North Texas Farmers "Overjoyed" With This Year's Peach Crop

WEATHERFORD (CBS 11 NEWS) - On the O'Bannon farm in Weatherford peach season is in high gear.

Jean and John O'Bannon can't help but feel overjoyed. Jean O'Bannon described the experience of biting into one of her peaches. "I mean juice can run out of the side of your mouth. It is so wonderful."

The North Texas couple said high winds took down a few tree limbs this season and the deer haven't helped either.

"I chase them out and an hour or two they are back again," John O'Bannon said of his predicament.  "The deer thin them for us too."

But the issues this year are actually good ones to have. Last year the crop was the pits thanks to a late freeze.

"We had one peach we found, and it wasn't even a good peach," Jean remembered. "It was sad."

This year's crop will be perfect and just in time for the Parker County Peach Festival festival next week.

According to organizers, normally up to 30,000 people are expected to attend the event, but this year given the great crop and mild temps that number could be much higher.

"It's a lot of luck. Like I said, you have to get by the freeze and you got to get by the hail and the wind," John said. "We try to get them ready to eat off the tree."

The mom and pop farmers in Parker County say honestly their peaches won't last long enough to get to the festival. They've already got a notebook full of orders and the couple says that's worth celebrating.

"My biggest happy dance is when I say the bills are paid and the taxes are done," Jean said enthusiastically. "I say yay! yay! yay!"

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