How much the orchard spends matters as much as how much it makes, he adds. The prices vary depending on the number of trees and the weather. A late frost or hail storm can destroy a crop. Drought or rain also affect the harvest and the planning. Too much rain, says Gary, causes more damage than too little.
Peach trees can survive a couple years of drought, but too much rain makes the fruit heavy.
Many peaches fall to the ground and the extra weight can stress or break limbs. The orchard usually sells 3,000 to 6,000 bushels a year. A few years back, Gary says, the orchard's crop failed two years in a row. You still have to put food on the table and pay for next year's expenses, so sometimes you've got to take out a loan. Work on the orchard does not end with the harvest.