LIZELLA, Ga. — Georgia ranks third in the United States in acreage of watermelons. The city of Cordele calls itself the watermelon capital of the world.
Jamie Tharpe mans the farms shop during the day at Lizella Melons.
“We did a funny pregnancy announcement with our youngest son that I ate the seed and we're were having a baby,” she said.
Of course Koa, who is now 18 months, didn't come from a watermelon seed.
But even though we like to spit 'em, Tharpe says it is okay to down a few.
“Everybody eats watermelon and they're scared to death to eat the seeds. You can eat the seeds, you can eat the rind and you can eat all of it. It's all good for you,” she said.
Folks pull up and pick what they want, although many want the same thing.
“Most popular is our Crimson Red seeded one,” she said
Tharpe says watermelon, which is a fruit and a vegetable, brings nostalgia.
“People have a childhood memory of eating watermelon, during summer you're out of school and you're eating watermelon and a lot of people come and say I haven't had a sweet melon since I was five years old,” she said.
People also use watermelons to celebrate the 4th of July but after the holiday Tharpe will offer them at wholesale.
Watermelons contain about 92% water and 6% sugar.
“When we're out there picking and we're hot we'll pick a watermelon to keep us hydrated,” she said.
For everyone else watermelons keep us cool but for the Tharpe’s it's a way of life.