Lane Southern Orchards in Georgia: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Lane Southern Orchards in Middle Georgia is described by regional business press as the largest peach grower in Georgia, farming about 11,000 acres of which roughly 6,000 are pecans and 5,000 are peaches. The operation has served Middle Georgia for more than a century, and it also draws around 300,000 visitors a year, which makes it one of the few commodity-scale orchards in the state that is also a well-known destination.
| Location | Fort Valley, Peach County, Georgia (Middle Georgia, near Macon) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Family-owned for 98 years before 2006, which places its beginnings around 1908 (inferred from the published figure) |
| Sectors | Peaches; pecans; farm market and agritourism |
| Scale | About 11,000 acres: roughly 6,000 in pecans and 5,000 in peaches, per Middle Georgia CEO (July 2024) |
| Why it is elite | Reported as the largest peach grower in Georgia; about 300,000 visitors a year |
| Ownership | Family-owned until 2006, then acquired by a group of corporate owners |
| Official website | Lane Southern Orchards official site |
History of Lane Southern Orchards
Lane Southern Orchards grew from a family business in Georgia's peach belt. A July 2024 Middle Georgia CEO profile says it was family-owned for 98 years before a group of corporate owners took it over in 2006, which puts its origins in the early twentieth century, when Fort Valley and Peach County were building a reputation on mild winters and red clay soils.
Since the 2006 ownership change the business has expanded sharply, and the same profile states that it has become the largest peach grower in Georgia. The shift from a single family orchard to a multi-thousand-acre fruit and nut company is the central story of the operation: it kept the local name and the Middle Georgia base while adding the acreage, packing capacity and retail presence needed to supply buyers well beyond the state.
What Lane Southern Orchards Grows and Raises
The orchards combine two tree crops that suit Georgia's climate and labor calendar. Peaches are the summer crop, harvested over a season that begins in late spring and runs through the summer, while pecans are the fall and early winter crop. Running both lets a single management team, equipment fleet and packing infrastructure stay busy across more of the year than a peach-only orchard could manage. The Middle Georgia CEO profile gives the split as about 5,000 acres of peaches and 6,000 acres of pecans.
Peach growing in Georgia is high-risk and high-labor: a late spring freeze can remove most of a crop, and fruit must be picked, cooled and packed quickly. Larger operations spread that risk across varieties that ripen at different times. Pecans carry their own risks, including alternate bearing and hurricane damage, but they store far better than fresh fruit and add wholesale and gift markets.
How Lane Southern Orchards Makes Money
Fresh peach sales
The core revenue stream is fresh Georgia peaches, grown at a scale that supports wholesale and regional supply as well as direct sales. Because the operation is reported as the state's largest peach grower, fresh fruit is the anchor of its seasonal cash flow. The operation does not publish sales figures, so none are stated here.
Pecans
With about 6,000 acres in pecans, the nut crop is the largest block of land on the farm. Pecans are sold in the shell and shelled, and they extend the sales calendar into the holiday gifting season when peaches are long gone.
Visitors, farm market and agritourism
The Middle Georgia CEO profile reports about 300,000 visitors a year. A farm market lets the business capture retail margin instead of selling only into wholesale channels, and it builds brand recognition.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Lane Southern Orchards
Diversify on the calendar, not only on the crop. Pairing summer peaches with fall pecans spreads labor, equipment and cash flow across the year, and it means a freeze that hurts one crop does not remove the whole year's income. Operators in other regions can look for a second perennial or storable crop with a different harvest window.
Use retail to strengthen wholesale. A large visitor flow gives direct feedback on varieties and pricing and keeps the farm name in front of buyers, as long as the destination side stays secondary to the orchard.
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Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Lane Southern Orchards
Website: https://lanesouthernorchards.com/
Website as named in a July 2024 Middle Georgia CEO profile; confirm hours, products and any farm market visits directly with the operation before traveling, November 2026.
Lane Southern Orchards Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Lane Southern Orchards - Official site of the Fort Valley orchard and farm market
- Middle Georgia CEO profile - Independent coverage of the operation's size and visitors
- USDA NASS Georgia Census of Agriculture - State farm numbers and sales from the 2022 Census
- UGA CAED Ag Snapshots 2024 - University of Georgia agricultural economics snapshots
- Peach County peach industry - Local background on the peach industry around Fort Valley
Lane Southern Orchards FAQ
Where is Lane Southern Orchards?
It is based in Fort Valley, in Peach County in Middle Georgia, within driving distance of Macon.
How big is Lane Southern Orchards?
A July 2024 Middle Georgia CEO profile reports about 11,000 acres, with roughly 6,000 acres of pecans and 5,000 acres of peaches.
Is Lane Southern Orchards still family owned?
It was family-owned for 98 years until a group of corporate owners acquired it in 2006, according to the same profile.
How can I contact Lane Southern Orchards?
Use the contact information on the official website at lanesouthernorchards.com, since hours and products change with the season.
Lane Southern Orchards shows how a family peach business can scale into a state leader by pairing peaches with pecans and a strong visitor program. For more operations that shape the state, return to the Georgia farms guide and the other profiles listed there.