Forty minutes west of Macon in Musella, there’s an open-air peach packaging building with muggy air, a slightly sweet smell and an abundance of local produce.
Squeaks and screeches of the peach packaging conveyor belt subdue the laughter of locals in wooden rocking chairs.
Dickey Farms has been growing peaches for 127 years. The farm began in 1897 with the planting of its first peach trees by the great-great-grandfather of Lee Dickey, who is the farm’s current vice president. For years, the farm was a wholesale business that sold to Georgians with roadside stands and markets. Its first packing house was built in the 1900s and the old packing house which locals visit today was built in 1936. The farm didn’t open to the public until the late '70s or early '80s, said Dickey.
Today, Middle Georgians locals line up for the peach-strawberry ice cream that is sold on-site. The farm also sells T-shirts and hats.
“Over time it’s just grown and grown,” Dickey said. “I think the trend is that people generally want a connection to the farms where their food is grown, and I think that’s going to continue to grow in popularity.”
The farm has about 150 employees on staff during the summer. The farm grows 30 varieties of peaches, and sells pickles, baked goods and — most popularly — ice cream.
“The ice cream, it’s amazing,” said Macon resident Owen Freel.
The farm’s ice cream is homemade. Staff serve peach and strawberry soft serve daily, made with the fruit they grow. Dickey said it’s one of the things that gets them to drive a ways off the beaten path.
But it’s more than just the ice cream.
Dickey Farms puts a lot of care into all of its products and upholds a positive environment, Dickey said. He said he personally ensures that only the biggest, sweetest peaches are put on their shelves.
“You really gotta know your peaches,” said Dickey. “You’ve got to know what you’re looking for size-wise and color-wise,”
Dickey ensures that the peaches on their shelves are just slightly firm so that visitors have time to freeze and eat their peaches after they’re bought.
They also work hard at their customer service, said Dickey. Plus, they have small shopping carts for kids to push around, and the market looks into the peach packaging conveyor belt.
When Freel visited the farm with Isabella Argudin, they sat in chairs facing the conveyor belt, and while they both loved the ice cream, they also enjoyed the environment.
“I love seeing the people hanging around, it feels really summery,” said Argudin.
Summer is the farm’s busiest season, but it has offerings year-round. Strawberry season starts in mid-March, and features U-Pick strawberries. In the fall, the farm has pumpkins and fall activities including a corn maze. Over the winter the farm grows and harvests pecans.
Dickey said he enjoys what he does, and other people enjoy the farm too.
“I don’t know that I would love being a broccoli farmer,” said Dickey, “I don’t necessarily love broccoli, but I do love peaches and strawberries. So I think it’s something that you can easily get excited about.”
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with The Telegraph.
