Anybody who knows me or reads this journal knows that I’m a peach nerd. Fresh peaches are one of the ways I gauge my seasons. Jimmie’s Harrison Fruit Farm stand on Highway 82 in Chilton County is my mecca at this time of year. In a good season, Jimmie’s opens around Mother’s Day and is able to sell peaches from their orchards into late-July or August. Years ago, in the year of one particularly productive harvest, I was able to buy a basket of Jimmie’s peaches on Labor Day.

At my peachy peak, I would drive down to Jimmie’s every couple of weeks in season. Starting with the pandemic, my “peach runs” were somewhat curtailed and my last trip down was in 2021. Since then, Jimmie Harrison, the patriarch of the farm, passed away. The farm continues on and Jimmie’s wife and family continue to oversee the charming seasonal stand at a peaceful rural intersection.

I hoped to get down to Jimmie’s last year. We had a severe late freeze in Alabama and, checking the farm’s website, I saw that they had lost most of their peach crop. By the time I might be able to manage a trip down, Jimmie’s had already closed for the season.

So it was pleasing to check the website recently, see that Jimmie’s is open, and read the prediction that they should be open into August. In anticipation of a fresh peach cobbler, my mother couldn’t wait for me to make the first peach run of the year. I was easy to persuade since the drive along the rural roads of Chilton County is one of my favorite and most relaxing day trips.

Most people, when they think of Chilton County peaches, think of the tourist-oriented peach places off the exits of I-65. I prefer the adventure of getting off the interstate and driving past the family farms and peach orchards, appreciating the bounty all around. In my mind, the off-road peaches are the best.

When we arrived at Jimmie’s this week, Mrs. Harrison was taking a brief break under the shade tree behind the stand. The shelves were lined with fresh baskets of just-picked peaches and other produce. My mom had felt like riding with me and, upon seeing the peaches, her order began to get bigger. Finally, we left with enough peaches to share with neighbors, make a cobbler, and have plenty for ourselves. And a watermelon.

A long-awaited trip to Jimmie’s is a reminder of the simple delights the warm season brings. I hope to go down there several times while the peach season thrives.