Especially in the last few months, we've seen more about the challenges with growing our food and how difficult it is for farmers. So quickly we can forget what went into actually bringing those fruits and vegetables to your produce department, and many of us don't quite know what went into growing the food in the first place. That's one thing I love to spotlight - the farming process behind the food - so that you can see how much heart, hard work, time, and money went in to growing, harvesting, packing, and shipping those farm-fresh fruits and vegetables! This is why I often say that farmers are often taken for granted and should be celebrated!
Seasonal items, like watermelons, are often even harder to grow because farmers have only a small window of time to accomplish what they need to, and external factors like weather, and now Covid-19, can be working against them. Talk about pressure! A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Melon 1, and I loved meeting the family, the farm workers, the staff, and team who all were busy as bees making sure their watermelons were representative of the high quality Melon 1 label, including delicious flavor, and were safe for us all to eat. Since 1935, Melon 1 has worked with family farmers all across the USA using cutting-edge technology to meet food safety and traceability standards, but keeping people at the heart of their business.
Here's a look into the complex but fascinating process of how they are growing one of the most popular summer fruits ever – the watermelon!
The whole process takes about 100 days - from planting to harvest! So, three months before harvest, watermelon 'transplants' are planted into well-drained sandy soil where they are watered and carefully looked after every single day. They grow slowly but surely on a vine, eventually growing into large, juicy, and ripe watermelons ready for the picking. The more bees the better, as these pollinators are critical and essential to growing delicious, juicy watermelons. Some farmers use bumble bees, some use honey bees. The main factor is to make sure that there are plenty there, as without them, there would be no watermelons!
Back to the "picking," because once the watermelons are ready for harvest, the real work begins! There's no fancy farm equipment when it comes to harvesting watermelon. Every single watermelon is inspected and harvest by hand to ensure that the fruit is not only ready to eat, but also makes it to your store in the best condition possible. Pickers look for a pale yellow "belly" on the bottom of the watermelon, which indicates ripeness. Once watermelons are cut from the vine, it is quite the thing to see! Watermelons are literally tossed by hand down a line of farm-workers into school buses – I bet you didn't expect to see school buses on a watermelon farm!
The school buses are actually purchased from schools in the district, and then the schools are able to upgrade to newer, better ones for their students. A win /win! One thing though - they have to have their roofs removed first! The roofs are literally chopped off so that they are open and ready for the watermelons to be lobbed overhead. Then, a line forms of farm workers, who take the watermelon and toss it along the line to their team, then gently placing them into the buses. After this has happened, and the harvest is complete, the bus of watermelons are then taken to the packing shed where they are again inspected, washed, and prepared for shipping. Then, once all of that is completely supervised by a team of people who have monitored the entire process, the watermelons are loaded into trucks to deliver to your local grocery stores! Then, it's all about you seeing them in the produce aisle - now ready for your pickin'!
What I especially love about these farmers at Melon 1 is the sense of family and camaraderie with the team, as they all face so much in a season, and this closeness and depending on each other strengthens their bonds with each other. They all have each other's backs. And Melon 1 is still a family business at heart today. From all the people working there, they all pride themselves on providing you with the freshest, highest quality watermelons possible. And, a humble family for sure, they admit that they owe their success to the many farmers and team of people who join alongside with them to make watermelon farming again this year (and next) possible. Happy Summer and sending y'all watermelon smiles!
The farmers consider the workers part of their families.
I LOVE WATERMELON SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY REFRESHMENTS TIME.
I feel a lot more familiar with all aspects of watermelons now
Nice
Thanks for sharing
A week out there is what most need to really appreciate all the work that goes into farming produce…
Nice! Good use for the school bus
TY, anythiing to help save the watermelon and enjoy it respectfully
IT IS A LOT OF WORK, AND THEY SHOULD BE PROUD OF A JOB, …..WELL DONE! TAKE A BOW!!!
A great way to reuse old school buses.
Very cool read! 🚌
This is awesome!! Teaching the kids to farm is great for them.
I love the school bus being used
I agree it’s a lot of pressure to do in a short period I use to watch an elderly lady on a farm she rented her land out and we use to watch every summer them doing watermelons 🍉 they use to fill so many buses up it was amazing watching thanks for a great read .
A novel idea!
Melons are very hard to grow, I appreciate my farmers much.
school, school, school, learn learn learn, I love to learn and we learn until we die. So get smart and eat your watermelon
Once the watermelons are ready for harvest, the real work begins!
Watermelon is so healthy
That’s right, get schooled !
The farming process is very difficult.
I appreciate picking the right melon now knowing what goes into growing it.
Good use for old schoolbuses.
It’s good to reuse old school buses.
Very interesting!
I love fresh fruit for dessert
This shows the behind the scenes of watermelon farming.
Awesome work and America thanks you and appreciates you!
so many passionate farmers in this world and so many MORE passionate patrons who need those passionate farmers and so very much appreciate each one of them. TY
Going to the frige to have some now
Thanks for this information
So yummy
The watermelon harvest is quite the thing to see!
Your blogs are always so informative; Thanks for all the time you put into them.
I wonder if all these temp helpers that are farmed out to reap crops are schooled in their special crop at the moment or even in general for most crop reaping
There is certainly a lot of hard work that goes into this process. But, well worth it for the outcome!
Old buses great use.
The whole process takes about 100 days – from planting to harvest!
100 days but well worth the wait.
I would love to go to watermelon school
I wonder what they used to transport watermelons before the buses?
Watermelon is delicious
What a great read! 🍉
I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY AND GROW SOME MELONS FROM YOUR SEEDS!
this is important information
Nice use for the old school buses!
There’s no fancy equipment used in harvesting watermelons.
No short busses here!
Great post
I loved school and I would really enjoy an official outdoor farming class for the whole day, or week even
These farmers have to overcome many challenges.
That’s bus was an amazing idea!
One of the most popular summer fruits ever – the watermelon!
Transporting watermelons by old school buses are a great way to recycle ols buses.
My grandmother loved watermelon
These farmers face a lot of weather challenges.
It seems pretty cut and dry but I’m sure there are many tricks and hacks we could learn from farmers
It’s such a healthy fruit to eat
School buses on a watermelon farm!!
I’d love to have one now
I’m sure it’s rewarding but looks like such a back breaking job. I’ll gather cherry tomatoes, ty. (BUT I STILL LIKE WATERMELON THE BEST)
These watermelon farmers work as a team.
Thanks for the information.
Awesome transportation!
The more bees the better, as these pollinators are critical and essential to growing…
I haven’t had watermelon in awhile
Watermelons are one of the most eaten summer fruit.
I didn’t realize each watermelon is harvested by hand.
A complex but fascinating process…
Such a cool way of hauling watermelons!
Wow! I have never thought of the work that goes into melons!
Thanks for sharing this great information
Farmers should be celebrated & not taken for granted.
The many many benefits of this juicy, thirst quenching, sweet, beautiful food source.
old school buses
This sounds interesting
should be celebrated!
I can feel the hard work involved but it’s so inviting, beautiful and lovely to look at. The field goes on forever
Farmers are often taken for granted.
I didn’t know it took 3 months from seed to harvest! How cool!
Thank you to the farmers that grow this delicious fruit!
That’s quite the process, thanks for the info!!
Learned a lot about yummy 😋 delicious watermelon 🍉🍉
Very cool!
A lot of information.
Thanks
Thanks for sharing ! Long way till it ends up in my house 🙂
Really enjoy the read and the hard work and love that goes into this business.
those melon fields are beautiful, just heavenly
Well Ive picked up quite a bit of info abt my fave food
Watermelon grows fast, and I’ve grown a few – Just gotta keep an eye on them growing, and take good care of them too !!
I think the school bus idea is brillant.
I never knew how much work is put into this process.
I love how local schools benefit from watermelon 🍉🍉 farming. Watermelons helps us in more ways than one
It takes a lot of people to pick watermelons.
Thank you for sharing these tips
I tried to grow watermelons for my 4H club as a kid and it needless to say didn’t work out very well lol
Appreciate the process…
Love the bus!
It great to tell & show the people what it takes to grow watermelons.
Bees help make watermelons!
There are many challenges in growing watermelons.
It’s pretty cool win-win scenario to use the districts old busses and allowed them new rides for the kids!
cool
This article is such an eye-opener on the hard work and dedication that goes into bringing fresh, delicious watermelons to our tables! 🍉 It’s easy to forget the challenges farmers face, especially with seasonal items like watermelons. I love learning about Melon 1’s commitment to quality and their use of technology to ensure safety and traceability while keeping family farmers at the heart of their business. Kudos to all the farmers and everyone at Melon 1 who make it possible for us to enjoy these sweet summer treats!
Love seeing the whole process and that you really show us how your workers take care of your crops.
Yes, I did learn some things, thanks
What a great use for a school bus!
This is a great way to give new life to an old school bus.
A lot of interesting information!
Thanks for the schooling !
Genius idea about using a bus.
Using a school bus is a great ideal, the way it was altered to hold the watermelons with a lot of room.
NOT KNOW THIS, AND WHY IS MY POSTS NOT SHOWING?
The watermelon farmers work under extreme weather conditions.
Wow! The work is very thorough but very rewarding.
Neat stuff
Wow
Impressive
I’ve actually saw the top being removed off a bus.
There is good info on watermelon here!
Lot of hard work
very imformative
What a perfect place to collect the watermelons it is all great info I had no idea
A great way to re-cycle.
Watermelon farmers have to deal with changing weather.
I really enjoyed this post.
Love how this is done!
The process is way more intricate than I ever thought it would be. Cool to learn about this.
Some good facts about watermelon.
Is that a fact where watermelons are grown all over or is that the way you transport your watermelons?
Harvesting watermelons is back breaking work.
goodness gracious
Very interesting. Thanks.
A great way to reuse and old school bus.
Great info.
Watermelon farming is often a family business.
THAT MELON IS HUGEEEEEEEEEEE!!
Interesting facts.
Love watermelon
That’s a resourceful way to reuse buses.
learned a lot about the farmers they do great work
Vine borers get all my vine crops. I gave up.
How cool to use a school bus.
I grow my own. one of the best is sugar baby. also charleston grey.
I never knew how watermelons were picked and transported.
Harvesting the old school way.
quite interesting
I did not realize the whole process took 100 days for watermelon growth.
Good information to know.
Very interesting!
This is a great article.
So nice.
YES !!!
My fave food!
3 months is a very short growing window
Definitely a family company. Love seeing what they are doing here🍉
Never grew watermelons, it’s facinating!
This reminds me of Turnip Farming where just hard work with Farm Hands cutting the tops and after the machine pushed them up over the soil the Farm Hands had to throw up to other workers on a 8 Wheel Drive Truck with 4×4 cube crates to fill them up to take to storage for cleaning and storage. It was a labor intense operation. Old those good old days.
Helpful info
makes you appreciate what they do . . . .
I love watermelon just the way it is. Don’t add anything or make a drink. Absolutely nothing watermelon flavored. I but at least one a week, cbe it and then we eat it up in a few days.
Great facts about watermelon.
Good information to know
I’ve learned so much reading on your blog.
It is interesting to learn about watermelon farming.
lovely read
Takes me back to happy time’s
Amazing and hard work to be a farmer!
goog stuff
Thank you, farmers!
I was never too sure about how to select a watermelon.
Never knew about melon ones!
Nice
I never knew watermelons were so much work
heavy hard work
I’ve never tried to frow a watermelon – a pumpkin, yes – a watermelon, no
Informative. Thanks for sharing.
Very informative!
thank God for watermelons and their growers!
Thanks for sharing!
thanks for the info
After our failed attempt at growing watermelon this year, I need much help!
Farm to table thanks to the farmers.
Long process!
Creative repurposing!
Love getting schooled on watermelon
What a brilliant way to use a schoolbus
Quite the process…
I’m craving a piece now lol
Interesting way to reuse an old school bus.
Thank you so much for sticking with farming when so many have quit due to high cost and low profit.
There’s a lot of hard work involved in watermelon farming
Thank you, farmers, for taking the time to grow us delicious and healthy food!
Get schooled on watermelon! DONE! Adding one to my weekly shopping list!
Grateful for the bees!
the watermelons blend right in with the vast green fields. What a pretty picture
Thanks. Love getting schooled on melon.
Oldest watermelon farm in America is something to be proud of and I love that they only use safe practices when growing so no harmful chemicals.
Maybe you can drive the school buses to large cities ISDs such as Houston’s ISD where most of those kids have never been on a farm or ranch.
Busy as bees – AND – using bees…🙃
Yes, I am getting schooled abt watermelon- and how abt that schoolbus!
What a brilliant idea to use school buses!
I wish I had some right now
GOOD INFO
Remember no farmers no food and we need food to live so support them when you can
How big can a melon get?
It takes a lot of people to harvest watermelons
Learn about growing watermelon
I feel for farmers, it’s so often all about the weather !
The school bus idea is awesome~
Great results
Fabulous
I’m buying some soon
Fascinating that bees play such a significant role in watermelon farming…
very informative
Melon 1 has worked with family farmers since1935
I didn’t know all this information.
Watermelon is the top summer fruit.
I can appreciate the whole process. I worked for my aunt and uncle who owned a grape vineyard in Kern Co. California. Harvest time was the best. Getting to see all that went into getting product to the table was enlightening. Thanks for sharing your experience, Mary. It brought back some fond memories.
Watermelon just makes me happy and makes me think of summer
WATERMELON IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS FOR ALL OF THE INFO.
Thankful for the bees for all the good watermelon.
Growing melons how big
I love learning how watermelons grow
No short bus here…
lets take the school bus to the watermelons
Refreshing
100 days ..I didn’t know!
I love all the recipes you can make with watermelon
I would love to have watermelon growing in my back yard. But its not possible in Eastern Idaho.
I wish watermelons were easily accessable everyday of the year. It a valuable food group, very hydrating, vitamin filled and boy do I love the taste and flavor. BRING IT ON !
Growing watermelons is a very complex job
Very interesting – that’s for all the great info.
I learned so much
Only the best tasting and juices fruits there are ,so amazingly delicious
So much great information on watermelons.
There are many steps in watermelon farming
Watermelon is so hydrating too
take me to school please
Summer is celebration time🤗
For those that want to take time and be artistic, I’ve seen some extremely attractive centerpieces at parties and picnics that start with a watermelon rind
Let’s give all the credit to the farm workers. They work very hard in extremely hot temperatures during harvest season.
Learnin more every day
After reading this I felt schooled by watermelon! Thanks to all the farmers out there 🙂
We’re definitely going to try to grow at least a few next summer now that I know how how lol. It’s intimidating
Love learning more about watermelons!
I need to buy one on my next grocery shop
if i have to i’ll ride the back of the bus
Melon types
Seasonal foods are harder to grow since there’s a shorter growing season
Growing these isn’t for the weak , my mom always grew some when we were kids and it was worth the wait for sure
Importante
Recycling!
that bus is so cute, I bet it could be used for local family excursions and picnics under a tree
Such a well said article on the growing of watermelons.
Such a clever way to use an old school bus. Genius.
Everything about this is so knowledgeable and great, I live thus brand
PERFECT MELON 1 tips
I’ve never tried to grow watermelon
I didn’t know it was 100 day process. Yes. Farmers should be celebrated!
3 months is worth the wait
farmers need and deserve much more accolades and recognition than they get. Where would America be without our indispensable, hard working farmers that put in extremely long hours and perform accordingly by the weather.
Watermelon is the best for breakfast.
It takes many people to pick watermelons
I like knowing the community benefits as well.
lovely MELON 1
Brilliant
Watermelon would be so tasty right now
take me to the farm
I love that they are using old school buses
I really liked this article I learned new info abt my fave food
Love how small they start out
Watermelon days are my favorite days
These farmers face many challenges
Good to know!
I would like to get schooled out there on the farm and have a good ol watermelon eating contest, NO HANDS
Thank you for the good information
Cool!
Little melon
Thank you to all the farmers that do this very hot, back breaking work all day for my enjoyment of this wonderful, thirst quenching, juicy, sweet food
My gran used to love watermelon
very interesting information.
Lots of love
I didn’t know it takes 100 days.
very interesting
school can be fun
Ok
Eat watermelons to help stay hydrated
refreshing
Farm to table , It’s so neat to watch this process and all the things that go into growing our food
How much weight do the seeds add to the weight of the watermelon?
Working out at work!
Good for them!
I need to get a watermelon before the season is over
I would love to visit!
Very informative
Thank you for raising my favorites.
Oval melon
Farmers are the heart of the nation , if there’s no farmers we don’t have food to eat and I’m always appreciative towards them
wher e to grow the very best watermelons
Watermelons aren’t easy to grow due to the short growing season
that is a very very cool bus. It looks like a school bus with the roof cut out..kinda like a convertible
Thanks!
Good to know.
Wish I could afford a watermelon at $8
Great information to be read.
watermelon makes everything better
What color should the PFA’S be to show me they are ready to pick?
Amazing stuff
It’s very important to know how to pick & store watermelons
seeded or seedless, whats your fav?
Great venture!
Always find great watermelon when there’s the yellow spot.
Sweet summer
Generational farms are the best and it helps keep the consistency of the food and quality high
I appreciate all the articles that explain and teach. I WANNA RIDE THE WATERMELOIN BUS!!!!!
Growing
Totally a great way to give farmers the credit they deserve, they work so hard
Thank you for sharing this
Love watermelon
Love everything about this
come and go all together on a bus, heave 100 watermelons throughout the day, and after a hot back breaking day, hopefully sit in the grass with a watermelon to eat !
Growing watermelons is a complex process
if farming was easy we’d all do. it
so interesting
so useful
I did not know. Thank you.
This farming process is awesome.
Fast growing
How do you know if your watermelon is PFA free?
As a ‘backyard farmer’, I can appreciate how much effort goes into all this. We’re not growing watermelon this year;I need to rework the garden area to make it ready for watermelon vines. This means I’ll be looking for Melon 1 in the grocery stores–should be ready right about now…
Consider me schooled
take the bus to the farm
Growing watermelons can be a difficult job
Amazing process!
I can’t believe it’s all done by hand.
Love this so much! Those buses are awesome!
this would be a great class trip and I would enjoy this job if it was part time or week end and I could take home all the rejects !
So glad we live in Florida so we can enjoy the watermelons! They are the best in Florida
I’ve grown some watermelons myself but they never looked this good.
cool how they’re using old school buses
Yes, unlike hard fruits and vegetables, you can’t just toss one into the truck. If you don’t place it gently, it won’t survive.
Wow I didn’t know this
I would love to grow watermelons in Nevada but its way to hot here.
What flavor are PFA’S?
Thank you for the information.
love being “schooled” on watermelon
as good as watermelons are, they are extremely heavy, especially if you want the juiciest one. That would make a back breaking full day if you were dealing with one after another after another, morning till night
A fantastic way to keep old school buses going
Need some watermelon patch picking!
please stop more captcha unnecessarily
Interesting!
Gratitude and respect is all I have for these farmers and thanks for the yummy foods you grow
Educational
Cool!
Wow
Thank you for sharing
Watermelon is the best.
Do you use Forever Chemicals?
Farm to table and I love it , having grown up around a farm there’s so much hard work and information that people really don’t know
Glad I am schooled on Watermelons. Great info.
So creative with using the school bus. Too bad others don’t do that.
My kids absolutely love watermelons. They are a summer fave!
wondering what food safety is when growing any crop, not just melons
Watermelon farmers often work under difficult conditions
watermelon school? cool
Love getting schooled!
Yum
So interesting to learn all about watermelons. So cute when they are small haha
take me to melon school
Watermelon farmers have a short window of time to grow watermelons
Beautiful! I wish nothing but bountiful abundance!
I’d like to start a little watermelon in my back yard
Lovely!
Thank you for sharing this information.
Didn’t realize it took that long to grow watermelon but the result is worth the wait and such an amazing reward
Thanks for sharing
lovely tips
lets all learn
So much hard work!
This is a cool way to repurpose a school bus
Everytime you think you know all there is to know you get a lesson that tells you there’s so much more to know
engaging and informative
I love putting watermelon in the freezer! Cut up though
really interesting
they didn’t have this in my school
Great video
thank you for the lesson
Bees help pollinate the watermelons
Watermelon 101! I love this!
Always fresh and sweet and ripe and delicious! By far the best melons out there and was curios if you grow cantaloupe as well ?
Bravo
Love the process from start to finish and seeing all the steps that go into thos
interesting
Farmers shouldn’t be taken for granted
I get that about wanting the heaviest one for extra juicy, but they are already impossible to pick up out of the deep low bin. You need a crane or find a strong guy. They can’t display them so we don’t pull out our shoulder ?
Always look forward to reading these articles
I wished I could grow watermelons like you.
So much good information
consider me schooled
Thanks!!!!!
Love it improves your skin
The growing and harvesting process are very interesting.
Its important to know how watermelons are grown
nice
Quite a process!
Watermelon season is the best season and I love summer it’s my favorite
So good
Very informative!
So much hard work!
Cool
Watermelon harvesting is amazing
its always wise to get schooled on something you don’t know everything about
Another reason we should all support our local farmers, they’re dwindling due to rising costs and we need then now more than ever
Great use of a school bus in picking watermelon.
Great info to know
Now I’m ready to start growing watermelons! They take alot of work.
Interesting.
Learned a lot with this!!!
Get Schooled on Watermelon
Good info!
you just don’t know how much I LOVE WATERMELON !
We had a small personal plot to grow a few watermelons as kids! Was always fun (and yummy!). Watermelons are favorites of both me and my husband (who won’t eat many other fruits)!
Thanks to all the farmers
Creative way to harvest watermelons on a school bus.
Good article. Glad they are passionate. You can taste it in their end product-the delicious watermelon!
So much to learn!
I love how detailed this is!
Thank You
Lots of great info —thanks!
I can only imagine just how much hard work goes into these , especially given that they’re all picked and harvested by hand
Thanks for sharing.
I grew watermelons in my garden last year, thanks for all the great recipes!!
I love how they purchase local school buses and buy the schools new ones!
great
Its cool how they’re using a repurposed school bus
would make a great class trip
lots of ways for melons
Definitely schooled me , I’m going to give it a go next year and see of I’m successful growing any ! That will be fun and a challenge but worth it
Such a process to produce a watermelon.
Thanks!
Amazing innovation!
Thx
Looks delicious
Learning how your food grows and how it’s tended to is always good.
Love tips
Love the repurposing of the school buses
Mouth watering!
Interesting article and I really learned a lot.
Love the farmers that grow watermelon! I’ve been growing it the last couple of years and so grateful I am!
Thank you…it is good to learn something new every day
What a good use of older school buses!
Nice
🥰🥰🥰
Love the farming proces
Nice
loving all the cool comments!
You can learn all about watermelon farming
that job will give you some muscles
so interesting!
I grew watermelon the old-fashioned way, started in greenhouse, grew on plastic mulch, fertilized & watered.
Great teamwork and values.
It’s so fun and interesting learning the process of everything that goes into growing watermelons , this would make a great field trip for kids
How they throw the watermelon into the bus reminded me of when I was a young adult working at a Christmas tree farm. Very cool! I wish I had my own watermelon farm.
My chickens live this
Very informative, learning things did not know
fantastic
Good to learn all about watermelons
Education is great keep it up.
Education is great to all keep it up.
I learned a lot.
Wow, learn some great watermelon info
Glad to know!
THAT CUTE LITTLE BABY WATERMELON LOOKS LIKE A PENDANT YOU CAN WEAR AROUND YOUR NECK
Love learning new things!
Alot that I didn’t know before today , some of it I did but you can always learn something new
LOts of info
Love its a family business
Good way to recycle the school bus!
even my dog loves watermelon. It’s close to cold sugar water, yummy and refreshing
Oh my gosh, I need a watermelon so much right now!
Interesting
Good info.
Lot of work but worth it!!
love learning
I am yet to get a watermelon to grow in my garden.
it should be called schoolbus watermelon
Interesting!
Nice!
Very informative and taught Mr alot I didn’t know about growing watermelons , I might try this next year
Excellent farming.
Thanks to the farmers who grow watermelons.
Wonderful! Thanks for all of your hard work!
Thank you.
Appreciate of all the Info on your page and in your blogs, it’s always great when sites give you detailed information
I LOVE watermelon!
Thanks.
very nice.
So interesting..thank you!
thanks!
Love supporting our farmers!
Love to STORE IT PROPERLY
Happy 4th!
Hmmm, and I just always thought they were started from seeds, not inserted into the ground as “transplants”. Good to know they need sandy soil too, that I never knew or thought about.
Great video
Nice
Interesting process
Love watermelon.
Always thought I knew pretty much about watermelon but you learn something new everyday I guess , thanks for the great info
nice
“Baby” watermelon in that guy’s hand is the cutest thing I’ve seen! Interesting story about watermelon farmers.
Great info here!
Love Uniform Shape
Great wat to planting watermelons.
Parents were German Gardener who sold produce all over the country to major grocery stores. We did not have a school bus to use in the fields, we had WWII 8 wheel trucks to pick and load the produce on to get it out of the fields! The most interesting time is where we hired a helicopter to bull full bins of produce from fields do to it being so wet (this was before we got the WWII 8 wheel trucks. In fact this is what my Dad decided, due to the expense it would be better to retire the truck (4 of them) than do that again to just keep their markets supplied and open.
cool!
Very interesting and learned some interesting information
Thanks for the info!
So cool how they’re using old school buses.
good to learn GET SCHOOLED ON WATERMELON
This is a great way to learn how watermelons are grown.
I love that the watermelons take a school bus!
thank you for the lesson on growing these tasty treats
I knew very little about watermelons……..UNTIL NOW….. Thank you for the information
I love watermelon!
so much work but what a result
Didn’t know it was around 100 day process!
sOUNDS GREAT
Thanks for sharing.
So many things you don’t think about that farmers go through!
Huge process!
So much hard work!
A great way to learn how watermelons are grown.
That is quite the process.. thank you for sharing. I am now more aware of the time and labor necessary to bring this tasty treat to my table
Such an intensive process to grow watermelons
Crazy how farmers have a small window to plant things like watermelon and they get it done! They got it down!
yummy
Learned a lot
I want to go grow some now!
You learn about the growing of watermelons.
thank you for the hard work the harvest calls for
Love a sweet watermelon!
I never knew watermelons were so much work
It’s amazing that melon 1 has been around since 1935!
Visit central Florida’s great farming community.
Thanks to the farmers who grow watermelons for their hard work.
100 days to wait for quality melons..if I have to wait, I will
I so enjoy your informative blogs. The photography is stunning!
Thanks for putting a spotlight on the farmers and the processes behind where our food comes from. Farmers tend to get overlooked and forgotten about.
Is there anyone who doesn’t love watermelon on a hot summer day?
Never thought of watermelon marinating!
A great way to learn about growing watermelons.
great for a refreshing pick me up
Much respect for these hard working individuals
Great to pass this on to the next generation
Watermelon best treat in the summer
I like that they use old school buses.
I look forward to reading your blog! I also enjoy the photos-please keep posting both! 🍉🍉
You can learn a lot about watermelon farming on here.
Such great info!
Love your beautiful photography!
I’m anxiously awaiting watermelons this year!
I wish I could grow watermelons.
We have seen the fields in AZ.
Can’t wait for the harvest
Great to teach kids farming!
NICE!
A good way to learn how watermelons are grown.
Nothing better than cold, juicy watermelon on a warm summer day.
I love a sweet seedless watermelon
It is really an interesting process and the hardest part is ounce they are fully grown. Although, it doesn’t say anything about prepping the ground. Do they have the right type of soil…..
My dog loves watermelon!
Loved reading your blog.
Nice to learn all about watermelons.
Watermelon season fast approaching
Wow all those seem to be a perfect shape. I had no idea they grew so quickly! Yummy!
I love history on anything! I make a mean watermelon & feta salad. 🥗1🍉
Always something interesting to learn. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for the great information about one of my favorite summertime treats!
Nice!
lots of love and devotion goes into growing this sweet treat
I agree with the article, there is SO much more that goes into farming that we know nothing about.
Love these fresh watermelons from melon 1,as they taste the best ,watermelons from all other brands.
I love learning!
A good way to learn about watermelon farming.
So much to learn about watermelons!
A perfectly refreshing summer treat: watermelon!
They start out so cute n tiny
I did not realize watermelon liked sandy soil, that is probably why we can grow big watermelons in Central Wisconsin!
watermelons are ready
Can’t wait for them to be in season
YUMMY!
Love me some good ole watermelons.
a good team makes such a difference
Great educational article!
This article was very interesting. I didn’t realize it took that much to grow watermelons.
So much time and effort!
Interesting
A good way to learn about growing watermelons.
Great informaton!
I think I will plant watermelon in my garden now
wonderful
I just find all of this information on all the people like Mary, and all the other people who help to make our produce
I love that they show the process and even how many days it takes!
Who does not love a good watermelon?
love it
they are so big
I know all about Watermelons, I come from a small town in Oregon where there Watermelons are world-famous!
You learn what it takes the farmers to grow watermellons.
A lot of hard work goes into the process so its nice to be able to thank all the workers that are behind the scenes.
Nothing feels as summer as watermelon tastes.
These watermelons look so good!!
Nothing like a fresh, juicy watermelon!
Thank you for sharing!
Cool things to learn!
A great way to learn about watermellons.
Thanks 🙂
HOOOO. RAAAAA to ALL the farmers!!!!
It is a very hard process to grow great watermelons.
yummy.. I can eat a whole watermelon by myself…
Excellent article.
Interesting. Thank you.
This is what we need to teach the kids!!
Now I have even more reasons to love watermelon!
Thank you, farmers!
I’m a fan of watermelon and will always jump at the chance to serve watermelon to my family and friends. Thank you farmers.
I just learned recently how good watermelon is for you healthwise
I love watermelons, and they are essential to my specific health needs, so I find it important to know how they are grown and harvested with such care. Thanks for sharing this.
I love watermelon.
A good way to learn how watermellons are grown & what it takes to be a watermellon farmer.
So refreshing on a hot day!
When I lived in Northern Florida, I’d see those busses all the time, loaded with nice, juicy Watermelon. Nothing like a just picked, delicious Watermelon !!
oh my favorite food
Nothing better than watermelon on a hot summer day.
Though I’m 47, I STILL can’t pick a good watermelon!
I learned alot about watermelon growing, TYSM
I’m allergic to watermelon – but my twin granddaughters love it
I used to love to go and pick a watermelon out of my Papa’s garden as a kid!
Watermelons are my favorite fruit. I love them in a salad with red onion and cucumber.
can’t live without farmers
It is so interesting learning about the process and the behind the scene work that we don’t realize that goes on.
I planted watermelon 2yrs ago in my garden and the process was amazing to watch.
Love the reuse of the school buses!
My dad taught me as a kid to grow watermelon and more! So cool!
Nice ….
I don’t take farmers for granted. I know they work hard!
Love this article
This was very informative and interesting. I would think that a lot of people don’t realize just what goes into every aspect of the process. I want to thank ALL farmers every where for all they’re hard work they put into every crop and every step of the way.
I love refreshing watermelon especially on a warm summer afternoon. Thank you, farmers!
Thanks for sharing and teaching!
Very interesting.
I have to tell ya that you guys are kill’n me with all this talk. I must say when I was young I couldn’t be bothered with this stuff, but in my older, (not old, older) it is truly fascinating. In this day and age I would have thought someone would have found an easier way of growing melons. I guess it’s something to work on! : }. Keep up the great work, we all appreciate it VERY MUCH.
Watermelon is one of my favorites!! Thank you for all you do!
glad to hear all about my FAVORITE FOOD !
So much cool information!
Very interesting
Did not know that the pale yellow “belly” on the bottom of the watermelon indicates ripeness
Thank you farmers, you are appreciated very much!
Growing watermelons is very rewarding for all!
Watermelon is Summer !!
I love watermelon anytime
Seedless watermelons are my fav
Would love some good watermelon
Interesting article
Wow. Just wow.
So much information! This is amazing and shows you how much goes into something we think is simple
my whole family loves watermellon
This great, we had a watermelon that grew a little, the boys really liked to watch it, then something got to it, good ideas
A lot of hard work goes into being able to put thehigh quality Melon 1 label on watermelons!
Watermelon … what’s not to like … YUM!
I love a good sweet watermelon
I love learning about watermelons
I’ve learned alot about watermelons, thank you so much..
i’d like to try to grow some watermelons myself
we live on watermelon in the summer!
So many ideas. I am liking the posts.
Love watermelon in the summer
I have learned a lot about watermelons 🍉 since I read these educational pages! There is only an 100 day window for a ripe juicy watermelon 🍉 to make it to my dinner table, IS incredible!! Good work bumble bees 🐝 Thank you for sharing!
GET SCHOOLED I DO LIKE THE HARVEST WHEN THEY USE THE OLD SCHOOL BUSES.
LOVE reading your blog and learning so much about the farmers that work so hard to provide our food! Thanks for all you do!!!! YUMMY STUFF!!!
[…] And Melon 1 takes joy and to heart their important role of delivering this slice of Americana to you, summer after summer, one school bus at a time. See more behind-the-scenes fun on the watermelon farm in this article. […]
Wow this is pretty awesome! I saw one in person when I was in the Raleigh/Durham area.
We appreciate all our farmers! I enjoyed reading that MELON1 are a family owned and operated business that works all around the globe. Generation after generation of family and friends running such amazing farms. Thanks MELON1 for the juiciest watermelons on the vine! Your hard work does not go unnoticed in our family!
Such an interesting read! Packed full of great information on the whole watermelon process from start to finished! My boys thought the cut off busses were pretty cool too! Great job Farm Star Living and MELON 1
I LOVE WATERMELON CAN’T WAIT TO GO BUY MY MELON 1
If it was,nt for you farmers we’d all starve to death.
I have never thought about using watermelons to marinate. Sounds good
Hi,do you have any recipe for Watermelon Cheesecake?
Can you grow indoors? Or must.the fruit have bumble bees ?
We haven’t tried growing watermelons indoors or outdoors…we leave that to the experts! 😉
pick me
LOVE reading your blog pages! I’ve so enjoyed the info and the pics too!!!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you find the info helpful! 🙂
I love watermelon! Sweet, juicy. Low cal!
I love Watermelon. I wish I could eat one everyday.
Love watermelon and now know more about growing and shipping. Wish we got this brand here in South Dakota.
Thanks for letting us know about the “school bus harvesting” for your watermelons.
WATERMELON SUCH A GREAT PICKER UP ON A WARM SUMMER DAY
Wow it really is quite the process, I love learning about how the foods we eat are grown from start to finish! Thank you!
Looks like a lots of work but the results are awesome
Nice!