Parker County is experiencing a big turnaround this summer for an important industry.
A hard freeze last year wiped out the peach crop. But this year, the trees are bearing some of the best fruit the county has seen in the last few years. The peaches are plump and ready to eat.
"I usually eat four or five a day," Gary Hutton, owner of Hutton Peach Farm & Market -- the county's largest -- said.
Hutton and his son are taking the peaches out of the cooler and sorting them to send off to market.
"We re-check each other all the time just to make sure quality control is in place," Hutton said.
It's work they did not have to do last year -- a late spring freeze killed their crop.
"Just a double handful. That's all I had," Hutton said.
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But this year, thanks to an early freeze and moist winter, Hutton Farm was able to start harvesting this month.
"This year we've got lots of peaches," Hutton said. "Everybody's happy this year," even wild pigs.
"I saw a herd of about 17 in here a few nights back," Hutton said. "They were having a party."
They're also celebrating at The Malt Shop in town, where manager Janice Poulter makes peach ice cream.
"We got them anywhere we could get them last year. But this year they're bountiful," she said.
And people are buying them up by the basket at the farmer's market.
The Huttons expect a good harvest until September. They couldn't ask for anything more, except maybe for rain in this heat.
Parker County expects a bigger and better Peach Festival this year. It will be held Saturday, July 10 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Weatherford.
Thanks to NBCDFW viewers for sending in their photos of Parker County peaches. Take a look at Where You Were in the above user photo gallery.
