About Livesay Orchards
Livesay Orchards is owned and farmed by brothers Kent and Steve Livesay. Both have degrees in agriculture from Oklahoma State University.
For the most part, Kent manages retail and wholesale sales of fruit and vegetable crops; Steve manages growing of fruit and grain crops and the machinery.
Brian, Steve & Brenda’s son, has completed his Plant & Soil Science degree from Oklahoma State University and returned to work on the farm. Brian enjoys the farming and machinery part of the business.
Of course, it is a family operation, and many others get involved too!
The History of Our Orchards
Austin Livesay, a great uncle of Kent & Steve, purchased the original orchard site in 1966. The orchard has been passed through the generations, and is now under the ownership of Kent and Steve Livesay.
The first peach trees were planted on the land in the 1920s, and today, there are more than 140 acres of peach trees, making this the largest peach orchard in the state. We are also a diversified farm with 10 acres of apples, 30 acres of watermelons and cantaloupes, 30 acres of pumpkins and gourds, tomatoes and sweet corn along with cattle and over 2,000 acres of field crops.
There is a large, open air Farm Market on the farm, and about 60% of the peach harvest is sold directly to the public from the market. The market also sells other fresh fruit and vegetables, along with our famous Porter Peach Products. The remainder of the peaches are sold “pick-your-own” in the orchard, or delivered to grocery stores and fruit stands within a 200-mile radius.
People with a Passion for Peaches
There are several other members of the family working at the farm and in the market, and we hope you’ll introduce yourself next time you come by. Brenda, Steve’s wife, helps her husband with the field crop bookwork among other jobs (including driving a tractor in the watermelon patch).
Brenda & Steve’s daughter, Melanie, graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University and has a successful career off the farm as an accountant but she is likely to be seen sorting peaches or running a cash register on the busiest weekends.
Kent’s wife, Dawna, manages the school tours, and is the bookkeeper.
Kent & Dawna’s oldest son, Kyle, has begun studying horticulture in college and plans to return to the farm after college graduation. Their younger son, Nathan, helps sort peaches on the grader among other jobs.
We love our farm life, and the great community we have here in Porter. Our community, along with the Porter Lions Club, puts on the fabulous Porter Peach Festival, which will be held the third Thursday, Friday and Saturday in July.
We hope you will come enjoy the celebrations of the festival in Porter, and then be sure to visit the orchard for some fresh, juicy Porter peaches to take home!