One of the best rituals of summer is the annual trek to buy fresh orchard peaches from growers near Stonewall, Texas, between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. The relaxed pace of stopping at farm stands along Hwy 290 E, about 25 miles west of Johnson City, is a welcome antidote to the repetitive food gathering routine at the local supermarket. Inherent in any peach run is the anticipation of superb, fresh peaches, the subtle sleuthing and judging of fruit between the stands, and the rare opportunity to talk with the people who raise our food.
In July, I visited four of the five orchards along the Stonewall to Blumenthal stretch of 290 E that offered cling and freestone peaches. The popular Burg’s Corner presents a well-organized store with an ice cream counter serving peach ice cream, rows and rows of peach preserves, butters, chutneys and salsas, as well as wines and other fresh produce. They accept credit cards, which proved crucial since I neglected to bring cash for my outing.
Over the July 4 weekend their peaches were ripe, hefty, and plentiful. At the 2024 Peach JAMboree, held in June, their peaches placed in all categories and won first place for the heaviest peach. I bought an eighth of a bushel, twelve beautiful peaches the size of baseballs for $20. I had a cobbler in mind and wanted to grill a couple of halved peaches over charcoal.
I inadvertently passed the Gold Orchards stand and stopped at Vogel Orchard. Several groups of one and two people were eying the produce.
While there were a few tomatoes, okra and other veggies, the peach stock was very low. The peaches on display were picked over and small, with dings from April’s hailstorm. In the back of the open air stand, I could see a worker unloading peaches fresh from the field.
At Engle Orchards, well known for the other fruits they raise — apples, persimmons, plums, melons and figs, there was a nice selection of seasonal vegetables. Because it is a cash-only stand, I moved on to the Studebaker Farm stand in Blumenthal.
A handsome, wellbuilt store awaits visitors at Studebaker Farm. Inside, neat rows of beautiful peaches in small baskets lined the display tables. I exchanged a little conversation with the women in the store who happened to be the owner and her sister. While courteous, their no-nonsense bearing did not lead to a long exchange and I noticed a little sign asking people to refrain from squeezing the peaches that made me smile. Studebaker is another cash-only farm stand.
Last on my list was Jenschke Orchards. Jenschke is a big operation that has a store, a restaurant, u-pick-it experiences, and quite a few activities, “called agritainment,” for kids and young people, including a wagon ride, a seasonal corn maze, tetherball, and roping wooden horses. During the year you can pick peaches, pumpkins, blackberries, strawberries, flowers and cut your own Christmas tree. They were closed the Sunday I visited, possibly because of the heavy rain that fell the night before.
The peach run to Stonewall requires a decent supply of cash, a relaxed pace, and expectations that are suited to agricultural life. Even the most organized stands don’t follow anything close to corporate standards. They’re usually family run, family staffed mom-and-pop businesses that are shoehorned between the punishing demands of growing food. Sometimes they’re closed, sometimes the fruit and produce aren’t available, and sometimes weather gets in the way. Visit and bring your best manners, and everything will turn out, well, peachy.
