By: Christian Troupe
July 30, 2025
Audio transcript
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Christian Troupe : Rowe’s Peaches wasn’t just about fruit—it was about family. For more than seven decades, generations of the Rowe family brought fresh peaches from Pennsylvania to their small stand in DeRuyter.
Carol Rowe : It’s another loss to our community and to everybody who comes and to us who not only offered peaches, we offered relationships with people. We talked with people.
Christian Troupe : The stand started in the 1950s with Carol’s father-in-law, Bob Rowe, a veteran and grocer who built his reputation on quality. After he passed, the family carried on. But now, workers are getting older, and Carol says the stand has come to a close.
Carol Rowe : We’ve really just aged out of the workforce. And for me to train someone. I’d have to give it my full attention. I couldn’t be running the peach business and trying to train someone simultaneously, it’s impossible.
Christian Troupe : Rowe’s Peaches wasn’t just a fruit stand—it was a gathering place, a legacy built one box at a time.
This is Christian Troupe live from the Newsroom
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – A Central New York summer staple is coming to an end.
Rowe’s Peaches, a beloved fruit stand in DeRuyter, is closing its doors after 71 years of operation. Known not only for its fresh peaches but also for its warm customer relationships, the stand has been a seasonal tradition since the 1950s.
“It’s another loss to our community and to everybody who comes and to us,” said Carol Rowe, who helped run the family business. “We not only offered peaches — we offered relationships with people. We talked with people.”
The stand began with Bob Rowe, a veteran and local grocer, who built his reputation on delivering high-quality produce. After his passing, the Rowe family kept the business going. But now, with age and staffing challenges, the family has decided it’s time to close.
“We’ve really just aged out of the workforce,” Carol said. “For me to train someone, I’d have to give it my full attention. I couldn’t be running the peach business and trying to train someone simultaneously — it’s impossible.”
For many, Rowe’s Peaches wasn’t just a fruit stand — it was a gathering place and a symbol of local legacy.