Hilltop Peaches planted University of Florida-developed peaches in 2011, as a way to utilize their nine acres of former citrus land located in Alturas. Alyce, the owners, says, “It was never my dream to be a peach grower. What a wild and crazy love-hate relationship it has been. Peaches are a lot of work compared to citrus!”
In 2015, Alyce finally decided what her goal with the peaches would be: “To deliver the very best quality peach I possibly can, grown as close to the natural way as possible.” It is a decision that she is very excited about and that has given her a completely new outlook on the whole peach-growing idea.
Hilltop Peaches is not certified organic, but if a problem comes up, they look for OMRI-approved solutions. Sometimes that means doing nothing and letting the problem take care of itself. Alyce says, “Please feel free to ask me any questions regarding the care of our peach trees and fruit. I will never knowingly disappoint you. If you should ever receive a piece of fruit with a nibble on it, that is your assurance that no pesticide has been used, but please bring it to my attention and I will gladly replace it. I work very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I am human. I do not want to just sell a piece of fruit, I want a customer who absolutely loves the fruit, who tells their friends and family and who buys my fruit over and over again, because they know I care about their satisfaction with my product.” Alyce says that she has had repeat customers who have been with her for years now, since her first year of selling. “They are like old friends to me and I appreciate them.”
Historically, Florida Peaches were developed to meet the niche between Chile and Georgia, so Hilltop Peaches’ harvest season is usually April and May. Alyce loves the Downtown Market and plans to bring her peaches every Saturday during the season for years to come.
She says, “I hope you will stop by our table, try a sample and enjoy the sweet juiciness of our Florida Peaches.”
Owner Name: Charles and Alyce Voigt
Address: 7455 Cox Road, Bartow, FL 33830
Email: voigtgang@gmail.com
Phone Number: 863-287-1980
Vendor FAQs:
How long have you been in business? We planted peaches in 2011. Our first commercial harvest was in 2013.
How did you get started? We planted peaches previously on citrus land we own.
What kind of products do you offer? We sell fresh Florida peaches developed by the University of Florida. Our varieties are UF Sun and Tropic Beauty.
What’s one thing that your customers might not know about you? I retired from office work in 2008. I now work harder than I have ever worked in my life–physical labor. It’s all good!
What’s the best part about being at the Market? Visiting with customers and hearing how much they love the peaches.
What’s one goal that you have for your business? I want to continue to harvest good peaches, always trying to increase the size with bloom management and pruning.