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About McLeod Farms
“Life’s a peach“ is more than a slogan for the McLeod family of McBee, South Carolina. The McLeods operate one of the largest
peach orchards in the area, growing 22 varieties on 650 producing acres on sandy loam outside the small town of McBee SC.
The orchards have been in the McLeod family since 1916. Today, Kemp McLeod represents the fourth generation to work the family orchards. He learned the operation from his father, Campbell McLeod.
It takes about 30 employees to run the farm year-round. However, during the harvest season, from the end of May to the end of August,
the numbers swell to over 200. Workers can be found picking, grading, packing, and shipping millions of pounds of peaches to all parts
of the U.S. and Canada. At the height of the season, a 15-hour workday is not unusual.
Here at McLeod Farms, peaches are picked every day. Once picked, the fruit is sent through an ice-cold water bath to slow the ripening process. After being sealed with an ultra-light wax coating that closes the pores of the peaches to keep them fresh, they are then sorted by size, shape, and/or color. All of our peaches are hand-graded and selected for shipment.
The process begins long before harvest. From January to April, trees are pruned and branches are tied together so they do not drag the
ground or break under the weight of the fruit. Once the fruit is visible, it is thinned to allow a hand’s width between each peach for
optimum growth. This insures that our peaches will be big and juicy.
The average life of a peach tree is 17 years, and it takes four years before each tree produces quality fruit. Once a peach orchard
completes its life-span the ground is allowed to rest for several years before replanting.
The McLeod farm features a variety of high-tech equipment, including a modern drip irrigation system and wind machine. To prevent frost
damage, these machines blow warmer upper air down to ground level. Hail prevention apparatuses are used to soften hail, by generating
sound frequencies (cannon-like sounds), to protect fruit against damage.
South Carolina is the leader in peach-production in the Southeast, followed by Georgia and Virginia.
The McLeod operation is truly a sight to see. But when it comes to peaches, the family recommends everyone try the Cary Mac variety
developed exclusively by them – a delicious delight from the Carolinas.
Click
here to see a video about McLeod Farms.
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