LAKE WALES – Florida watermelon growers get far less notice than their counterparts in citrus and the rapidly expanding blueberry industries, but Florida has consistently ranked among the top three states in watermelon acreage for the past five decades.
And for the past two decades, watermelon growers in Florida and the U.S. have experienced a small boom in consumption as Americans turn to more fruits and vegetables as part of a healthier diet.
"I'm optimistic because of what I've seen in consumer trends that the watermelon category will continue to grow and flourish," said Chandler Mack, vice president of his family's company, Lake Wales-based Mack Farms, which has 400 acres of watermelons in southeast Polk County.
While the long-term trends for Florida watermelons look good, the 2013 growing season was anything but, Mack said. An unusually cold March may cut watermelon production
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