What to know about California’s melon crop under way (with expansive video of harvest)

With the California melon harvest underway in many parts of the valley, here’s what to know about the crop.

(See video above of the honeydew melon harvest of Bart Fisher at River Garden Farms in Knights Landing, Yolo County.)

California is the largest melon source in the United States., with about 60% of cantaloupe and 80% of honeydew grown here, according to UC Davis.. The melons are grown mostly in the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys.

“Melon” is a general name given to the many types of fruit in the muskmelon family, according to UC Davis. The Reticulatus group (think cantaloupe) has netted skin, while the Inodorus group (think honeydews, casaba, and crenshaw) has smooth skin. Cantaloupes and honeydews are the most commonly grown in the state.