Reeves Watermelon Ranch
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LOCALLY GROWN HEIRLOOM WATERMELONS What kind of watermelons? In past years, customers have called them the best they have ever eaten. How were they grown?
Grown in local soil that has not had anything added in the past 20+ years but horse and chicken manure, sand, grass clippings and other vegetable/wood matter from our farm. ONE OF THE TEN BEST FOODS YOU CAN EAT (dietpower.com): Not only is watermelon an incredible thirst quencher on a hot summer day; it is packed with powerful nutrients like vitamins C, A, B6, B1, potassium, magnesium, beta carotene, and it is the lycopene leader among fresh produce - yet watermelon has virtually no cholesterol or fat. Watermelon is one of the few food sources for citrulline which, according to recent research, can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, which benefits the heart, circulatory and immune systems. For 2011 we have three main varieties:
•Crimson Sweet are traditional watermelons grown from organic seeds. Unfortunately, with our growing system, they can grow to 30 lbs – enough to feed 30 people and not easy to carry home from the Farmer’s Market! (Maybe we’ll help you carry it, or deliver it nearby.)
•Golden Midget are 3 lb. personal-sized delicious watermelons grown from organic heirloom seeds, with yellow rinds and traditional pink flesh inside. Sweet but milder in taste than our other two varieties.
•Orangeglo are large watermelons grown from organic heirloom seeds, and they are the rage at Farmer’s Markets elsewhere. The fiery orange flesh is sugary, crisp and exotic. “Put 10 people in a room with this watermelon and you’ll get 10 opinions about the flavor: Some say it tastes like cantaloupe, others claim mango, and still more will insist that it is a combination of pear and papaya.” – Mother Earth News
Do these watermelons have seeds? ALL of our watermelons have seeds, which are fun to spit out -- and save – “seedless heirloom watermelons” is a contradiction in terms (Google it). Visit your local store if you are looking for seedless hybrids. The mounds for each patch are made from a mixture of sand and local soil, wood chips, old hay, and chicken and horse manure. Each patch is then covered with weed suppression fabric, with holes cut for the top of each mound. Each mound gets a drip water emitter from an automated watering system, which only uses well water (the same water our family drinks, only less filtered). Each patch is then covered with a thick layer of straw/hay to cushion the melons as they grow.
Finally! Afters years of drought, bunnies, plague and hardship - we have a great melon crop almost ready to harvest. What kind of watermelons? For 2024 we have four varieties:
• Orangeglo are large watermelons grown from organic heirloom seeds, and they are the rage at Farmer’s Markets elsewhere. The fiery orange flesh is sugary, crisp and exotic. “Put 10 people in a room with this watermelon and you’ll get 10 opinions about the flavor: Some say it tastes like cantaloupe, others claim mango, and still more will insist that it is a combination of pear and papaya.” – Mother Earth News
• Yellow Petite Uniquely delicious small “icebox” watermelon. Ideal for small refrigerators. Pale yellow flesh is sweet and refreshing.
• Sugar Baby are 3- 5 lb. personal-sized watermelons grown from organic heirloom seeds. They are very sweet and delicious!
• Black Diamond Old Time favorite with red flesh. RInd is excellent for juicing or pickling.
Thank you for finding or following us. Sad news is that a vast population of bunnies has severed all the vines before the melons were ready. Next year-2021- !!!
19/06/2018
Great hopes for the watermelon crop so far. Plenty of well water ...thick vines...pest-free flowers...blemish-free fruit...yay.
04/05/2018
First pic in which the three main ingredients of thermal compost - manure, hay and wood chips - are ready for building next year's melon soil. Second pic shows this year's mounds going in.
19/08/2017
Local Watermelon are at their peak. Free tomatoes with purchase at Fairfield Farmers Market. Usually all sold by 11am.
11/08/2017
Lots of watermelon at Saturday Farmers Market. Orangeglo, sugar baby, crimson sweet and black diamonds. Prices start at $3 ... the big awesome orangeglos are about 70 cents a pound. Great tomatoes this year too. Hope to see you before 11, which is about as long as they last before all sold. More next week.
04/08/2017
Orangeglo and Sugar Baby watermelon at Fairfield Farmers Market...first thing tomorrow morning...plus tomatoes and potatoes...and even my special compost.
29/07/2017
We will sell no rind before it's time.
At Fairfield Farmers Market today with apples, potatoes and tomatoes...watermelon next week.
06/08/2016
Watermelon coming to Fairfield Farmers Market early Saturday...including several orangeglo variery...plus sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes.
25/06/2016
We used biodegradable paper, thermal compost and mulch for this year's watermelon...the early starts should be ready by mid July!
20/05/2016
Early starts ... hope for July watermelons!
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| Wednesday | 16:00 - 17:15 |
| Sunday | 08:00 - 12:00 |
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