SMITH COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) – From the farm to the grocery store… do you know how to get your watermelons?
At Catesa Farms in Riddleton, owner George McDonald knows there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes.
“If we’re moving four semi-trailers, these guys have handled over 10,000 watermelons that day,” he explained. “Picking up one melon and throwing it away is no big deal. When you’re moving thousands of them a day, it’s several.”
It’s mostly manual work. Like an assembly line, the melons are cut, picked and thrown like hot potatoes into a converted school bus, from where they are then transported to a warehouse on the farm where they are cleaned and prepared for sale in the supermarket.
In the hot and humid mid-summer weather, the work becomes even more intense, as the watermelon harvest season begins in mid-July and ends in early September.
“It’s hard work and … we have to do a good job,” said one of the farmers, Cayo Hernandez. “It’s hard, but we drink a lot of water and take breaks.”
While the heat is taking its toll on workers, it was actually the heavy July rain that mainly affected this year’s watermelon crop. McDonald says the rain filled the melons with too much water, which worsened their overall quality.
Nevertheless, demand must still be met, he says, and they will ensure that the work is carried out safely.
“We are like a big family here, everyone looks after each other,” he concluded.
If you’re planning on buying a watermelon anytime soon, McDonald says you’ll probably pay the usual price or a little more this year.
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She is over 80 and almost blind. Woman from Franklin continues to crochet for those in need
“Here’s a great story that proves that everyone has something to give, regardless of age OR personal challenges. Our Austin Pollack introduces us to Ms. Sylvia Mooney. At 80 years old, she is not sitting still. Instead, she is using her skills to create compassion for others… one stitch at a time. Her crochet work goes to nonprofits to help our homeless neighbors. You might be surprised to know that she manages to do all of this while battling a serious health issue. Bravo Sylvia!”
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