Business Is Sweet

Story by Melanie Jones

When John Hart Efurd planted peach trees along the planned Highway 271 route south of Pittsburg in 1972, he had no idea what seeds would take root.

Today, the Efurd family’s 600-acre farm includes about 130 acres where they raise peach trees, cattle, pigs, strawberries and more. There’s a wedding venue near the peach shed, a food trailer and an ice cream parlor. Travelers are encouraged to visit.

Greg and Amy Efurd are the second-generation owners of Efurd Orchards, and they expect Brantly, their adult son, to eventually take over the operation. Their married daughters, Reagan and Courtlyn, help out when they can.

The orchard has grown since the earliest days, but it’s still manageable. “It’s not great big, but big enough for us to handle,” Brantly says. While the farm is involved in other ventures, the central focus remains peaches––and most of the sales are direct to customers at the peach shed. The orchard has some small wholesale contracts, mostly to folks who resell the fruit at large farmers markets.

Peoples’ security service protects it all, from the peach shed to wedding venue, keeping the thousands of guests who come through each week safe.

Efurd Orchards attracts visitors from far and wide. Brantly has welcomed people who traveled from Ireland and other overseas locales. And while he’s sure they didn’t come just to visit his family’s orchard, he’s happy they made it a stop on their trip. “Most of our business comes out of Tyler, Longview or Dallas,” he says. “There are people who come out of Northern Arkansas. I’ve talked to people from over in Alabama, but I’ve never really asked them if they came specifically for our place. There have been people from the North. I’ve talked to people from all over California.”

So, although Brantly has spent almost all of his life on the farm outside his college years, he’s met people from around the world. But he values his local ties the most. “I pretty much know everybody in town and know everybody from the surrounding areas,” he says. “I married a girl from the town over. I just have met a lot of people throughout my life coming through our place.”

Being part of a close-knit family is another positive of growing up on the farm. “It’s a good life. We have never been rich or anything, but we’ve always been able to pay our bills. And you know, we have a good time while we’re doing it,” Brantly says. “Over the years, I’ve gotten to work with my grandfather. He’s passed away now, but I get to work with my dad every day. I’ve got a little son. He’s not really old enough to be interested in anything yet. But maybe he’ll want to be part of it, too, one of these days. Most people don’t get to work with their grandfather and father and stay close, so I’ve got good memories of doing that.”

Stop by Efurd Orchards in early April to pick your own strawberries near fields of colorful zinnias, which you can also harvest. If you don’t want to do the work, buy some already picked. While there, be sure and take advantage of the beautiful setting to get a few family photos. “It’s all kind of a family event,” says Brantly Efurd, whose family has operated the orchard for decades.

Strawberry season runs right into peach season, about the middle of May. Unlike strawberries, you can’t pick your own peaches. The orchard has about 12,000 peach trees, so the trees can be miles apart.

Peach season runs into the end of August or first of September. After that, the pumpkins roll out and the orchard begins to celebrate fall. The family even builds a corn maze most years—if the pigs haven’t wreaked havoc, that is.

While your family is at the orchard, be sure to enjoy ice cream made with fresh peaches or strawberries. Fresh peach cobblers are often available, too. Brantly, who studied tourism management at Texas A&M, would like to see the farm step up food production.

Customers can rent the orchard’s event venue all year. You might think an orchard would be a space for a rustic wedding, but the venue is elegant, complete with crystal chandeliers and gleaming, highly polished wood with wrought iron accents. There’s even a Juliet balcony. The indoor space can accommodate about 300 people, and there are covered areas outside that can hold even more guests.

The ice cream offerings are a huge hit. Strawberry and peach come naturally, and fall flavors come out when the pumpkins arrive. “People say now, ‘Y’all used to be a peach shed that sold a little bit of ice cream. Now I think y’all are an ice cream parlor that sells a few peaches,’” Brantly says. “People really like that stuff.”