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Watermelon Production In Indiana and Illinois.
Over 70% of our
production is produced in and around Knox County, Indiana. Most of that production
is within 15 miles east and west of a 50 mile corridor running along US
Hwy 41. It has been said many times that you can stand in one farm's
watermelon field and throw a rock in another neighboring watermelon
field. Not that we would throw rocks at each other, or anything so
crude.
We produce over 7,000
acres of watermelon on our farms. If you're lucky enough to live close
to our market areas you already know you can taste the difference. Many
travelers stop at our roadside stands to experience the taste of
Indiana and Illinois watermelon.
The sandy soil on which
our watermelon are raised is enriched with trace elements and nutrients
not normally present on the beach type sands of our southern neighbors.
This soil was deposited here by the great glaciers of the Ice-Age, and
the Wabash River has added nutrients to our soil every time it over
flows. Truly, this contributes to our production of great tasting
watermelon.
Included, here, are
some photos showing the production and harvest of our favorite
summertime treat.
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Our
production begins with the planting of the seed in a tray of cells filled
with a highly fertile peat moss medium.
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These
trays are then placed in any of our greenhouses, where they are nurtured
for 4-5 weeks until they are strong enough to with-stand the rigors of
Mother Nature.
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The
fields have been prepared long before with a planting of rye to insure
plenty of organic material in the soil to help hold moisture and provide
food material for the growing watermelon plant. |
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The
planting beds are then prepared, leaving strips of rye to protect against
strong Spring winds that could damage unprotected young plants. |
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When
Mother Nature promises reasonably safe temperatures for the young
seedlings, they are transplanted from the greenhouses to the
fields. Most are planted in a bed with a protective covering
of plastic mulch.
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Once
planted in the fields, they are cultivated and monitored closely for pests
and diseases. Fungicide is applied if necessary and additional
fertilizer added at critical times throughout the plant's growth.
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It
takes about 80-90 days to produce a ripe watermelon with this
technique. After all the tender loving care our growers put into
their crop, the plump, juicy watermelon begin showing signs of maturity,
and the harvest is ready to begin. |
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When
a field is ready for harvest, our watermelon crews enter the field, first
with watermelon specialists, called cutters, and only the ripest
watermelons are cut, loaded onto wagons and brought to the packing sheds.
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At
the packing shed, only those watermelon meeting our quality standards are
packaged for shipping. They are sorted for size and placed in bulk
bins. |
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These
bins are then placed in trucks destined for our customers'
warehouses. These tasty watermelon will then make their way into the
retail stores and finally to your table. |
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