Roadside Stands Reflection
Larson Melon Market in Sanborn County, South Dakota offers delicious ‘Forestburg’ melons.
One of Malisa Niles’s (SDSPA Urban Ag Liaison) fondest summer childhood memories was traveling across the state to the S.D. State Fair in Huron. They would take in all the fair had to offer: rides, food, and exhibits. On the way home, they always had to stop at the roadside stands that ran along the highway. Some stands were as simple as a pick-up box trailer, a pile of melons in someone’s front yard, or some had a decorated permanent structure, but they all had one thing in common, Forestburg melons.
Forestburg melons, which could be watermelon or muskmelons, may also be called Woonsocket or Sanborn County melons. About 2,000 acres are devoted to melons in the county’s sandy soil.
Labor Day weekend this year, Niles had the opportunity to travel back to the fair. The fair was the same as her childhood memories, but the roadside stand offering had decreased from about 14 stands in the mid-1980s to four stands today. The four remaining had a great selection and were super friendly, but Niles wondered where the rest had gone.
Roadside stands started becoming popular in the 1950’s. They started simple with a pick up box full of beautiful produce and a lawn chair. Forestburg melons were extremely popular. Typically first to ripen is the muskmelons in late July, then watermelon season rolling into pumpkins and squash in September. All popular choices in a roadside stand. All requiring hand labor to plant, hoe, and harvest.
Roadside popularity hit its peak in the 80’s. Roadside stands had banners, fall decorations, and lights. As time went on the number of roadside offerings diminished to the four today, Many factors led to the decline. More marketing opportunities became available, children left the farm, farm land use changed to more large scale row crops, lack of labor, more government regulations on sales, and death of the grower/stand owner.
The direct sale market has expanded with more farmers markets, CSAs, and farm stores. Producers or people they sell to may have a traveling farmstand where they go city to city to sell goods out of the back of trucks and from trailers, bringing quality produce to the consumer.
Roadside stands themselves have evolved into farm stores where one or even several growers come together to offer their produce and products. Farm stores can be found all over South Dakota offering customers local fresh vegetables, milk, meat, and homemade goods.
The remaining roadside stands are direct family farm operations. Generations of families coming together to offer their patrons quality fresh produce and the best customer service. Always willing to assist in “picking out the best one.” If a visitor has time, producers don’t mind sharing a couple stories of the adventures of farming or just talking about how crazy the weather has been this year. Hot dry weather makes for the sweetest melons. Niles encourage all travelers to visit their roadside stands, farmers market and farm stores. Meet the people who grow their food, and have them show you how to pick out the very best one.