DIXON — Many people walk around farmers' markets around the state with arms full of Dixon melons.
But if people come to Dixon, they are contributing to the community and they can learn about the melons from right where they grow.
"That wonderful, sweet flavor. That's a Dixon melon," Dixon Melons co-owner Cassie Silvernaile shared.
Dixon is a small town with a lot of charm — and what some say are the Treasure State's greatest melons.
"My in-laws started very small, all kind of with a home garden and decided that it was something that would be lucrative if they sold it and people would want it once they got the word out that they could grow the best melons in Montana," Cassie said.
She married Faus Silvernaile whose parents began growing melons in the 1980s.
"It's one of the only spots in Montana where we can actually do it. We have just a long enough growing season to do it," explained Faus. "So, most other places, even 10 to 15 miles from here, you couldn't do it consistently."
The husband and wife team bring their melons to farmers' markets all around Montana.
"We go to all the lots of farmers markets around Western Montana and everybody's like, 'Can we come to the farm? Can we come to the farm to get melons?' And we're like, no, because it's just that when melon season is going, it is just crazy there. We've got trucks going and forklifts and bins and everything's going everywhere. It's not safe," Cassie told MTN.
That's why they started their shipping container farm stand with a walk-in melon cave last August and haven't looked back since then.
"Everyone's excited about it and people really enjoy it and it's fun to see. It's something that brings people together," Faus stated.
Not only does the melon craze bring traffic to the stand, but it also brings dollars and people to Dixon.
"We've got the Dixon Mercantile across the street, we've got two bars. This past weekend when we opened, it was like we were like the big city," shared Cassie.
For 7-and-a-half-year-old Ruby Reilly, the stand gives her a chance to learn about her favorite watermelons.
"You get a seed and then you get, you get water, sunlight, and soil and then you put it in the soil and then you water it," Reilly shared with MTN on how to grow a watermelon.
Stop at the farm stand or keep an eye on your local farmers market to get some of this year's crop.
They currently have red and yellow watermelons along with cantaloupes. Plus, they have merchandise like those famous bumper stickers.
