Georgia watermelon season is peaking as July 4th nears.
The state, which ranks in the top four for watermelon production, has more than 18,000 acres of watermelon planted this season, according to a Georgia Watermelon Association release. Florida, California and Texas are also in the top four production states.
Rob Greene, a grower in Arabi, Ga., and president of the Georgia Watermelon Association, said in the release that the watermelons this season a “historically” sweet and crisp.
With the COVID-19 pandemic creating health concerns for harvesting crews — including Florida watermelon fields, where field workers had a high rate of COVID-19 cases — the Georgia Watermelon Association is stressing safety.
“Our growers closely follow regulations and guidelines – including COVID-specific protocols – to ensure our workers are protected and able to deliver nutritious and safe produce to families throughout the country,” Samantha Kilgore, executive director of the Georgia association said in the release.
The pandemic has also halted Lindsey Westberry’s trips to retailers. As the 2020 Georgia Watermelon Ambassador, she’s found other ways to promote the Georgia fruit, including weekly Facebook live events for the association’s 2,700 online followers.
“My year as GWA Ambassador has encouraged me to really think outside the box on the best way to promote watermelon’s value and versatility,” she said in the release.
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