Peaches are one of America’s most recognizable fruits. In the US, hundreds of thousands of tons are produced each year, and the fruit is closely tied to one place in particular: Georgia.
Video
How Georgia manufactured the Peach State myth
It was never really about the fruit.
The Georgia peach is on license plates, road signs, and even county names. But today, the state doesn’t grow the most peaches. Not even close.
This video explores how peaches became a state symbol, how that reputation spread through active mythmaking, and why the Georgia peach identity has lasted even as the industry changed.
Read more about the history of the Georgia peach:
- The Georgia Peach Culture, Agriculture, and Environment in the American South, William Thomas Okie
- “The Georgia Peach: A Labor History,” Jstor Daily
- “The Un-Pretty History Of Georgia’s Iconic Peach,” NPR
- “The Fuzzy History of the Georgia Peach,” Smithsonian Magazine
This video is presented by Stonyfield Organics. Stonyfield Organics doesn’t have a say in our editorial decisions, but they make videos like this one possible.
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