Watermelon Days

I’m thrilled that my friends, Sam and Ellen Mast, Amish farmers from Crab Orchard, Kentucky, now have watermelon to share with us.

I first met Sam and Ellen last year and have gotten to know the family — six of their twelve children still live at home — pretty well during that time. They have a beautiful farm, more than 100 acres, and do a first-class job of irrigating , cultivating, and managing their land. I’ve learned a great deal from them and really enjoy our visits together. And the way they farm — with draft horses instead of diesel fueled tractors — is a lost art.

I drove down to their place the other day to pick up some watermelons to bring back to customers in Midway. After we had loaded them in the van Ellen said, "You know, I’ve been hungry for watermelon all day."

"Me too!" I said.

Ellen went inside the house to retrieve a large knife and two forks.  It was the first time either of us had stopped all day. We sat on a couple of overturned buckets as Ellen split the melon in half with the big knife and handed me my half. We dug in hungrily and then sighed at the sweetness of the deep crimson globe.  This was a moment of pure pleasure, which is a rare thing these days. It’s important to stop and eat the watermelon on a hot summer afternoon. I have to remember, beautiful melons such as these aren’t just for selling.