{"id":2280,"date":"2013-06-14T16:22:41","date_gmt":"2013-06-14T20:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agriculture\/?page_id=2280"},"modified":"2021-07-27T09:37:19","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T13:37:19","slug":"organic-melons-a-niche-market","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agriculture\/sustainable-agriculture\/organic-melons-a-niche-market\/","title":{"rendered":"Organic Melons — A Niche Market"},"content":{"rendered":"

SARE GRANT FNE10-699<\/strong>\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Written by Aaron Englander, UMaine Graduate Student<\/em><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/h3>\n

Rufus and Alice Percy own and manage Treble Ridge Farm in Whitefield, ME, 15 miles southeast of Augusta. Their seven-year-\"Melons\"<\/a>old small-scale family farm is a diversified blend of certified organic hogs; selected fruit and vegetable crops (cabbage, pumpkins, winter squash, onions, melons, strawberries and husk cherries); grain (wheat and corn); legumes; and hay. Currently, Treble Ridge Farm distributes their products through a combination of wholesale accounts (Crown of Maine), and 5 farmers markets: Camden, Rockland, South Portland, Hallowell and Common Ground Fair Farmers Market (Pine Gate).<\/p>\n

Like many of Maine\u2019s small direct-marketing farmers, a key factor to the Percy\u2019s success is the increasing demand of the locavore consumer.\u00a0 The importance of niche markets cannot be underestimated for small family operations like Treble Ridge Farm.<\/p>\n

Fruit Gaps in the Maine Local Farmers Market<\/h3>\n

As producers for the Maine niche market, the Percy\u2019s identify and produce crops that will satisfy the enthusiastic, unexpected and sometimes quirky demands of their local markets.\u00a0 According to Alice,<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this area there is a much closer balance between supply and demand than there are in other places.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lot of up and coming young farmers, a lot of organic farmers and a good many of them are doing produce. But there are still a lot of gaps in the supply and one major gap that we have identified is fruit.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

To fill the gap of fruit supply in the Maine local foods market, Treble Ridge Farm grows day-neutral strawberries, husk cherries and more recently, melons.<\/p>\n

The Melon Project<\/h3>\n

The Percy’s interest of growing organic melons for market led them to their first Farmer\/Rancher SARE Grant: Evaluating suitability of<\/i> <\/i>open-pollinated melon<\/i> <\/i>varieties for intensive<\/i> <\/i>organic production<\/i>.\u00a0 The two-year project was launched in 2010.\u00a0 The main objectives of the project were to develop a greater knowledge base for Maine farmer\u2019s on the production of organic melons and to develop melons as a staple fruit crop in the Maine local foods market.<\/p>\n

Melons are not one of Maine\u2019s most common fruit crops, largely because they are difficult to grow in Maine.\u00a0 In 2009, only 5 certified organic farms in Maine planned to grow at least 1000 row feet of melons (MOFGA).\u00a0 A thoroughly evaluated index of climate appropriate varieties and cultural practices for growing melons in Maine was not readily available.<\/p>\n

Methods<\/h3>\n

Alice chose a selection of hybrid and open-pollinated varieties, however, she was especially interested in discovering open-pollinated varieties that could be grown out for seed.\u00a0 Such open-pollinated crops often appeal to the locavore\u2019s taste and preference for flavorful heirloom varieties. As Alice put it, \u201cA fairly well-informed farmer\u2019s market consumer knows Brandywine Tomato, it\u2019s almost like a brand name and it would be really cool if Honeyrock melon became the same thing.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Alice discussed her interest in the cultivation of open-pollinated melon varieties:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m certainly not an open-pollinated die-hard, there\u2019s nothing better than a hybrid broccoli or sweet corn.\u00a0But when it comes to cucurbits, I like the open pollinated ones a lot and there\u2019s so much variety and richness and new depth of flavors to be found that I thought it worth exploring, and it really has been.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Alice used the following parameters to monitor and evaluate twenty-two varieties of melons chosen for fast maturation (<84 days) and\/or history of being grown in the northeast.<\/p>\n