_{Long before Fredericksburg was the heart of Texas Wine Country, the area was one of the state’s largest peach producing counties. Today, peaches are still grown throughout the area, known as the Texas Hill Country, and continue to be a celebrated crop for locals and visitors alike.}

_{The juicy summertime fruit got its start in the region with the first German settlers. Those early farmers found a climate and soil perfectly suited for peach production. Agricultural experts credit the unique blend of minerals and micro-nutrients in the Texas Hill Country soil, as well as the area’s altitude and change in temperature from day to night, with the properties to produce local peaches celebrated for their sweet, intense flavour.}

_{Peach season here typically runs from the middle of May to August but weather is always a deciding factor when any of the 40 varieties of peaches produced in the region ripen.}

_{The Texas Hill Country peach growers can be called trailblazers of the farm-to-table movement. Starting in the early part of the 20th century and continuing today, peach growing, harvesting and selling typically all happens within a couple of miles of each other.}

_{Peaches are taken so seriously that this weekend the 2020/2021 Peach Queen contest will be held! Due to Covid-19, the event will not have a live audience other than the contestants’ immediate family but will be streamed on the local radio. The winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship and will be required to help out with various community events to represent the local chambers of commerce and the annual Peach Jamboree!}