About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2024)
Wednesday, May 15,2024 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3 A • Heavy Duty Fabricated welded Steel Decks, not stamped • Heavy Duty Steel Frame • Smooth Trak Steering • Patented Automatic Park Brake System, built into Levers • Limited 3 year warranty £■1 BEST BEST OF FORSYTH BEST OF FT B;rv*s Georgia expecting much better peach crop in 2024 By Denise Etheridge DCN Regional Staff Last year was a grim one for peach farmers. A freeze in late March led to one of the most severe peach shortages in the state since 2007. This year the harvest will be better. A lot better. “I am pretty excited about the peach crop,” said Drew Echols, co owner of Jaemor Farms in Lula. “The state of Georgia is sitting on an 85% or better crop.” Robert Dickey of Dickey Farms in middle Georgia said this year’s crop is expected to be the most promising he’s seen in 5-6 years. Last year Georgia suf fered a 90% peach crop loss, translating into a $60 million loss for the state’s peach industry, according to a recent College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences story posted by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The Cooperative Extension’s website listed the grower’s price for fresh peaches per pound at 90 cents in June 2022, a better-than-average crop year. In June 2023, when the crop was considered a dismal one, the agricul tural price increased by 42% to $1.28 per pound. Echols explained that peaches begin blooming in mid-March and are ready for harvest at the end of May and can be picked until mid-Septem ber. “Right now, they’re Scott Rogers DCN Regional Staff Drew Echols inspects the peach crop Friday, April 26, in one of Jaemor Farms’ peach orchards. about the size of little green quarters,” Echols told the Times on Wednesday. “We’ve had excellent weather all through this spring,” he said. “We’ve just had a few nerve-rack ing instances of colder temperatures. It’s not been too hot yet, which is good. Our 10-day fore cast looks great too.” Echols said he and other growers hope that the dryer, warmer weath er sticks around until the end of May. Garrett Hibbs, Hall County’s extension agent, said this year’s crop had the right amount of con sistently cool weather of under 45 degrees from October through February. Echols said Jaemor Farms only sells other people’s peaches when they’re short, which is not the case this year. Their peach orchard spans 150 acres, he said. “It takes 3-4 years for a peach tree to produce,” Echols said. He added that more than 20,000 hours of labor go into a harvest. Georgia was once at the top of the peach growing chain, having historically had the most acres of peach trees in the nation, according to Echols. That status was overtaken in recent decades by California and South Carolina, he said. “However, our peach industry here in Georgia is resurging,” Echols said. He added that the state’s heat and humidity, and its signature red clay, “grows some good peach!” Echols said the plentiful peach harvest will allow Jaemor Farms to offer families a full summer of peach-picking weekends from the end of May until Labor Day, a perk they’ve been wanting to provide customers for four years. This article was origi nally published in the Gainesville Times, a sister publication of DCN. Bowen Center for the Arts to host Mad Hatter’s Tea Party this weekend By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com On May 18, the Bowen Center for the Arts in Dawson County will hold a Mad Hatter's Tea Party event for the community to enjoy fellowship, lunch, games and a “Maddest Hat” decorating contest. According to infor mation provided by the Bowen, the event will take place at the art center, located at 334 Highway 9 N in downtown Dawsonville, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat urday, May 18. The event will begin with a hat decorating workshop from 11 a.m. to noon. Event attendees are encour aged to bring their own hats and join one another in decorating them. The Bowen will have an assort ment of accessories to add to a hat band for each hat. Every Mad Hat, includ ing those decorated during the workshop or pre-dec- orated hats brought by attendees, will be entered into a Maddest Hat contest for a chance to win a prize. After the workshop, the Bowen will host a lun cheon from noon to 2 p.m. The luncheon will feature a buffet, desserts, tea and refreshments. For enter tainment, the event will include games, a corn hole toss and a “pin the tail on the Cheshire Cat” game. Tickets for the event are $10 and can be purchased in advance online or reserved to purchase at the door. To purchase tickets online, go to www.bowen- arts.org/events/mad-hat- ters-tea-party. To reserve tickets and pay for them at the door on the day of the event, call 706-216-2787 or email director@bowen- arts.org. ’WDawsonCountyNews Dawson News ■com MEMORIAL DAY EARLY DEADLINES for May 27, 2024 edition Retail Reservation Retail Ad Copy Legals Obits Classifieds Monday 5/20 prior to noon Tuesday 5/21 prior to noon Wednesday 5/22 prior to noon Thursday 5/23 prior to noon Thursday 5/23 prior to noon Dawson County News will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27th 21ST ANNUAL BLAIRSVILLC SCOTTISH FESTIVAL 6 HIQHLANO QAIHC: JUNE 8-9, 2024 I MEEKS PARK Athletic Competitions • Pipe & Drum Bands • Food Vendors • Artisan Vendors JOIN US FOR A Ul€€ BIT OF SCOTLAND in me NORTH QCORQIA mOUNTAINS •' /_ ■#**&*?. 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