Lori Anne Carr: Peachy Powerhouse

Titan Farms is aptly named. Though when Lori Ann and Chalmers Carr moved to Ridge Spring, South Carolina, in 1995 to manage what was then R.W. DuBose & Sons, Inc., little did they know that the modest farm they eventually leased in 1999 then bought in 2001 and renamed Titan Farms would grow into a 6,000-acre operation, making Titan the largest peach producer in the region, and the second largest in the country, growing 800 million pounds of ripe, juicy deliciousness annually.

“Our family farm grows more peaches than the entire ‘Peach State’ of Georgia,” says Lori Anne, namesake of their select crop of Lori Anne Peaches, and president and CEO of Titan Farm’s packaging division, Palmetto Processing Solutions.

“We’ve done that without cutting corners,” she adds. “We try to do everything the right way—paying competitive wages and protecting our natural resources and water supply—though often it’s not the most economical way,” says Carr, who grew up in a farming family (dairy and row crops), and met Chalmers, a military brat who worked summers picking peaches on his mother’s family farm in Ellerbe, North Carolina, while both were at Clemson. 

“We believe our most valuable asset is our people,” she adds. 

Indeed, growing their team from 25 full-time employees to more than 55, as well as the 800 seasonal workerswho are hired legally through the H-2A federal program and come back year after year (Titan has a 90% return rate), is Carr’s most rewarding aspects of peach farming. 

“We use the hashtag ‘#TeamTitan’ a lot, and we really do feel like we’re a team. Having a positive impact on our staff’s lives and the 800 or some folks who come from Mexico voluntarily and to the best of their ability, leaving their family in a lurch in their absence, is pretty incredible,” she says. “We’ve watched some of the matriarchs and patriarchs get older and bring their grandchildren. I’m proud they are part of our family.”

Carr and her team have also been innovators in sustainable farming and business practices aimed at ensuring food safety, reducing food waste and safeguarding natural resources. By adopting micro-jet sprinklers and micro drips that cover the entire root zone of the tree, they’ve been able to irrigate more efficiently, cutting their water consumption by 70%, or 486 million gallons. 

To tackle food waste from loss of peaches that didn’t meet their quality standards, the Carrs created their packing division so the 16 million pounds annually that normally would have to be discarded can be turned into frozen product. 

“The smoothie craze has been good for us,” she notes. Peach pits get used for roads and mulch, while peach skins get morphed into cow feed. 

By partnering with food banks and enlisting retailers who sell Titan peaches (i.e.,Harris Teeter and most of the major grocers in the region) to join their “Peaches with a Purpose” and “Fighting Hunger Sweetly” campaigns, Titan Farms helps bring fresh fruit to those less fortunate. 

“For many folks in that underserved population, access to fresh produce is so important,” Carr says.

Visit Titan Farms at 5 R.W. Dubose Road, Ridge Spring, South Carolina from mid-May through September to taste fresh peaches right off the tree. The juicy peaches can also be found at local grocery stores during the summer months. In the meantime, watch this video by Certified SC  to learn more about Titan Farms' mission.