Here’s a good question from a What About Watermelon reader. This one is answered by Ryan Van Groningen, a fourth generation watermelon grower from California.
CASEY A. FROM ROYSTON, GA, ASKS: I’ve always thought being a watermelon farmer would be a pretty neat job and was wondering why you became a watermelon farmer. Out of all the different crops you could have grown, what made you choose watermelon?
For me, the decision to grow watermelon was easy because watermelon growing is a family tradition! My family’s farm is called Van Groningen & Sons and I’m a fourth generation grower. To put it simply, we love what we do!
My family has been farming since 1922, when my great grandfather Henry Van Groningen (that’s him in the picture above) began farming row crops here in California. In 1929, he moved to our current location in Ripon, CA, about 80 miles east of San Francisco, and the rest is history. Today, I help manage the farm along with the rest of my family, which includes my father, my brothers, my sister, and my cousin.
As for why we chose watermelon as one of the crops to build our farm around, I have to say a big reason is because watermelon is a fruit that everyone loves! We take great pleasure in watching people enjoy such a fun and healthy treat. Also, the watermelon industry is a fast and furious business in the summer months, which means there’s never a dull moment because of the high volume of demand. And when you’re a farmer, being busy is always a good thing!
Dr. Penny Perkins-Veazie
Chef Harry Schwartz
Elizabeth Somer, M.A.
Josh Bailey
J-Slice
Ryan pretty much sums it up for the industry as watermelon is enjoyed by the masses and it is so good and healthy for you.
He sure does. I can only imagine what it’s like to work on a watermelon farm with your brothers and sisters. A lot of fun, I’m sure… although that probably depends on your relationship with your brothers and sisters!
I had a watermelon sitting on the kitchen table when all of a sudden it split and began to squirt its juices as far as seven feet. What would cause this?
That’s a great question, Ed. I’ve heard of that phenomenon before (a very rare phenomenon, however), and have been meaning to address it here on What About Watermelon. Look for a blog entry about that in an upcoming post (including a way to prevent it from happening).