Building the Orchard

The orchard represents one of the most exciting chapters of Chesed Ranch.

While livestock and land stewardship have been part of the ranch from the beginning, the orchard reflects a long-term investment in the future of the property. Fruit trees require patience, planning, and care. Many years may pass between planting and peak production, but each tree contributes to a vision that extends well beyond a single growing season.

At Chesed Ranch, we are establishing a diverse collection of fruit crops suited to North Florida’s unique climate. Peaches, citrus, avocados, grapes, kiwi, apricots, apples, and other specialty fruits are being carefully selected with an emphasis on adaptability, productivity, and long-term sustainability.

Building an orchard is a continual learning process. Every variety, rootstock, planting location, pruning decision, and fertilization program offers new lessons. Success is measured not only by harvests, but by the health and longevity of the trees themselves.

As the orchard matures, this page will document its growth, the challenges encountered, the varieties being evaluated, and the lessons learned along the way.

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What’s Growing at Chesed Ranch

Stone Fruit

• Flordaking Peach
• Tropic Beauty Peach
• Tropic Sweet Peach
• Garden Annie Apricot
• Tropic Gold Apricot

Citrus

• Persian Lime
• Meyer Lemon
• Ruby Red Grapefruit
• Valencia Orange
• Moro Blood Orange
• Minneola Tangelo

Avocados

• Winter Mexican
• Mexicola
• Brogdon
• Donnie (Our experiment)

Olive

• Arbequina Olive

Grapes

• Fry and Dixie Scuppernongs
• Cowart and Hunt Muscadines

Kiwi

• Vincent (Female plants)
• Tomuri (Male Plant)

Berries

• Blueberries
  • Commerical Rabbiteye
    • Austin Blueberry Plants (Early Season)
    • Briteblue Blueberry Plants (Early-Mid Season)
    • Tifblue Blueberry Plants (Mid-Late Season)
    • Delite Blueberry Plants (Late Season)
  • Propagated Wild Rabbiteye
• Raspberries
  • Dorman Red
  • Autumn Bliss
• Blackberries
  • Prime-Ark Freedom
    • Thornless
    • Primocane-fruiting
    • Very large berries
    • Earlier season
  • Kiowa
    • Thorny
    • Huge berries
    • Long harvest season
    • Very vigorous and productive
    • More old-school blackberry flavor
  • Natchez
    • Thornless
    • One of the best performers in the Southeast
    • Very sweet, large berries

Strawberries

• Seascape
  • Type: Day-neutral
  • Harvest Season: December–May
  • Berry Size: Large
  • Flavor: Sweet with balanced acidity
  • Growth Habit: Produces over a long season rather than one large flush
  • Why We Grow It: Reliable production, large berries, and extended harvest season
• Sweet Charlie
  • Type: Short-day
  • Harvest Season: December–April
  • Berry Size: Medium to Large
  • Flavor: Exceptionally sweet and aromatic
  • Growth Habit: Heavy early-season production
  • Why We Grow It: Outstanding flavor and proven performance in Florida’s climate

Apples

• Anna
• Dorsett Golden

Mangos (Our other experiment)

Carrie

• Carrie
• Orange Sherbert

Current Orchard Projects

Summer 2026

• Establishing blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry production
• Citrus replanting
• Adding two additional peach trees
• Establishing Avocado Trees
• Establishing first kiwi trellis
• Planting Shade Trees around house and in pastures
• Main Garden Refresh Project
• New Flower and Bush landscaping
• New Hoop House