Peach Throwdown

Lessons from the road; inspired by a 7 ton peach.

Ever heard of the Gaffney Peachoid water tower? Can't miss it if you are driving down I-85 between Charlotte and Spartanburg South Carolinia (which we just passed). Figured it was prudent to find out more about the big peach before posting the picture on our blog, and in our research we stumbled accross a very interesting story.... apparently the Peach Crown of the south may not belong to Georgia- it is a disputed title.

On March 2, 2006 Governor Bob Riley of Alabama received a bill to be signed into law making the peach the official State "tree fruit" of Alabama

Georgia, the "Peach State", had to speak up..... "Georgia is the Peach State. We're known internationally as the Peach State. We have always been the Peach State, and we think we have the best peaches in the world.... We probably grow 10 times as many peaches as they do." (Robert Dickey, past president of the Georgia Peach Council and a fourth-generation peach grower)

What did Alabama have to say?..... "If you've ever tasted Alabama peaches, you'd throw rocks at Georgia." (Representative James Martin of Chilton County, Alabama)

How did Georgia react?..... "I didn't realize Alabama had any peaches at all." (Thomas Irvin, Georgia's agricultural commissioner)

But what about South Carolina?..... They are " just fine as frog hair" with Alabama's bill. "South Carolina welcomes Alabama to the peachy keen bandwagon." (South Carolina Peach Council)

Was South Carolina truly that gracious about sharing the Peach Crown?..... "South Carolina welcomes Alabama to the peach community and invites consumers to 'Taste the Difference'..... South Carolina is The Tastier Peach State" (South Carolina Peach Council)

I guess we will have to taste peaches while traveling through all three states to officially determine who's peaches reign supreme.