For Joe Del Bosque, a California Central Valley farmer, planting and picking cantaloupes has been part of his entire life. His parents immigrated from Mexico to the United States and Joe learned what it takes to grow delicious melons by watching his father at work. Today, Del Bosque Farms is a family-owned company found on the west side of Fresno and Merced Counties in the San Joaquin Valley.
Cantaloupes are a popular seasonal fruit, and in 2020, California farmers produced 361,350 tons of cantaloupes with a production value of $184.3 million. California contributes 64 percent of the total U.S. production of cantaloupes.
NOTE — A video interview in Spanish with Joe Del Bosque is available on CDFA ‘s You Tube channel.