So, Where DO Cantaloupes Come From?

With the holiday season in full effect and rain finally falling on drought-parched farmland throughout the golden state, California cantaloupes are no longer available – sadly. But never fear; fresh, juicy California cantaloupes will be back in season come spring. Until then, you can still get your cantaloupe fix!

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Cantaloupes have become more than just a summer delight. At any given point, cantaloupes are being harvested somewhere on the planet and, if you live in the United States, the cantaloupes you see in your local grocery store from November until May are from Central America. Most likely they come from Guatemala with a portion coming from Costa Rica, Honduras or Mexico during this time.

Here in California, farmers will begin harvesting cantaloupes in the southern desert area as early as April and into July. They will be joined in June by cantaloupes from the 200-mile stretch of farmland on the west side of California’s San Joaquin Valley that spans from Bakersfield to Sacramento. These melons are referred to as “Westside” cantaloupes and they are available from June through October. After that, cantaloupes from the southern desert will step up to the plate again for their fall cantaloupe season, which can last into December in some years.

All cantaloupes produced in California are grown in regions where the weather is hot and dry. Summers without rain in these growing regions as well as careful field preparation and irrigation practices by growers keep the cantaloupe dry, which ensures melon rinds develop properly.

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California cantaloupes are currently the only crop produced under a mandatory food safety program in the United States produce industry that requires food safety audits to inspect all aspects of cantaloupe production operations from growing, to harvesting, to packing and cooling. Government auditors are trained by the United States Department of Food and Agriculture and employed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture in order to ensure accountability, uniformity, and consistency across the industry.

In 2013, the United States produced about 920,000 tons of cantaloupe, with California producing about 75% of that.

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Another state in the U.S. that produces a fair amount of cantaloupe is Arizona. This state has a harvest season very similar to California’s southern desert. Like California, Arizona has a long, frost-free season, with a wealth of desert warmth and sunshine that offers optimal conditions for growing cantaloupe from late May through July and then again from October through November.

In other parts of the country, cantaloupe harvest season occurs in spurts throughout the summer. In Georgia, the harvest season runs from May through October. In South Carolina, cantaloupe harvest typically takes place from June through August, and North Carolina usually harvests in July and August. From around March through July, Florida harvests cantaloupes grown down the middle of the state and in the panhandle. Other states that produce cantaloupe commercially in limited volume include Texas, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

In our opinion, of course, the best place to grow cantaloupe is sunny California. But as long as it’s not possible to get California cantaloupes, we encourage people to buy, eat and enjoy any cantaloupes they find in their store.

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To explore and learn more about cantaloupe production and shipping at different times of the year, visit the USDA’s new and improved Market News Portal here: http://ow.ly/FWDA9