TEXAS NEIGHBORS | SUMMER 2015 By Jessica Domel Field Editor From the field to the farm stand, the Efurd family has passion and pride for peaches. Their love for the fuzzy fruit is shared with visi -tors who walk through the doors of their road -side business near Pittsburg. Friends, neighbors, travelers and strangers alike are greeted with a smile and a fresh peach to enjoy as they wander through a cornucopia of fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade jams. “We’ve had peaches since ’72,” Greg Efurd, who owns the business with his wife Amy, said. “My parents started it. Then my wife and I took over. Now I’ve got my kids in on it, too.” Almost everything offered at Efurd Orchards is locally grown. You can find peaches, water -melons, tomatoes, squash—just about anything you want as far as produce goes. The freshness of the fruits and vegetables, along with the down-home, family-friendly atmosphere, draws crowds from across the state. “It’s never a slow day,” Efurd said. This year’s early peaches were affected by the abundance of rain in May, but later varieties, like the Freestone, are expected to be terrific. Growing 37 mouth-watering varieties of peaches is hard work, but a challenge the next generation has accepted. “I meet all sorts of nice people and stay close with all of my hometown friends and family,” Brantly Efurd, Greg’s son, said. “It’s an all-around fun place to work.” Efurd’s Orchards helps put the Texas A&M graduate and his siblings through college. But the business is more than that. It’s about family and loving what you do. “Everything’s just peachy around here,” Brantly said. “Y’all come out and see us.” WWW.TEXASFARMBUREAU.ORG