Watermelon Economics. As part of an ongoing series, the current installment of Watermelon Philosophy is modestly (for good reason) offered. Todays topic is economics. When i was a kid i just LOVED my watermelon. There were Charleston Greys (long and pale green) and rattlesnake melons with their dark and light green ziggety alternating stripes, and there were Crimson Sweets, i think the best of all. Couldnt get enough watermelon, usually from some farmer by the side of the road. They all had seeds and they all tasted best, ice cold. The farmers used to plug em for you and id stand there happily watching my Dad taste one, bouncing around until we got home to put it in the fridge. It was a real treat, getting watermelons, but we usually waited til the end of the season, when the price dropped. So, our melon season was short. And sweet. Fast forward to present day. We get fruit year round, what with Chile growing all that fruit down there and shipping being so fast. But, what happened to the watermelons? They got small (refrigerator size) and they lost their seeds, cause folks forgot how to eat a melon with seeds. Guess it isnt politically correct to even mention watermelon and basketball in the same breath, and certainly not fried chicken! See where that got Fuzzy Zoeller... But i digress. So, now im growing my own watermelons. Heaven, right? I mean if they turn out ill have all the watermelon i want, right? What could be better? Just learn how to recognize a ripe one on the vine and were all set. Hmm. I planted Crimson Sweets and an itty bitty (with seeds) icebox melon. They grew like CRAZY! And, man were they good. But there were twenty eight of them. My friends got several. My in-laws took some off my hands. Why, the preciousness of my melons just sorta melted down in that hot Florida sun. I laughed in indignation when repeating the story told by my Dad, about running in the field and cracking them open with his barefooted heel and eating just the hearts! Why, the waste! Today i ate my first watermelon heart. Only the heart. Rest got tossed. See, its all just supply and demand. Near broke my heart (accidental pun intended). Too much of a good thing and the value drops... Maybe by NEXT year, ill spread them out. See, i could stagger plant them and maybe stretch the season... (snif)
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 21:45:21 +0000
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