Cool Off with Refreshing, Locally Grown Maryland Watermelon

ANNAPOLIS, MD (August 4, 2011) – The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will celebrate locally grown watermelon by participating in Urbanite Magazine’s “Great Baltimore Check In” on Friday Aug 5. Join Maryland’s Best and watermelon royalty at Belvedere Square in Baltimore from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for free watermelon samples and an outdoor concert.

“Watermelon is a beloved summertime treat. Consumers who buy MAR-DELicious watermelons will be purchasing a fresh crop that is carefully grown in the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance.  “We have a long history of bringing some of the freshest, most nutritious produce from local farming communities to larger cities in the Chesapeake Bay region.  We look forward to continuing the tradition and encouraging people to support our farmers by buying local products.”

National Watermelon Queen Whitney Conner, and Mar-Del Watermelon Queen Jordan Calloway, and MAR-DELicious watermelon farmers will be handing out fresh, cool watermelon samples, along with fun giveaways including recipes.  Jordan, 19, is from Mardela Springs in Wicomico County. Marylanders will be able to sit back and enjoy the sounds of 80’s cover band “The New Romance.” And participants in “Great Baltimore Check In” will have an opportunity to answer a question to gain more points in the summer long social media game.

On Saturday, Aug.6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Secretary Hance will join the watermelon queens at Whole Foods in Annapolis, to promote the refreshing summer fruit, as part of the store’s annual Agriculture Day celebration.

In 2010, Maryland and Delaware farmers harvested 157 million pounds of watermelons with a farm gate of $17.9 million from 4,600 acres, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board offers these tips for choosing and storing watermelon:
•    Pick a firm, symmetrical watermelon free of bruises, cuts and dents.
•    Pick it up: it is 92 percent water and should feel heavy for its size.
•    Turn it over and look for the yellow spot that shows that the melon has ripened on the vine.
•    Watermelons typically need warmer storage then other fruit. 55 F is ideal, but whole watermelons will keep seven to 10 days at room temperature.
•    Once a melon is cut, it should be wrapped and stored at 37 to 39 F.

The Mar-Del Watermelon Association joined with the Delaware and Maryland Departments of Agriculture for the fifth consecutive summer to tap into consumer desire to buy locally grown food and support local farmers. To learn more, visit: marylandsbest.net.

Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland is an area filled with the history of fresh market produce, including watermelons, with the Laurel (Del.) Auction Market serving as a primary marketing point for watermelons since the 1940s.  As early as 1905, melons grown on the Delmarva Peninsula were shipped by rail to markets in the cities.

Watermelon is a healthy summertime treat, too.  It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.  A two-cup serving of watermelon is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, and C as well as potassium.  In addition, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than any other fresh produce.  A number of studies have drawn a correlation between lycopene and the possible prevention of cancer, heart disease and stroke.

A brief slideshow featuring Will Hales, Maryland farmer who grows more than 300 acres of watermelons, is available online at: www.remsberg.com/soundbooks/melon_web/index.html.

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