VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On the hunt for that perfect peach, 10-year-old Alex Palmersmith loves visiting Cullipher Farm in the Pungo section of Virginia Beach with his family.
"It's just a nice activity, coming out here and picking peaches and eating them," Alex said. "They taste good because they have a lot of sweet in them, but it's not added sugar and it just feels refreshing in the summer."
Phil Chernitzer agrees.
"Well, there's nothing beats the taste of fresh peaches," Phil said.
Phil and his wife, Joann, are regular visitors to Cullipher.
"We come out for the adventure," Joann said.
They say they were able to pick one bag in only 15 minutes.
While this is a fun, sweet activity to enjoy, for Jeb Cullipher, a seventh-generation farmer, tree fruit causes him stress.
"A lot of anxiety...it's the most nerve-wracking thing," Jeb said.
He said that's due to birds nibbling at the fruit, insects and weather concerns.
News
Seatack residents question proposed battery storage facility in Virginia Beach
"Rain, wind, I mean hopefully, not hail which is the most catastrophic thing, especially for a soft fruit like a peach," he said.
Now, there are about seven acres dedicated to peach trees at Cullipher Farm, and there are about seven to eight different varieties, so there are many options to choose from.
But Jeb will tell you, there's an art to peach picking.
"It should almost come off the tree easy," Jeb said. You shouldn't have to really pull and fight the tree for the peach. When it's ripe and ready, the tree will almost let it go."
It's not just based on seeing a rosy peach.
"You know you see it, you think just based on the color, but you really gotta give it a feel and really just a light squeeze, but if you give it a little feel and it's got a little give to it," he said.
So following his guidelines, we search and we search.
We find one and I offer a little independent verification, and after I sink my teeth into the peach he selected, he was spot on.
This is the experience Jeb hopes everyone out here gets during their visit.
"I just like people to have some idea what all is involved in peach production," he said. This is a tree-ripened peach, that it's fresh, it's local and I have to believe that it's better for you."
Jeb says peach picking is normally good through the end of August.
For more information on Cullipher Farm,click here.
