The 30^th Annual New Jersey Peach Festival, held together with the Gloucester County 4-H Fair, proved to be another year of heat and humidity for all those attending. The big night was Friday, July 27^th, when 2012 Peach Queen and her court were crowned and also the winner of the 2012 Governor’s Cup for the Best Peaches during the Peach Pack Competition Awards.

The 2012 Peach Queen is Ashley Wright and her court is Jenna Purviance (13- to 15-year-olds), GiAnna Olsen (10- to 12-year-olds), Franchesca Carey (7- to 9-year-olds) and Laura Sorbello (5- to 6-year-olds).

Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher was on hand to announce the winners of the Peach Pack Competition and hand out the awards along with several of the county’s freeholders and other county officials. Sen. Steve Sweeney was also in attendance and presented Tom Holtzhauser of Holtzhauser Farms in Mullica Hill the 2012 Governor’s Cup Award for his box of Commercial 2 ¼ to 2 ½ inch peaches which received the highest score among all the entries.

The winners are listed below:

Speciality Class – this includes white peaches, nectarines, and the largest peach categories.

White-Fleshed Peaches

• 1^st Place – Wm. Schoeber & Sons Farm, Monroeville. This box also won Best of the Specialty Class.
• 2^nd Place – Summit City Farms, Glassboro
• 3^rd Place – Nichols Orchards, Franklinville

Nectarines or fuzz-less peaches, white or yellow fleshed

• 1^st Place – Nichols Orchards, Franklinville
• 2^nd Place – Gala Orchards, Elmer
• 3^rd Place – Summit City Farms, Glassboro

Largest Peach

• 1^st Place – Mood’s Orchard, Mullica Hill
• 2^nd Place – Holtzhauser Farms, Mullica Hill
• 3^rd Place – Mood’s Orchard, Mullica Hill

Select Peaches Class: These peaches are hand selected and packed by the grower/shipper for the competition.

Peaches between 2 ¼ to 2 ½ inches in diameter:

• 1^st Place – Holtzhauser Farms, Mullica Hill. This box also won Best of the Select Class.
• 2^nd Place – A.L. Gaventa Farms, Logan Township

Peaches between 2 ½ to 2 ¾ inches in diameter:

• 1^st Place – Holtzhauser Farms, Mullica Hill
• 2^nd Place – A.L. Gaventa Farms, Logan Township

Peaches between 2 ¾ inches and up:

• 1^st Place – Holtzhauser Farms, Mullica Hill
• 2^nd Place – Wm. Schoeber & Sons, Monroeville
• 3^rd Place – A.L. Gaventa Farms, Logan Township

Commercial Peach Class: These peaches are pulled off the packing house line as examples of peaches as they would be sold to the public. They are not hand selected by the farmer.

Peaches between 2 ¼ to 2 ½ inches in diameter:

• 1^st Place – Holtzhauser Farms, Mullica Hill. This box also won Best of the Commercial Class.
• 2^nd Place – Summit City, Glassboro
• 3^rd Place – F & R Grasso Farms, Mullica Hill

Peaches between 2 ½ to 2 ¾ inches in diameter:

• 1^st Place – Holtzhauser Farms, Mullica Hill
• 2^nd Place – Heilig Orchards, Mullica Hill
• 3^rd Place – Summit City, Glassboro

Peaches between 2 ¾ inches and up:

• 1^st Place – Summit City, Glassboro
• 2^nd Place – Nichols Orchards, Franklinville
• 3^rd Place – Heilig Orchards, Mullica Hill

The competition continued on Saturday with the Annual Peach Bake-Off. There were a lot of different and interesting entries and judges had a tough time making their choices. The judges this year included Joanne Kinsey from Rutgers, Jim Malaby, chef and owner of blueplate Restaurant in Mullica Hill, and Alexandra Benas, baker and owner of The Cake Boutique in Mullica Hill.

The winners were:

In the Over-13 Category:

• 1^st Place – Madison Ginotti with Maddie Spiced Peach & Carrot Bread
• 2^nd Place – Katie Livingston with Chai Peach Pie
• 3^rd Place – Anne Danilak with Peach Clafouti

In the Under-13 Category:

• 1^st Place – Marisa Henderson with Peachy Turkey Chili
• 2^nd Place – Valerie Monzo with Peach Leather Swirl