Perry, GA – Georgia Peach season may be over, but this year’s harvest could be one for the record books.
Despite above average rainfall throughout July, the Georgia Peach Council considers the season a success. The majority of Council member farmers picked and shipped 90 percent of full-crop estimates.
“One of the biggest challenges in a wet summer is consistency and we managed to have not only excellent consistency but excellent quality from start to finish,” said Will McGehee of the Georgia Peach Council.
Although a final tally is still being determined, McGehee added, “from our standpoint as growers, 2013 will wind up being a great year.”
For retailers, a “Georgia in July” marketing kit available for use by strategic partners in target markets throughout the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest also proved successful. The kit included point of sale merchandising display bins highlighting freestone peaches, Georgia Peaches farm market bags, recipes and nutritional information. Retailers were also encouraged to share the Sweet Georgia Peaches Facebook application with consumers. The app allows consumers to send a ‘virtual’ Georgia Peach to sweeten someone’s day. The app can be accessed by logging onto http://www.facebook.com/SweetGeorgiaPeaches.
On the consumer front, Georgia Peaches worked extensively to extend its awareness and education efforts from the Midwest to the East Coast. Registered dietitians promoted the versatility of Sweet Georgia Peaches during televised healthy eating segments in select Southern markets. Additionally,Sweet Georgia Peaches spokesperson and cookbook author, Gena Knox, appeared in cooking demonstrations for television stations in major markets such as Atlanta, GA.
Social media continued to play an important role in this year’s campaign. In addition to regular Facebook and Twitter posts throughout the season, the council created a YouTube channel to tell the story of Georgia Peach farmers, many of whom are fourth and/or fifth generation farmers. A series of videos have been posted online to highlight farmers, explain why Georgia Peaches taste so sweet, and provide consumers advice on how to pick the perfect peach.
To coincide with the YouTube channel launch and the first day of summer, the council scheduled Sweet Georgia Peach deliveries to television weathercasters in select cities. The results were overwhelming, with a host of media mentions, as well as Facebook and Twitter posts showing pictures of meteorologists posing with their sweet treats.
“All in all, we believe that our marketing and public relations efforts, combined with the sweet and delicious flavor and reputations of Georgia Peaches have led to an extremely successful 2013 season.”
ABOUT GEORGIA PEACHES:
Georgia is known throughout the world for its famous mouth-watering peaches. Each year, the state produces more than 130 million pounds of the fruit between mid-May and mid-August.
Delicious and nutritious, Georgia peaches are high in fiber and major nutrients, including vitamins A, C, potassium, and made up of 87% water. For calorie counters, a medium-sized Georgia Peach contains approximately 40 calories, fewer than comparable-sized apples or pears. Be sure to visit www.gapeaches.org for more fun facts and recipes.
Source: Georgia Peach Council
