On any given visit to farmers’ markets in and around the St. Louis area you’re bound to see a line of customers at one stand: Friedel Family Farm. In Illinois, the Batchtown-based farm produces more than 22 varieties of peaches, which customers love for their sweet, bright flavor. We talked to Bill Hartle, son-in-law of founder Gabriel “Butch” Friedel, about the evolution of the farm and what makes those peaches so darn good.
Tell us about the origins of Friedel Family Farm.
When Gabriel “Butch” Friedel was 12 or 13 years old, some friends of his were going to the fair in town and brought him along with them. There was a greased pig competition, and he caught the pig. She was pregnant, so his dad helped him get a setup to have her babies. Then the following year, he caught another greased pig at the fair. By the time he was out of high school, he had built up his hog operation enough to support a family. Then he started doing a hay operation, and then he transitioned to orchards and gardens in 2010, and that blew up on everybody pretty quick. We’re starting to get the third generation of the family into it now, with the young kids getting involved.
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