California Cantaloupe Week in The County of Fresno
It’s official! Monday, July 25 through Sunday, July 31, 2016 has been declared California Cantaloupe week in Fresno County!
Cantaloupe is a major crop produced in Fresno County and for the first time in recent memory, the industry is celebrating “California Cantaloupe Week!”
Cantaloupe is grown in several states and is also imported from other countries in winter months, however California is the largest producer, growing 75% of the cantaloupe sold in the U.S. each year. Within California, Fresno County is the largest producing county followed by Stanislaus, Imperial, San Diego and Riverside counties, respectively. Being one of the world’s leading suppliers of sweet, nutritious, and delicious cantaloupe, Fresno County grows on average about half of the state’s total cantaloupe each year, producing roughly 54% of California cantaloupe last season!
Today, all California cantaloupe is produced under The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board (CCAB). The CCAB has been in existence since 1988, and has had a mandatory food safety program in place for all California cantaloupes since 2012. This food safety program includes a set of safety standards to which all California cantaloupe producers are committed in their mission to provide all California cantaloupe consumers with the highest level of safety and quality.
When you buy California cantaloupe you support farmers who work every day to bring you the best, and you can enjoy the fruits of their labor knowing it’s some of the safest, most delicious cantaloupe out there.
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In honor of California Cantaloupe Week in Fresno County, the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board is sponsoring a recipe contest for local restaurants to take advantage of the sweet bounty harvested from their own backyard! If you live in the greater Fresno area, keep an eye out for some exciting new offerings on the menu of your favorite restaurant or ask your server “Where is the California cantaloupe?” In fact, if you live anywhere in the world, ask the same question. Or make some delicious California cantaloupe dishes of your own at home! (cantaloupe pizza, anyone?)
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