Behind the Song: Peach Season in the Valley

I’ve always had a soft spot for local stories—especially ones rooted in the land and the people who work it. Living here in western Massachusetts, it’s hard not to pay attention to the rhythms of the seasons: the maple taps in late winter, asparagus in spring, sweet corn in July, and right now—peaches.

I read a Gazette article about this year’s peach harvest in the Pioneer Valley. It caught my attention for a few reasons. First, after a couple tough seasons with late frosts and crop losses, it seems like many of our area’s orchards came through this year relatively well. Second, the piece didn’t just give a general update—it actually named the people behind the peaches. That’s what I like. Stories about real folks doing real work.

So I sat down and started writing. It came quickly—five verses and a chorus, each one capturing a specific orchard and the people running it. Park Hill, Clarkdale, Apex, Outlook, Pine Hill. These are names anyone local will recognize, especially if you’ve driven the back roads around Deerfield, Shelburne, or Colrain. I’ve been to most of these places over the years, either to buy fruit, play a gig, or just enjoy the scenery with my wife.

Each verse draws from the details in the article, but I tried to make it more than just a summary. I wanted it to feel like a walk through the Valley in late July: the trees heavy with fruit, the scent of ripe peaches in the air, and the farmers—sunburned, smiling, maybe a little tired—knowing they’ve made it through another round with nature.

The chorus is simple and strong, like any good folk chorus should be. It celebrates the sweetness of the season but also nods to the struggle. Because farming in New England isn’t easy. As one of the orchardists said in the article, you get maybe eight good years out of ten. That’s a lot of risk to carry.

This song is a love letter to the farmers who make our summers sweeter. If you’re from western Mass, I hope it reminds you of home. If you’re not, maybe it gives you a sense of what makes this place so special.

It was a lot of fun putting down the fiddle track on this!  Mia W. vocals.  Engineering by yours truly (Sweet Songs)

You can download and support the track on Bandcamp. Every listen helps keep this kind of local storytelling alive: https://adamsweet.bandcamp.com/track/pioneer-peaches