Fort Mill peach farms suffer worst damage in a decade after cold snap

FORT MILL, S.C. — Peach farmers in Fort Mill woke up to blooms that were severely damaged by the arctic blast that hit the Charlotte area Wednesday morning.

Farmers said they started worrying about potential crop loss months ago when they saw how warm the winter was going to be. Usually when they prune peach trees, there are few blooms on them. But this year, the trees were full of blooms, and that spelled out big trouble when the cold snap hit.

Ron Edwards told Channel 9 he lost 80 percent of his crop overnight from the bitter cold temperatures.

The impact of the loss goes far beyond the farm and York County.

The Department of Agriculture said South Carolina produces three times as many peaches as Georgia does. The state’s crop is worth $90 million a year, and the economic impact is $300 million.

Part of the economic impact comes from the thousands hired to harvest peaches. But now, most won’t be needed.

“We got workers, and they got families, and so if there are no peaches to pick, the work’s not going to be, the workers are not going to be there,” Edwards said.

It also means less business at the peach stand market, which draws people from everywhere once peaches hit the shelves in late May.

Edwards worried the rollercoaster weather could be the new normal.

“I’m beginning to believe that times are changing, and we’re going to have to adjust somehow,” Edwards said.

Farmers said there will be some peaches in the summer, but most of the crop is gone. They said all they can do is get ready for next year.

(Click PLAY to watch Greg Suskin's Facebook Live on the peach crop loss)

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