TULSA, Okla. — The 57th annual Porter Peach Festival is underway, and it's celebrating the town's agriculture legacy.
Livesay Orchard is one of the town's sources of peaches, but the crop hasn't been the best the last few years.
Well, we have some good news for peach lovers. Kent Livesay, a co-owner of the Livesay Orchard, said the 2023 crop is the best crop he's had in the last several years.
- Previous coverage >>> Porter Peach Festival brings in Texas peaches after late spring freeze kills 90 percent of crop
In recent years, the crop has dealt with bad winter freezes, hail storms, and wind storms.
That's led to both a lower quality and smaller crop of peaches.
Thankfully, this year they've been fortunate when it comes to the weather.
While they did have some minor wind damage from the Father's Day storm, Kent said it wasn't near as bad in Porter as it was in Tulsa.
So you might be wondering what defines a good crop.
He said it has to do with the number of peaches on the trees.
- Previous coverage >>> Peach shortage at Oklahoma's Livesay Orchards because of 2021 freezes
Although, this season specifically, it's not just the quantity that's making him proud.
"The quality of the peaches this year seems actually above average," Livesay said. "Of course, we got a long season. It's not just the festival. We will be harvesting peaches on into at least each September. The flavor is really good and, like I said, pretty good quality crop this year."
What he said most don't realize is there's not only one season for the fruit.
His orchard grows 40 different varieties of peaches.
"The purpose of that is so you can have a long season. Of course, there are variations in flavor in some cultivators. Some of them have a lot less acidity to them, and that changes the flavor," he explained.
They also grow different colors of peaches, like a white peach as well as the traditional yellow peach.
If you are looking to pick a peach yourself, Kent suggests you pick one that's not green in its background color and preferably one that is a few days out from being ready to eat so you don't mash them, taking them home.
His orchard supplies peaches to the Porter Peach Festival for auctioning and for peach ice cream.
So whether you want to enjoy the music and activities or get your hands on some peaches, the festival will be going from July 13-15.
Saturday is the last day of the festival, but don't worry if you can't make it because, remember, the peach season goes beyond the festival.
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