Atlanta plumb grateful for Utah peaches

It’s a little like giving ice to Eskimos, but the Mormon church sent 70,000 cans of peaches to charities in metro Atlanta. Apricots, too.

“It is ironic to be sending peaches to the Peach State,” said Brooke Hunter of Milton, who is helping distribute the cans of fruit. “People tell us the peaches will be gone in the blink of an eye. They’re not quite sure what to do with the apricots.”

After church orchards in Utah and Idaho produced bumper crops, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shipped 5,500 cases of fruit to help restock shelves of metro Atlanta charities. Charities have seen their stock depleted from helping people hurt by the economy and by severe weather, such as hurricanes.

The Atlanta Community Food Bank and MUST Ministries in Cobb County each received a semi truck of the canned fruit. Another 200 cases were sent to each of the nine metro Atlanta LDS regional offices for distribution to local charities.

“For us, peaches are good,” said Bill Bolling, executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which provides food to 800 pantries in 38 counties. “It’s a significant donation from the Mormon community. We’re very happy to receive fruit. We anticipate it’ll go quickly.”

The fruit was picked and processed by church members at church facilities, packed in boxes in Salt Lake City, and shared among churches for their needy. There were still tons left over.

Wendy Sharp, spokeswoman for the church in Atlanta, said Utah officials asked her if she thought Atlanta could use some peaches. Of course, she said, what a silly question. She said she wanted three semi’s worth.

So, after saying thank you very much, an unspoken question lingers: How does the produce from Utah measure up to the famed Prunus persica from which Georgia receives its nickname? Bolling hasn’t sampled the foreign wares and said no warning labels would be attached for the unwary Georgian. “We trust the peaches will be good.”

For those who may not know how to properly eat said peaches, the cans’ labels helpfully advise the consumer to chill and maybe eat with cottage cheese.

“We’re just thankful they thought of us,” said Karen Rupp, volunteer coordinator for the North Fulton Community Charities in Roswell.