa Ruth, Director of Retail Sales and Community Engagement at Sara’s Fresh Market.

Sara’s Fresh Market started setting up their roadside stand a little earlier than normal this year. The weather caused their peaches to bloom early.

“We had a warmer spring than normal, and then we had two freezes in March. That caused us to lose the peach crop,” said Ruth.

Ruth says they lost a significant number of peaches.

“We have a 70 percent loss of our crop this year, so we only have about 30 percent of our normal production,” she said.

Sara’s Fresh Market is run by Titan Farms, the largest peach grower on the east coast.

Ruth says this loss will really affect how many peaches they can send to stores.

“Roughly, in a normal year we will pack 2 million boxes of 25-pound boxes, this year we may get 500 thousand boxes,” said Ruth.

While their retail sales will take a hit, Ruth says they’re committed to making sure the roadside stand stays fully stocked.

“They’re freshly picked every day, they come straight out of the orchard, so they still have your peach fuzz, and they are ready to go when you come,” she said.

Titan Farms may have lost most of its crop, but at Sara’s Fresh Market, the peach season goes on.

Sara’s Fresh Market has two locations, one in Trenton off Highway 25 and one in Aiken close to exit 22.

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