National Watermelon Promotion
Board Issues Call For Production
ORLANDO, Fla. The Na
tional Watermelon Promotion
Board continues to expand its pro
duction research program in 1998
by issuing a call for research pro
posals addressing production is
jiici that would benefit the water
melon industry on a national leveL
The board is requesting propos
tis by Jan. 24 and has slated
$40,000 to fund projects selected
by die NWPB Research Evalua
tion Committee, comprised of wa
termelon producers, handlers, and
importers.
Scientists may propose projects
with short-term results or long
tom goals, as long as the benefits
me applicable to the entire water
melon industry. All proposals
should include the economic im
pact and geographic scope of the
proposed research.
“We’re searching for research
projects that would help find solu
tions to disease problems that
have caused significant crop loss
es for growers throughout the
country,” said NWPB Executive
Director William Watson.
The nonprofit NWPB
ii funded by watcrmcl
oo producers, thippen,
ind handlers whose as
sessments support a
variety of research, pro
motion, and educational
programs.
NWPB President Per
cy Bunch said the pro
duction research direct
ly benefits watermelon
growers. “I think pro
duction research has en
abled the National Wa
termelon Promotion
Board to take giant steps
forward in building rela
tionships with grow
ers,” said Bunch. ‘The
research gives growers
satisfaction that their as
sessed money is being
used to benefit them in
growing melons.”
Three watermelon
production research
projects were launched
in 1997 with $12,500 in
NWPB funding. A new
ly created NWPB Re
search Evaluation Com
mittee selected three
proposals designed to
combat three destruc
tive watermelon dis
eases. North Carolina
State University scien
tists started screening
and testing various wa
termelon varieties and
breeding lines for resis-
Once of Papaya Ring
>pot Virus, also known
ss Watermelon Mosaic
Viius-1, while Univer
sity of Florida scientists
began working to devel
op watermelon varieties
Bsiatant to Watermelon
Mosaic Virus-2. In ad
dition, scientists from
Texas A St M Univer
sity have begun estab
lishing a Fusarium Wilt
Wsease Nursery in
Overton, Texas, to
screen commercial
Reties and breeding
c°cs for wilt resistance.
Research proposals
“ould be a maximum of
Research Proposals
the proposal. Scientists should
send 11 copies of the proposal by
Jan. 24 to: NWPB Research
Evaluation Committee. Attention:
Hoofs In Clover
The club had a Christmas
party at the 4-H building in
Montrose on Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.
A brief meeting was held. A
suggestion was made to see
what community service pro
jects could be done for
Christmas. They decided to call
"Interfaith: to see if they needed
any help. Suggestions were
Form SoMy
m
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Prior to the
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estimated that 300
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each year from farm
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another 23,500 were
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With the help of Cargill
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Farm Safety 4 Just
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and fatalities. Through
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this nonprofit organiza
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for the children of
today’s fanning
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For more information
about Farm Safety
4 Just Kids, call
1-800-423-5437.
O CARGILL
Hybrid Seeds
NWPB Executive Director Wil
liam Watson, P.O. Box 140065,
Orlando. FL 32814-0065.
made for trips for 1998.
Members who were there
took a tour of the 911 station
during the party. Members also
planned to go roller skating
together.
The next meeting was sched
uled to be held on Wednesday,
Jan. 14 at the Elk Lake High
School.
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‘People
(Continued from Pag* B 18)
“We had a black lamb this year
out of a white mother and a white
father. He was super good from the
time he was bom,” said Doris. “Wc
took him to the Maryland Sheep
and Wool Festival when he was 10
weeksold. We took him not neces
sarily to win, because we knew he
was going to be too young, but he
won. Then we took him to the Troy
Fair, and he was the supreme
champion ram. Then wc had him at
Eastern States and he was only
third and we took him to Louisville
and he was fust spring ram and
reserve champion ram down
there.”
Natural colored sheep are
becoming more and more popular,
but on the Powell and Moore
farms, they have not been
plentiM.
“Dad has raised Rambouillets
for 70 years and we’ve had three
black lambs,” said Doris.
Years ago no one talked about
black lambs. Now people are look
ing for them.
“We had one in the 80s and it
was when people were just starting
to talk about natural colored
IT TO A SKID COMPANY
O CARGILL
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Lancaster. Farming, Friday, January 0, 1091-621
sheep," said Doris, "and my
mother was going to keep it She
was thinking, it’s worth meat price
which might have been $5O at the
time and so she asked like a couple
hundred dollars, because she
wanted to keep it, and the people
said, ’we’ll take it!’"
Because of the fine fleece of the
Rambouillct, buyers usually pay
premium prices. The Powells have
aMrfceted their fleeces through
wool cooperatives as well as indi
vidually. This winter, they plan to
branch into another market; that of
selling yam made from the fleece
of their Rambouillets.
"We’re going to take it to the
woolen mill and have it processed
into yam. Then we’ll try to sell the
yam," said Doris.
If the marketing proves success
ful, they will continue to market
their fleece as yam, adding a new
dimension to their farm enterprise.
Regardless of how the newest
venture turns out, the family will
always share a love of sheep and
shepherding and will cherish the
memories and friendships that
have been created along the way.
“The people you meet are the
good part of showing anything,"
said Moore.