Watermelon Fever

We will begin loading watermelons here at Smith Quality Produce in a few days, and watermelon fever is beginning to break out around here.  This is a condition that exhibits itself in daily excursions to the field to bring home the ripest watermelon you can find, then cutting it only to find that it's still green.  The only way to cure watermelon fever is to cut a ripe watermelon of course.

10 more days!

While we're in the clutches of this ailment, I thought that I would share how we got to this point.  It all begins with bedding the ground and laying plastic mulch.  The plastic serves two purposes.  The first is to warm the soil so the plants will get a fast start.  The second is to serve as a barrier to sunlight to inhibit weed germination under the plastic.  Most of our fields are watered with an overhead irrigation system.  If not, we lay drip tape underneath the plastic at this time.

Me riding the plastic machine

Next comes the transplanting of the actual plants.  Workers ride a waterwheel transplanter, which punches a hole in the plastic and puts water in the hole.  The worker manually puts the plant in the ground and firms the soil around it.

The next several weeks bring an increasing amount of activity.  The fields are plowed twice before the vines get long enough to prohibit further plowing.  The plants must be watered often, because we all know it takes lots of water to make a watermelon.  Weekly fungicide applications must be made to prevent various diseases that thrive in the same hot wet conditions that cause watermelons to flourish.  As the vines grow, they must be turned back weekly from access roads throughout the field that will be used at harvesting.

Growing,...

...growing,..

...grown!  Healthy vines make...

...lots of watermelons!

Christy with an outbreak of watermelon fever

All this work is happening during one of our busiest times of the year, spring planting.  Besides the 175 acres of watermelons we grow, our farm also has 1100 acres of peanuts and 1200 acres of cotton this year.  Both these crops are planted simultaneously, and it takes all that Jon, Daddy, and I can do to get them planted.  Luckily, we have an outstanding farm manager for our watermelon crop...and I'm married to her!  Christy grew up on a watermelon farm and knows all the ins and outs of the business.  She does most of the day to day work herself, and oversees the rest of it. If you know her, you know she is truly the watermelon queen!

And all that work combines to bring on an outset of watermelon fever.  It usually lasts for about 10 days, then it begins to subside as enough melons get ripe enough to harvest.  I hope the next time you are enjoying a cold, delicious slice of watermelon, you will think about all the work that goes into growing it.  Then again, if we've done our job, you won't be able to think of anything other than how delicious it is!

Alyssa & Logan enjoying the fruits of our labors!

Wordless Wednesday: A Kindergartener No More

On the Farm This Week - Planting In Full Swing

It has been a busy week on the farm. We laid an additional 50 acres of plastic and drip tape for our late crop of watermelons. This entailed breaking the land, applying fertilizer, and actually laying the plastic and drip. It has been so dry that we were almost working in nothing but dust. Luckily we can wet the beds under the plastic with the drip.

Spring planting has also been in full swing this week, other than the days we had to work on watermelon land. I plant the peanuts, and my brother Jon plants the cotton. Daddy keeps the sprayer going, and there's always lots of spraying to do. We spray the peanuts and the cotton between planting and emergence, so there is a timing factor involved. We also sprayed an application of herbicide on our oldest cotton.

Although we have had 7 days out of the last 14 with a 50% or greater chance of rain, the showers have been light and scattered, with hardly any beneficial rainfall on any of our farms. That changed last night. A large portion of our land received from 1 - 2 inches, and we are truly grateful. This will allow us to continue planting and achieve good plant stands.

Over the next week, we will continue planting and spraying. Barring the unexpected, by this time next week I should be almost finished peanut planting. Christy, my wife, will oversee the last transplanting of watermelons on the plastic we just laid.

Have a great day!

Just Sow!

Jesus taught the multitudes in Matthew 13 with parables, three of which are directly related to agriculture.  Here is a farmer's perspective on the first one, commonly called the Parable of the Sower.

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow;"  The sower went forth to sow, without regard to the conditions of the field in which he sowed.  As we see in the following verses, he sowed on rocky ground, among thorns, on good soil, and in this instance, on the way side.  We Christians should all be sowers of the gospel, indiscriminately sowing in the field God has placed us. Our job is to sow, letting the seed fall wherever God wills it.

"And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up."  This is a common farming problem even today.  Geese, crows, and other animals such as wild hogs can wreak havoc on a newly planted field.  They will eat the seed before it has had time to sprout and root down.  Jesus interprets his own parable later in the chapter.  In this instance, he says that when some one hears the Word and does not understand it, then Satan comes and catches away the seed that was sown.  Satan loves to confuse the minds of those that may have had a seed thrown their way. By doing so he will often snatch away the thoughts that have turned to eternity before they have time to take root.

"Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away."  Seeds that are planted on rocky ground are often the fastest to come up, because the rocks catch the sun's rays and warm the soil around them.  However, rocky ground doesn't hold much moisture, because it contains a higher percentage of rocks and less soil.  Therefore, in times of drought, crops on rocky land will die quicker.  Jesus says that he that receives the seed in stony places hears the Word and receives it with joy.  However, he has grown too quickly for the amount of root that he has; and when trials and tribulations arise, he is offended.  How often have we seen new converts spring up, try to grow up too fast, and then quickly wither away under Satan's fervent heat because they have no root!

"And some fell among thorn; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them."  This is one of the toughest battles farmers are facing at this time.  Certain weeds have become resistant to herbicides, to the point they are being called superweeds.  Planting in the weeds is a big mistake, because the weeds will grow faster than the crop and choke it out.  Jesus says that he that receives the seed among thorns hears the Word and understands it, but the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches choke it out, and he becomes unfruitful.  These two weeds in particular, the cares of life and deceitfulness of riches, must constantly be guarded against.  If we find them arising in our lives, we must pluck them out immediately or risk becoming unfruitful.

"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit."  This is the ground that we love to plant in.  It has been properly prepared, is weed free, and has plenty of depth.  You never know how much the yield will be, but it will bring forth a good crop according to the growing conditions it encounters.  Jesus says this is he that hears the Word, understands it, and brings forth fruit.  I want to be a fruitful Christian, what about you?

Once again, I come away from this parable with the thought, "Just sow!" It is not for me to judge the soil. It may be in better or worse condition than I can discern. The seed may take hold and bear fruit even if I don't see the possibility. However, there will never be a harvest if we don't at first sow the seed. So let's get out there today and do some sowing!

Dinner at Mama's

Just before I dig in

Picture this: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, fried squash, green beans, and a yeast roll.  Not your thing?  What about a low country boil, or maybe fajita nachos?  You never know what's on the menu when you come in from work to eat dinner at Mama's.  Just to nip any confusion in the bud, our three meals are breakfast, dinner, and supper.  Lunch is something you eat out of a pail or on a picnic.

Mama in action

Mama's talent in the kitchen is something to behold.  Many a day she has walked into the kitchen at 11:30 and turned out a mouthwatering meal by 12 o'clock.  That 12 o'clock mark is very important too.  There's something about us Smiths, we like to eat at noon on the nose.  We know she will have it ready, and she knows we will be there or be on the way. Most days she calls around mid-morning to see who all she needs to cook for that day.  It ranges from just her and Daddy, to around 15 hungry mouths during watermelon harvest.  That's besides those that may just drop by or get invited to dinner by Daddy.  Many a crop insurance agent, tractor mechanic, landlord, and preacher has put his feet under Mama's table.  She always seems to have just enough.

Dinner at Mama's means a lot more than just good food.  It is also a time of talking and laughing.  We all catch up on what's been happening that morning on the farm, how the crops are looking, and what the chance of rain is for that afternoon.  Mama tells us what's going on with the rest of the family.  The kids show us their latest trick, and we all laugh and tell them how great it is.  What a great blessing it is for our family to get to share this time together almost every day.


Then, before you know it, dinner time is over.  The dishes are put in the washer, the scraps are carried out to the dog, and the leftovers are put in the refrigerator for supper.  It's time to go back to work on your tractor.  As you start back down the row, you wonder why we can't all take a nap after dinner every day like Pa did when we were little.  You feel like you will never be hungry again, but at the same time you wonder if tomorrow will bring grilled pork chops or lasagna.  Whatever it is, it will be good.


Happy Mothers Day to my mama, Janice!  We love you!






Now it's your turn!  Do you get to eat with your family often, or do you have memories of meal times in the past?  What about your Mama, is she a good cook?  Not all Moms are, unfortunately!