With the usual hoopla over melons of the, ahem, “water” variety (is this a bad time to mention DFM’s 7th Annual Watermelon Day, Saturday, August 2nd, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), we here at the Dallas Farmers Market feel that the time is ripe to shine the spotlight on all the other juicy melons currently available at The Shed.

Kelley Produce will be loaded with the following vine-ripened goodness:

  • Honeydew: known for its smooth rind and sweet, pale green flesh, the Honeydew is prized for its refreshing flavor, high water content, and soft, juicy texture.
  • Pecos Cantaloupe: smaller in size and seed cavity, more firm, and significantly sweeter than conventional cantaloupes, Pecos cantaloupes have become a bit trickier to find as only 100-300 acres are planted today – a steep drop from over 1,800 acres in the 1990s.
  • Sugar Queen: a sweet, flavorful variety known for its vibrant orange flesh and exceptional sweetness, the Sugar Queen is considered an heirloom melon prized for its juicy, tender texture and rich, honey-like flavor. It’s another rare find, so don’t miss out.

Kelley Produce is proud to include heirloom crop varieties in their selection, and even prouder to give the growing credit to an incredible family farm they’ve teamed up with for over 20 years – Heritage Melons of Garden City, TX. Heirloom melons are open-pollinated varieties, meaning they’re naturally pollinated by wind, insects, or self-pollination. Because they breed true-to-type, seeds saved from one season can reliably produce similar fruit the next. These melons are non-hybrid and non-GMO, traditionally preserved over generations for their exceptional flavor, genetic diversity, and ties to agricultural heritage. Many heirloom melons boast unique colors, shapes, or flavors not often found in commercial varieties, and are frequently grown using sustainable or small-scale farming practices that demand careful attention to soil, weather, and pollination conditions. It takes dedicated farming to bring heirloom melons to market, but Heritage Melons and Kelley Produce get it done.

Make sure to also stop by Heddin Family Farms this weekend for their field-fresh cantaloupes, and North Texas Pecans for even more cantaloupe options, as well as the elusive heirloom Israel melon.

If you’re unsure about this whole melon scene, discover the deliciousness at 2 O’clock Tasting on both Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Once you grab your fill, it’s best to store the uncut, ripe melons in your refrigerator to slow down spoilage. This should help them to keep for up to five days. For cut melon, refrigerate it immediately in an airtight container to preserve its flavor and freshness. It’s best to eat cut melon within three days. To prevent it from spoiling too quickly, try to keep the pieces covered and dry, avoiding excess moisture buildup.

Overwhelmed with how to serve all the options? We got you covered with our Melon Recipe Roundup!

No one likes to be overlooked, so come out to the Dallas Farmers Market this weekend and find out why locally grown melons deserve a top spot on your summer favorites list.