At least this compromise comes with peaches – Covered Dish Blog – Atlanta Magazine

You can have Georgia-grown, or you can have Certified Organic. But almost never both.

Five years ago, you would have had trouble finding Georgia’s most iconic fruit at a local farmers market. Peaches, like Vidalia onions, are usually grown on large commercial farms and distributed nationally through a system that gives little preference to local retail outlets.

Then a guy named John Short came along. Since he grew up in Georgia’s peach country, when he moved to Atlanta he naturally assumed he could show up at any farmers market and buy a local peach. When he discovered that wasn’t the case, he called up his old friend Will McGeehy, a fifth-generation farmer in Crawford County, and worked out a way to transport and sell fresh-picked peaches at local farmers markets. Now in his fifth season, Short oversees a network of sellers that represent Pearson Farm all around Atlanta.

A true innovator, however, is rarely left alone, and Short is no longer the sole peach purveyor at Atlanta-area farmers markets. Inspired by Short’s success, a guy named Brandon Smith is now running a similar distribution team for Watsonia Farms peaches.

Smith gives credit where it’s due. He started as a member of the Pearson crew. “We were constantly asked about the availability of organic peaches,” Smith says. “I knew that there were large markets, such as Peachtree Road, that required organic or naturally grown certification. … And that’s how the conversation started with the Watsons.”

via At least this compromise comes with peaches – Covered Dish Blog – Atlanta Magazine.