Utah Farmers Pick Thousands Of Peaches Ahead Of Storm
Sep 7, 2020, 10:37 PM | Updated: 11:41 pm
PERRY, Utah – The forecast for high winds kept farmers in Perry busy. Employees at Tagge’s Famous Fruit and Veggie Farm picked nearly 35,000 peaches in anticipation of the storm that’ll move into Utah Monday night.
Owner Thayne Tagge said doing so possibly saved them thousands of dollars. He said once the peaches are blown off the trees and onto the ground, he can no longer sell them.
“We call it No Excuse Farming,” Tagge said. “You have got to be aware of what’s going on — you have to make some decisions. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
“I’ve seen peaches fall on the ground before and I can’t watch it…it’s painful.”
Today employees at @TaggesFruit in Perry picked 35,000 peaches…a little earlier than normal.
At 10:00, what they’re most worried tonight’s storm will bring to the orchard @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/eUrdDh1pVP— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) September 8, 2020
Tagge said he called in all his employees to help pick the heaviest and most vulnerable peaches that would not have withstood the winds.
“The forecast said 50 to 60 mile-an-hour winds and I just freaked out,” he said. “I texted all my workers and said they have got a pick deep.”
He said the demand for peaches has been high this year because Idaho and Colorado had their own weather woes. Farms in Perry also lost 60% of the fruit to an early frost this year.
“In fact, it got down into the 20s, and this is what hurt us,” he said.
Tagge was hoping Monday’s storm wouldn’t hit the area as hard. He is finding comfort in the actions his team took to save the peaches.
“I’d rather have it in the box then on the ground,” he said.
