While some might contend that Maddox Family Restaurant is the hottest spot to find great food on Highway 89 in Box Elder County, Utah – it’s easy to observe that during the summer, Paul’s Patch, located directly across the street is just as busy with happy customers buying locally grown, fresh produce.
At 82 years old, Paul Valcarce shows no signs of slowing down as he manages both the retail business as well as the farms and greenhouses that grow his famous fruits, vegetables and flowers. His daughter, Cheryl, works alongside him and said his peaches contribute to the continuing legacy of the Brigham City area. Paul even has his own peach pie recipe that his family still makes at harvest time. Extended Valcarce family members eat together every Sunday and enjoy the fruits of their week-day, year-round labors.
Paul and his wife grew up in Brigham City and are the descendants of Utah Pioneers. As a young man, Paul moved his family to Reno, Nevada, where he became a produce manager for a chain retail store. By 1970, the Valcarces moved their seven children back to their hometown and together worked for the success of a fruit stand business and farm.
Paul’s Patch has two locations about a quarter-mile apart on Highway 93. He started out across from Maddox in a shack, then expanded and built several buildings and greenhouses down the street. Twenty years ago, Cheryl said he moved out of the building and back into his original location under a massive, bright, yellow-and-white-striped tent to provide customers with a farmer’s market experience that has contributed to his increased success.
He farms 82 acres in Corinne and employs around eight people at the roadside stand during the busy months and six on the farm and in the greenhouses. He is proud to be a well informed member/owner of IFA’s farmer’s cooperative.
“He’s as sharp as a tack and the rest of us just try and keep up,” Cheryl said.
Paul's Peach Pie Recipe
Directions:
- Your favorite pastry crust
- 4 lb Fresh Peaches, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/8 Cup Agave Syrup
- 1 Tbs Cinnamon
- Dash of Nutmeg
- Butter
- Sugar and Cinnamon Mixture
Directions:
Line your pie pan with your rolled out pastry crust. Slice peaches into a bowl and then add the sugar, agave syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until all peaches are well coated. Pour into pie crust. Dot the top with slices of butter. Cover with your top crust and seal the edges. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top of the crust. Make slits. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.
Want another tasty peach recipe? Try Aunt Mary's Magic Peach Cobbler >
Originally published in the IFA Cooperator magazine (vol. 81, no. 3) Fall 2015.