Subscribe
Advertisement
  • Subscribe To The Enterprise
  • Contact Us
Subscribe For $2.50/Month
Print Editions
The Enterprise
  • News
    • Local
    • Sports
    • Business
    • Education
    • Family
    • Community Calendar
    • Neighborhood News
    • State News
    • National News
  • Obituaries
  • Spiritual
    • Southern Baptist
    • Parabola
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
  • eEnterprise
  • Legals
  • Contact
  • Account
  • Login
  • FAQ
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Local
    • Sports
    • Business
    • Education
    • Family
    • Community Calendar
    • Neighborhood News
    • State News
    • National News
  • Obituaries
  • Spiritual
    • Southern Baptist
    • Parabola
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
  • eEnterprise
  • Legals
  • Contact
  • Account
  • Login
  • FAQ
No Result
View All Result
The Enterprise
No Result
View All Result

Cantaloupe season off to a sweet start for Va. farmers

Enterprise by Enterprise
July 28, 2021
in Local
0
0
SHARES
13
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Cantaloupe season is off to a sweet start in Virginia thanks to a streak of warm, dry weather at the beginning of summer.

“People want sweet cantaloupes that have high sugar content,” said Halifax County produce farmer Don Reese. “That’s one thing this hot weather we’ve had does—it increases the sugar content in the melons and makes them sweeter. It’s been prime weather this summer for that.”

Reese started selling cantaloupes at Reese Farm Inc.’s farm stand in Scottsburg on July 10, about 10 days later than usual. He also noted the first melons he harvested were relatively small due to unseasonably cold weather in April.

Despite the delay and early-season struggles, Reese said successive plantings through the end of June have fared much better with the warmer weather. He anticipates cantaloupes being available through the end of summer.

“We have a really good crop overall,” he said. “They’re good quality and have the sweet flavor customers are looking for.”

Accomack County grower Susan Dattner said the first of her cantaloupes were harvested July 19, and she noted the melons’ quality and taste were “great.”

Dattner reported growing conditions on Virginia’s Eastern Shore have been favorable this summer, but with temperatures intermittently reaching the mid-90s, her crop may require some respite from the heat.

“The melons do good in heat, but they don’t like excessive heat,” she said. “Too much will slow their growth.”

Rob French, who grows cantaloupes at Sunnyside Farms in Cumberland County, also noted some of his initial crop was stunted by the cool spring.

“The first set came off really small because of those up-and-down temperatures in spring,” said French, who also serves on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Specialty Crops Advisory Committee. “We’re into our second and third set now, and they’re a really good size and have good flavor—sweet as they should be.”

French began selling cantaloupes at the beginning of July, and he anticipates sales continuing through mid-September at his farm and at farm stands in Buckingham and Powhatan counties and in Farmville.

He said as long as his cantaloupes can avoid soaking rain, they’ll continue to thrive in the summer heat.

“Warmer weather and minimal rain is what we need for the rest in the field to come through,” French said. “I know most farmers don’t want to hear that, but cantaloupes just can’t handle a lot of rain.”

Sign up for our free newsletter

Enter your email address to join our weekly newsletter.

You will receive a confirmation email for your subscription. Please check your inbox and spam folder to complete the confirmation process.
Some fields are missing or incorrect!
Lists
Previous Post

DRBA’s First Saturday Outing is a forestry tour at the Reynolds Homestead 

Next Post

Black Tie & Boots gala returns on Sept. 10

Next Post
Black Tie & Boots gala returns on Sept. 10

Black Tie & Boots gala returns on Sept. 10

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Sign up now to get weekly top stories, eEdition notifications, deals and more from The Enterprise right to your inbox.
  • Subscribe
  • Contact The Enterprise
  • eEnterprise
  • My Account

  • Login
Forgot Password?
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
body::-webkit-scrollbar { width: 7px; } body::-webkit-scrollbar-track { border-radius: 10px; background: #f0f0f0; } body::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { border-radius: 50px; background: #dfdbdb }
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Local
    • Sports
    • Business
    • Education
    • Family
    • Community Calendar
    • Neighborhood News
    • State News
    • National News
  • Obituaries
  • Spiritual
    • Southern Baptist
    • Parabola
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia
  • eEnterprise
  • Legals
  • Contact
  • Account
  • Login
  • FAQ