A Summer Without
Jersey Peaches.

The Jersey peach is a summer birthright in South Jersey — the farm-stand staple that shows up at every cookout and roadside table from July through September. This year, it may be hard to find.

A brutal one-two weather punch this spring wiped out much of the region's peach crop, and some of our local growers are bracing for a season unlike any in memory. "I doubt folks will be able to find any peaches at all in New Jersey," Carl Heilig of Heilig Orchards told reporters after the damage came in.

What happened

The culprit was a freak temperature swing in mid-April. A prolonged warm spell pushed thermometers above 90 degrees, coaxing fruit trees to flower weeks early. Then, between April 19 and 22, temperatures crashed into the 20s — sustained overnight lows of 25 to 27 degrees, cold enough to kill the tender developing fruit right on the branch.

For trees that had already blossomed, there was no defense. The early bloom that warm weather encouraged became the exact thing that doomed the crop when the frost arrived.

The scale

Early estimates put statewide farm losses at or above $300 million. Locally, the toll is staggering: roughly 200 acres of peaches were wiped out at Heilig Orchards, and Rowand's Farm lost an entire cherry crop. New Jersey ranks among the top five peach-producing states in the country, and a hit this size ripples through the whole regional food economy.

In response, Governor Mikie Sherrill requested a federal disaster designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in May, a step that could open the door to relief for affected farms.

What it means for your table

For Gazette readers, the impact shows up in two ways. First, scarcity: the beloved local peach may be genuinely hard to come by at farm stands and markets this summer. Second, price: the peaches and other tree fruit that did survive are expected to cost more when they appear later in the season, as growers try to recoup losses on a fraction of the usual harvest.

It's also a reminder of how thin the margins are for the family farms that define so much of South Jersey's character. A single bad week of weather — heat then frost — was enough to erase a year of work and a signature crop.

Looking ahead

Not every fruit is lost; some later-season varieties and other crops fared better, and farmers are nothing if not resilient. But the headline for this summer is clear: the Jersey peach took a historic blow, and the roadside stands that anchor our towns will feel it.

The Gazette will check back in with local growers as the harvest that remains comes in, and will follow whether federal disaster aid reaches South Jersey farms.

Run a farm or stand affected by the freeze? The Gazette wants to tell your story — reach out to the newsroom.