Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 11 · column 1 of 5 · from the scan, no model involved
BY BILL KOSSLER
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
It’s that delicious time of year for baking peach cobblers, apple pies,, pear crisps and plum jams. And Rappahannock County is the perfect place to hunt for picture perfect fruit. Best peach in the world
Have you ever had a fresh, ripe Sunhigh peach? The kind where you have to eat it outside or over a sink or trash can, because the juices drip all over the place as you bite into it?
If you’re quick, you still have a chance to get some local Sunhighs. Their season is at a close, but Roy’s Orchard and the Williams Orchard might still have some for a few more days. If you can’t get a Sunhigh peach, don’t worry, there are a few other excellent varieties such as Laurol, Redhaven and Glohaven still coming in for a little bit longer. And though maybe not quite so wondrously luscious and succulently tart, sweet and intensely flavorful as the Sunhigh- the World’s Most Delicious Peach (according to at least three Rappahannock residents)- they are such a far cry better than what the supermarket has to offer that you’ll wonder how they can even be the same species.
Probably the four oldest still in production are Lee’s, Williams’ Moore’s and Jenkins’ orchards.
Lee’s grows Sunhighs, but they are done for this season, and moving into early apples. Moore’s has a number of other juicy fresh peach varieties, but no Sunhighs now. Unfortunately, this delicious breed isn’t the most popular among farmers, because it’s season is short, it’s yield isn’t the highest, and they bruise easily and don’t travel or keep well.
Two centuries
and counting
Profits are low and expenses are high in orchards these days, so concerns like yield and season length are critical to making a living. The Lee family, of Lee’s Orchard, has been farming in Rappahannock for over two centuries. The oldest building still standing on their property dates back to 1790. The proprietor, Bryant Lee, who may also be familiar to readers from his activities as a member of the board of supervisors, supplements his farm income with outside work as a mechanic. More and
90.1%