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Heat wave benefits Eckert's Orchard seasonal fruit ripening

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Posted at 5:52 PM, Jun 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-16 18:12:55-04

VERSAILLES, Ky. (LEX 18) — We haven't hit peak summer, but some people are really benefitting from the heat.

If you like to indulge in a juicy peach this time of year, you'll want to keep reading.

"This is great weather because we're trying to ripen our blackberries and peaches," said Megan Fields, who is the General Farm Manager at Eckert's Orchard in Versailles.

While we bake in the heat, Fields says the peaches are basking in the sun.

"We are hoping to open pick your own for both of those next week and this hot temperature and sunshine is doing nothing but helping our crops at this point," she added.

Fields says the heat wave helps the ripening process, but months of it could be difficult on crops.

"If we went all the way into September in the '90s, that would be a different story for sure," she said.

Fields says the sunshine and heat will help produce a juicier peach later in the summer.

"It actually adds sugar to it so it makes them sweeter," she said.

Fields says Eckert's hopes the pick your own peach and blackberry option will be ready to begin sometime next week.