Exposing one's ignorance

Tom OConnor · May 24, 2019

All spring I was curious just what these farmers were planting. Six foot rows and planted under plastic film and hundred and hundreds of acres of what ever it was. The plastic came off about three weeks after they were planted then there were boxes placed every so often along the edge of the road and then every so often down certain rows. I talked to one of the workers and the boxes are full of bees to help with the pollination and most all the fields are planted at a certain date so that harvest is late June as to coincide with the fourth of July Holiday. Bigest market for water melons that time of year. This field covers at least a half of a section. Can't imagine what a job to pick all those when they get ripe.

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jeffcat · May 24, 2019

Here in SJ they do that with Plumb tomatoes. It is a tough skin variatey and is harvested when the most fruit is ripe but none have gone over ripe or rotten. They harvest the whole field at one shot in one day flat. Machine has maybe half a dozen workers watching the conveyors throwing any green ones. If you walk over to the harvested area you can fill a shopping bag with 90% ripe tomatoes and let them ripen at home. Must of had six semi trucks waiting to fill up. Amazing to watch the harvest.

Philip d · May 25, 2019

Do the watermelon crawl!

Northvale PA · May 25, 2019

Eastern shore of MD has a lot of melon fields. Last fall was tough with all the rain. Many rotted. The fruit flies were off the chart. Invaded everything and swarmed every kind of food or drink.

Leroy · May 25, 2019

What or where is SJ?

timcasbolt · May 25, 2019

(quoted from post at 12:31:05 05/25/19) What or where is SJ?

Probably South Jersey.

BAnNC · May 25, 2019

Strange as it may sound, there are a couple of places in the mountains of Western NC they grow cantaloupe and honey dew melons.

in-too-deep · May 25, 2019

I think South Jersey. Like New Jersey but special.

Tom OConnor · May 25, 2019

I think that he was referring to the San Joaquin Valley over in California. North West of us here in the Phoenix Valley by about 500 miles. Very similar climate but larger and even more diversified.

K Effective · May 25, 2019

Here in SouthWest Michigan :wink: , there a a lot of fruit and vegetables produced since the large body of water to our west (Lake Michigan) influences the weather to protect these crops and the topography and soil types support the current practices- very intensive support and irrigation systems work well with sandy soils.

The vine crops like melons and pickles do not thrive when repeatedly being grown on the same fields, so the producers are usually looking for large, well-drained, irrigated fields to move to for a short term (2-3 years). Thus, their planting, staking, irrigating and harvest operations are built to deal with travel and rapid harvest/handling of very perishable produce. To hit on a 300-plus acre field with irrigation would be a bonus around here. The operations of these and other specialty crops (peas, green beans, seed corn, i.e.) are fascinating to watch!

DoubleO7 · May 25, 2019

The watermelons are likely mechanically harvested.
Some workers walk the six foot spaces once or twice a season to keep the a path clear of melons for the harvester.

Tomatoes meant for processing are sprayed with a chemical that gets all of the tomatoes to ripen and be harvest ready at the same time. Then what looks like a potato harvester goes down the rows and conveys the tomatoes up and into a semi following along side.

Tom OConnor · May 25, 2019

Double-o,

I took a picture of one of the tomato harvesters at the last Tulare Farm show. I am sure they will have some kind of a mechanical way of harvesting the melons. I just haven't been here when they have been harvested yet.

Exposing one's ignorance

Tom OConnor

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jeffcat

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Philip d

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Northvale PA

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Leroy

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timcasbolt

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BAnNC

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in-too-deep

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Tom OConnor

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K Effective

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DoubleO7

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Tom OConnor

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