Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Welcome to watermelon country. Down in Crisp County, crews are busy in the fields harvesting fresh melons headed to stores across Georgia and the country. But getting to harvest wasn't easy — the 2026 growing season threw just about everything at producers. Reporting from Cordele, John Holcomb catches up with Jacob Jackson of Jackson Farms to hear how they made it through one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.
It started with severe drought and warm temperatures that initially had watermelons taking off — then cooler, still-dry conditions slowed things down. And then the rain came, all at once. For Jackson, the drought itself was manageable thanks to drip irrigation in his fields, which kept disease pressure low and inputs steady. The real damage came when the extended dry stretch broke suddenly, sending watermelons through a shock transition they weren't prepared for. Too much water too fast drowns vines, invites disease, and brings everything to a crisis point almost overnight.
Once conditions finally stabilized, harvest moved into full swing — though not without its own challenges. Heavy rains turned fields into mud, rutting them up and making equipment movement difficult. And when the heat returned after the rain, vines began maturing fast, forcing crews to move quickly and get product out before quality declined.
Watermelon harvest remains entirely hand labor — and Jackson says the cutters working his fields are the most important contributors on the farm. Knowing which melon is ripe, which to leave, and which to cut takes a genuine knack that can't easily be taught. It's a skill that keeps Georgia watermelons at the quality standard consumers expect.
Welcome to watermelon country. Down in Crisp County, crews are busy in the fields harvesting fresh melons headed to stores across Georgia and the country. But getting to harvest wasn't easy — the 2026 growing season threw just about everything at producers. Reporting from Cordele, John Holcomb catches up with Jacob Jackson of Jackson Farms to hear how they made it through one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.
It started with severe drought and warm temperatures that initially had watermelons taking off — then cooler, still-dry conditions slowed things down. And then the rain came, all at once. For Jackson, the drought itself was manageable thanks to drip irrigation in his fields, which kept disease pressure low and inputs steady. The real damage came when the extended dry stretch broke suddenly, sending watermelons through a shock transition they weren't prepared for. Too much water too fast drowns vines, invites disease, and brings everything to a crisis point almost overnight.
Once conditions finally stabilized, harvest moved into full swing — though not without its own challenges. Heavy rains turned fields into mud, rutting them up and making equipment movement difficult. And when the heat returned after the rain, vines began maturing fast, forcing crews to move quickly and get product out before quality declined.
Watermelon harvest remains entirely hand labor — and Jackson says the cutters working his fields are the most important contributors on the farm. Knowing which melon is ripe, which to leave, and which to cut takes a genuine knack that can't easily be taught. It's a skill that keeps Georgia watermelons at the quality standard consumers expect.
