September 2022 - 5

Jenschke Orchards grows 65 acres of peaches, up from the 20 acres it grew before
the husband and wife team of Barrett and Lindsey Jenschke took over operations in
the 2010s.
JENSCHKE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
added an acre to accommodate demand.
Controlling weeds is the biggest
challenge growing blackberries, which
require less maintenance than the
year-round needs of peaches. As Travis
Jenschke would say, " When the last
peaches are picked, the next year starts. "
Nutrients, minerals, fertilizers,
recognizing threats in the field and
knowing when the peaches are ready
are among the many variables affecting
the crop, Lindsey Jenschke said. Soil
sampling ensures trees receive sufficient
nutrients. Stink bugs are the biggest
peach pest, with grasshoppers also
causing damage.
Sizzling Texas heat
May 2022 was Texas' hottest May
on record. Prolonged record-breaking
temperatures and drought stressed
the trees.
" Learning to somehow still have a crop
and produce from that, even though
you're dealing with the strangest weather,
from ice age freezes to extreme heat,
is probably the biggest challenge, " said
Jenschke. " The trees aren't as vibrant. "
chill hours. In the spring, we don't want it
to freeze after they bud or bloom. "
Fungus, which follows rains, is the
biggest challenge for strawberries,
making them mushy.
" Throughout the year, it's just a
rollercoaster, " she said. " Things are going
smoothly, then there's a shift in the
weather, which puts you back on your
toes again. That's farming in a nutshell. "
While the Jenschkes don't grow organic
fruit, they limit pesticide applications.
To protect blackberries from fruit flies,
diatomaceous earth, a natural pesticide,
is applied. Crop protectants to guard
peaches from stink bugs and grasshoppers
are applied only as needed.
Deliberative controls
Jenschke often explains to her
customers what it's like to run a farm.
" We never spray something just
because we want to, " she said. " It takes a
lot of it, is expensive and isn't getting any
cheaper. We feel threatened if our crops
are in danger. We must weigh what could
happen versus what's happening. "
Farming decisions are made carefully.
" We have big ideas, but are very much
believers in little baby steps, " Lindsey
Jenschke said. " We take our time to think
things out. We're always trying to make
things better and want to make sure what
we do, we do well. "
At 81, Travis Jenschke, a prominent
figure in Fredericksburg's peach industry,
is sometimes seen on a tractor and
helping with farm chores. Longtime
customers often ask how Mr. Jenschke
is doing, recalling when he drove the
tractor for hayrides when their children
were young.
" He is a very iconic figure for many
people out here and their memories
of when they come to visit, " Lindsey
Jenschke said.
Though some customers are on a
Record high May temperatures
and inadequate rains have stressed
Fredericksburg, Texas, area peaches.
The groves, like these at Jenschke
Orchards, are watered through drip
irrigation but rainfall is needed.
Drip irrigation supplies water daily,
which keeps the trees alive but isn't the
same as rainwater. " Water is such a hot
commodity, " Lindsey Jenschke said.
" In general, every season is stressful. In
winter, we want it to get cold enough for
all varieties to receive the right amount of
mission to make preserves and have
recipes in mind, many tell Jenschke they
remember picking blackberries at their
grandma's home.
" They always have a story that takes
them back to a good time in their lives, "
she said. " They want to revisit and
experience that moment again. "
Teaching others about farming
and controlling their lives are
driving forces.
" One of the biggest rewards is being
able to teach people some of the things
that go into farming and appreciate
not only what we do, but all in the ag
FGN | SEPTEMBER 2022 | 5
Jenschke Orchards keeps expanding their peach groves, planting trees every year and
growing more than 30 varieties.
world, " Lindsey Jenschke said.
" Barrett's favorite thing to say is we
can be in control of our own destiny.
Fortunately, we don't have to get up and
go to work for someone else every day.
We can work for ourselves. "
The Jenschkes have a 13-year-old,
Travis, and their 16-year-old daughter
Ava wants to attend Texas A&M to major
in ag marketing.
" We can do things with our kids and
teach them what we do, " Lindsey Jenschke
said. " The other great thing is the idea we
get to give something to our kids.
" Our goal is to pass on something
to them. Not just the land or the
knowledge, but hopefully, something
they can take and make bigger and
better than we ever could. " FGN
Blackberries are a recent addition at
Jenschke Orchards, which expanded
acreage to accommodate high
U-pick demand.
http://www.peachridge.com
September 2022

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