Marburger Orchard, south of Fredericksburg, grows 13 varieties of delicious peaches. As one variety reaches its peak, another variety ripens, giving the grower an almost continuous crop during the season.
“With any luck, we’ll have pick-your-own peaches from early March through the first week of August,” says Gary Marburger, the owner. After two years of severe drought, this is looking like a lucky year; the branches are loaded with the fuzzy fruit.
Marburger’s blackberries are also looking good this year. The berries are huge and delicious and are usually available from early May through mid-June. The strawberries ripened in late March and were done by early June. The farm also produces plums, okra, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in the red, sandy loam soil.
The rains began last fall and continued through the spring, Marburger says. This year is shaping up to be a bumper crop for all of the Gillespie County orchards: The fruit stands along the highways are open, and the pick-your-own farms are welcoming visitors.
“The closer to home that you get your fruits and vegetables, the better it will taste,” Marburger says. He might be more than a little prejudiced, but there are good reasons why Fredericksburg peaches are the most beloved peaches in Texas.
“We get a greater fluctuation between day and night temperatures than other peach-growing regions,” he says. The lower humidity, higher elevation, and cooler nights combine to produce a greater concentration of sugar in the fruit. You can’t discount the good sandy soil of the Pedernales River Valley, either.
Not everything called a Fredericksburg peach is the real deal. “Last year nobody in the county had a peach crop, and there were still trucks on the side of the road advertising Fredericksburg peaches,” Marburger says. Any peach grown in Gillespie County can be called a Fredericksburg peach, but no peach grown outside of the county is the genuine thing. When you buy peaches, you want the firm ones with a red blush on the yellow skin without a hint of green.
Marburger Orchard is about five miles south of Fredericksburg off U.S. 87. With more than 2,500 trees covering 20 acres, it is one of the largest pick-your-own orchards in the county. Before you make the drive to the farm, it is best to call 830/997-9433 to see what is available or to check the daily updates at www.marburgerorchard.com. The orchard is generally open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 5pm and Sunday from 1 to 5pm.
Originally, Gillespie County peaches were known as Stonewall peaches after the town on the eastern edge of the county. Burg’s Corner, a farm stand in Stonewall, was the largest packinghouse in the county. For a list of area orchards and farm stands, go to www.texaspeaches.com or call the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce at 830/997-6523.
988th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips” 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in June 18 • 2010.
