MUSELLA, Ga. — Supply chain problems continue to impact many places around the country, Georgia farmers included. Robert Dickey co-owns Dickey Farms with his son, Lee.
"So many things have to come together to get it into stores and get it to customers and their satisfaction," Robert said.
He says peaches can't wait a few weeks or months to get supplies in.
"We have to really have it at a moment's notice -- a lot of containers and pallets and labels, those type things," Robert said.
"It's really just been hard to predict," Lee said.
With the supply chain problems, Dickey Farms is learning how to make do.
Lee Dickey says a specific issue they've dealt with is getting the coating for the peach boxes. They've had to evaluate new material for it.
"A lot of pivoting and change of plans," Lee said.
Another problem is getting a tractor. He says usually you can go to the lot and buy one, but now, they have to order about six months out for the season. Lee says it's just been very limited.
"I've had a van on order since December, and they still haven't built that van, and there's no used vans for sale, so we're having to share vans and use trucks," Lee said.
On top of the struggle to get the things they need, it's been tougher to pay for items, too, due to rising prices.
"Our fertilizer prices doubled, our chemical prices, everything we're buying -- including these boxes -- are increasing monthly, and that's really putting a lot of stress on us," Robert said, making it tough on the family's business.
"It's hard to just keep an infinite amount of inventory on hand, especially with farming, the majority of input costs have already been spent before you even have your first harvest," Lee said.
"It's no days off during the summer with peaches. We are picking every day, trying to get them packed into the stores as fresh as they can," Robert said.
Robert Dickey says the toughest part is not knowing how things will end up with the supply chain.