By Clint Thompson Georgia’s watermelon harvests are less than a month away. The crop’s development increased last week thanks to warm temperatures. It was much different than the weather conditions growers experienced previously, according to Greg Leger, owner of Leger & Son, Inc, in Cordele, Georgia. “We won’t have anything until the (June) 5th or 10th, something like that. There …
New Leader Takes National Watermelon Association Reins
By Clint Thompson The National Watermelon Association (NWA) ushered in a new era at its annual meeting in February. After nearly 20 years, the association has a new leader at the helm. George Szczepanski assumed the leadership role in an industry that’s currently facing numerous challenges, including labor shortages and high wage rates, inflationary impacts with input costs and competition …
Florida Watermelon Season Has Arrived
By Clint Thompson Watermelon season is in full swing throughout Florida. The South Florida crop is currently being harvested, while the North Florida plantings are progressing with an aim towards the Memorial Day harvest window. Laura Land, a watermelon farmer from Branford, Florida, and member of the Florida Watermelon Association, discussed the harvest timeline that Florida growers can expect over …
Timeline for Florida Watermelon Season
By Clint Thompson Watermelon season is in full swing throughout Florida. The South Florida crop is currently being harvested, while the North Florida plantings are progressing with an aim towards the Memorial Day harvest window. Laura Land, a watermelon farmer from Branford, Florida, and member of the Florida Watermelon Association, discussed the harvest timeline that Florida growers can expect over …
Inflation Could Reset Watermelon Industry
By Clint Thompson The current agricultural landscape has one South Georgia watermelon producer in survival mode. Instead of looking ahead five to 10 years down the road, Crisp County’s Greg Leger is taking it one season at a time. “How long can we sustain what’s happening right now? They’re not challenges that we haven’t faced in agriculture before. But we …
USDA NASS Updates Vegetable Production for 2022
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducted a 2022 vegetable grower inquiry. It found that the nation’s production for 26 estimated vegetable and melon crops totaled 658 million cwt, down 2% from 2021. The three largest crops were tomatoes, onions and sweet corn, which combined for 53% of all vegetables produced. The value of utilized …
Input Costs Remain Concern of Watermelon Growers
By Clint Thompson Watermelon growers in the Suwanee Valley Region are gearing up for the upcoming season. Their main challenge to a successful season is the obstacle that concerned them all of last year – high input costs. It is a subject that Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Regional Specialized Extension agent in …
MELCAST System Could Help Watermelon Producers Reduce Fungicide Sprays
By Clint Thompson Imagine a system in place that would aid watermelon growers in knowing when to apply fungicide sprays for management of foliar diseases. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is conducting research to verify the effectiveness of one such system. Mathews Paret, UF/IFAS associate professor of plant pathology, discussed MELCAST, a spray advisory …
Watermelon Producer: It’s Been a Downhill Slide
By Clint Thompson Various factors have contributed to a difficult watermelon season for Southeast producers. But it has been a challenge, says Carr Hussey, a watermelon farmer in Florida, Georgia and Alabama and chairman of the board of the Florida Watermelon Association (FWA). “From the beginning it’s been a downhill slide. These guys are actually probably selling stuff below production …
Extreme Heat Sweltering Watermelon Crop
By Clint Thompson Extreme heat the past couple of weeks should lead to an early end for watermelon harvests across the Southeast. Especially with temperatures this week eclipsing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, watermelons ripen quicker, leading to fields being done earlier than expected. “Everything is based on growing degree days. We accumulate a lot more growing degree days when it’s 100 …