They may not look like the peaches we commonly see on grocery store shelves, but the small fuzzy fruits grown by a handful of Valley producers are just as delicious.
Justin Denis of Pomibec orchards in Franklin began experimenting with peach trees about a decade ago. After his first plantings all died, he did not give up and planted 100 more trees, of which 70 to 80 have survived. He says the trees have a lifespan of around eight years, and his grove requires constant renewal.
“The winters are still a little too harsh,” said Denis, who considers his peaches as more of a hobby than a reliable crop. He grows a cold hardy variety called Reliance, but the fruit buds are very sensitive to the cold and will die in temperatures below -25 degrees Celsius. The tree itself can tolerate slightly colder temperatures. In the past six years, his trees have produced three harvests.
According to Denis, the fact that peaches can be grown at all in this region is entirely due to climate change. “If we go back 15 or 20 years, it would not have been possible. I don’t think the trees would have survived,” he explained, drawing a parallel with the Gala variety of apple. “Twenty years ago, we were not able to grow this apple in Quebec, and now all producers have Gala apples, so we are really seeing a change.”
Winters are warmer and the growing season has extended into October, said Denis, while he noted that if climate change continues it may be possible to eventually grow varieties such as Fuji or Granny Smith apples. “All of these varieties are imported from the United States because our growing season is not long enough,” he said, before suggesting that Quebec could become more self-sufficient in terms of its food production if current trends continue.
In the meantime, Denis plans to maintain his peach grove while testing the limits with other fruit trees, such as sweet cherries, as well as less hardy but possibly larger varieties of peaches.