Sandy soil and family ties: Fishers Orchard shows why SC peaches are unique

Tucked away behind Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church just north of Greer, you’ll find rows of vibrant peach trees stretching as far as you can see.

These peach trees – and many before them – grow in Fishers’ Orchard, a 96-year-old farm specializing in stone fruit. Mark Fisher, the orchard’s current owner, grew up tending to the trees every summer.

Fisher is a fourth-generation farmer. His grandfather started the orchard in 1928, and Fisher’s grandfather, father, and uncle kept it going.

Today, the orchard boasts about 200 acres. Fisher employs nearly 35 people and operates two retail locations in addition to the orchard, where locals can pick their peaches straight from the tree during the summer months.

Watching someone taste a SC peach

Fisher said that watching someone taste a peach from his orchard is one of his favorite parts of the job.

“When they finally get that good, tree-ripe peach and they bite that thing, their eyes light up. Their face smiles because they got a peach in their mouth, so you can't see their mouth smiling, but their face will smile, and that juice runs down their face,” he said. “That’s my favorite thing about it.”

Fisher grows 50 varieties of peaches, nectarines

Fisher grows about 50 varieties of peaches and nectarines. He also grows apples and plums but calls peaches his “bread and butter.”

Each year, he ensures that his retail stands have enough peaches to satisfy the thousands of customers who visit. If he has an abundance, he opens up his orchard to locals. On select weekends, orchard visitors can fill woven baskets full of ripe, fuzzy peaches after grabbing them straight from the tree.

Fisher says South Carolina peaches are the best in the world. It’s why he’s kept this orchard up for so many years.

Peach farming is a family affair

Fisher isn’t the only person at the orchard with family ties – they extend to his employees and even the South Carolina residents who visit to pick their peaches.

James Mathis, 15, is one of Fisher’s employees. On a warm Friday in July, he manned the cash register at the orchard’s signature produce stand. This summer, he followed in his parents’ footsteps. His mother and father worked at Fishers Orchard in the summers when they were younger.

Meanwhile, between the rows of peach trees, Tim and Reba Thompson filled baskets full of Red Globe peaches to bring back home to Easley. They brought their first grandson, James Christmas, who is almost two years old.

Nearly three decades ago, Reba brought James’ mother to pick peaches at Fishers. She was about the same age as James is now.

In years past, peach farms dotted Upstate

Fisher said that in years past, peach farms dotted the Upstate. Fisher is one of roughly two dozen peach farms left in Greenville County.

According to the most recent Census of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Greenville County has 22 peach farms left. Greenville County accounts for about 8% of the peach farms in South Carolina.

Read more from Peach Passion Week:

• SC may not be the Peach State, but it does produce more peaches than Georgia

• When is peach season in South Carolina? Test your knowledge of peaches with our quiz

• From acidity to sugar levels, here's how white and yellow South Carolina peaches differ

South Carolina remains out of state favorite

Even though South Carolina only has 273 peach farms left in the state, one farm alone produces more peaches each year than the entire state of Georgia, according to the state Peach Council. Peach fanatics have nicknamed South Carolina “The Tastier Peach State.”

Fisher agrees.

“When I was a kid, we had lots and lots of roadside stands that would come to us from Georgia and would take them back, and that was their number one selling point. They’d have signs all up and down the road: ‘South Carolina Peaches, fresh here’ because they knew they tasted better than what they grew in Georgia,” Fisher said. “Now, a lot of Georgia farmers would probably be mad at me about that, but you know, sometimes the truth does hurt.”

Fisher said the difference in taste comes from the nutrients in the soil. The Upstate’s sandy clay mix and warm climate offer optimal conditions for sweet, juicy peaches.

SC Peaches: Red Globes in season

Right now, Red Globes are in season. They’re yellow peaches and longtime fan-favorites – Fisher calls them heirloom varieties.

Fisher said each variety is in full bloom for about 10-14 days. His employees guide peach pickers around the orchard, depending on their visit, to help them find ready fruit.

After the peaches have been harvested, Fisher and his team will clean and prune the area. In the spring, they’ll fertilize and add a pest deterrent. Next, the peaches will begin to bloom.

“We get to the critical time when they start blooming,” Fisher said. “That’s when you have to leave it up to the good Lord.”

Peaches must survive frost, freezes, drought

In the spring, the delicate new blooms are vulnerable to frost. Last year, most peach farmers in South Carolina faced devastation when a late freeze wiped out their peach crops. Fisher lost about half of his crop in 2023. He counts himself among the lucky ones.

This year, he’s had a full yield of peaches, but he’s faced complications from a widespread flash drought. As a result, Fisher and his team have had to use irrigation pumps to ensure their peaches are hydrated.

Even still, Fishers Orchard has prospered and remains a celebrated spot for peach pickers in the Upstate.

Fisher credits his continued success to “good decision-making” from generations before him, the grace of God, and good luck.

Fisher isn’t sure what’s ahead for the orchard yet, but he’s looking forward to celebrating its centennial in just a few short years.

“I think if I can make it over a hundred, my ancestors and everybody will be happy,” he said.

Sarah Swetlik covers climate change and environmental issues in South Carolina's Upstate for The Greenville News. Reach her at [email protected] or on X at @sarahgswetlik.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Here's how soil, family and good luck make Upstate peaches so sweet