Peaches

While writing this week’s adventure, my weekly installment of “Pearson Farm Peach Box” arrived, wafting the smell of peaches warm in the sun. Last year I began subscribing to receive the box-a-week throughout peach season. For me, it is part nostalgia, and part love of wonderful Georgia peaches.

At the beginning of this peach season a friend and I visited Al Pearson in Fort Valley, GA. When Al was ten years old I was a student pastor at his church, Hebron Methodist. Al is now an immensely successful peach grower-shipper—albeit simi-retired. He is a fountain of knowledge of not only Pearson Peach Farm, but also the heritage from which he benefits. Al delightfully regaled us with family, community, and peach farming tales. He even admitted to having been a little squirmy in church services back then. Al’s stories reminded me of the story of Joshua, telling his people how important memory of important passages of life is.

My primary interest—well, maybe some of which was homemade peach ice cream and seeing Al’s microchip controlled peach packing operation—was especially the old Hebron Methodist Church adjacent to the Pearson Farm. The church closed long ago, as members died, moved away, and times changed. Al and the Pearson family obtained the building in tact, and over the years its use varied. The family felt deep attachment to that church; so they “washed its face, combed its hair,” you might say and put it to community use. It has hosted piano recitals, concerts, weddings, receptions, corporation meetings, and training events.

If you live in Georgia, your vehicle license plate bears the moniker, “Peach State.” However as a peach producing state, Georgia does not hold the top spot—only third place; but hold on, there is a legitimate reason Georgia remains the “Peach State.” South Carolina, our beloved next door neighbor, and arch rival in football, hails as number two, behind California. The departments of agriculture in both Georgia and South Carolina are in agreement that Georgia rightfully retains the “Peach State” title.

Here’s why: The title stems (Pardon the pun!) not from who grows the most peaches—California retains that title (well, it does unless the horrific drought going on in the entire state parches their peach crops). But I digress. Georgia owns the title because of its role in uniquely turning out new varieties of peaches through hybridization. For decades people driving through Georgia found highway signs dotted the highways —from the ridiculous to the sublime—hawking delicious tree-ripened peaches; even kids with their little peach stands and hand painted signs stood along roadside among peach packing houses,

Having grown up on a farm, I recall that when God created a garden; God told humanity to farm it. Common vernacular holds that Eve violated God’s command, took an apple, ate from it and gave it to Adam—causing the downfall of us all. Not so. Eve did not bite or offer an apple to Adam—nor any fruit. God did not forbid them to avoid certain fruit; God commanded only—do not eat from that “Tree.” I take from this passage that all good things were created by God for our tending use, and enjoyment. Apparently even the “forbidden tree” was not evil. God only forbade us to violating God’s command.

Peaches, of course are not mentioned in the Bible. It is clear, however, that all humankind is charged with responsible stewardship of the land and the fruits of the land. Taking the long way around to say, that Georgia remaining the “Peach State” verifies responsible farming and multiplying not only the varieties of peaches, but also the expansive efforts to feed the world.

In a later Fridayswithwillis, I will tell about how miracles have emerged from ABAC (Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College), a few miles further South on I-75/U.S. 441; grasses were developed there to grow in arid climates in the world—-helping farming to be fruitful. By the time you read this, peaches from my Pearson Farm Peach Box will be ripe enough for me to enjoy that luscious fruit! (Upon arrival at my door, it usually takes a couple of days for full ripening)—this variety ships—peaches in tact—a result of what God called humanity to do, “…farm this land.” ©Copyright 2022