 Some of the finest watermelons in the world are Arkansas Grown. Really no debate. But if you ask where they grow the best watermelons in Arkansas, you might get an argument. One that started a long time ago. Probably about the 40s or 50s. For sure, that's when kind of the watermelons really started being grown here in this area. We've been doing it for a long time. I know Cave City's got their claim to fame, but we got pretty sweet melons down in South Arkansas. Mayor Don Still of Hope and Jonas Anderson of Cave City need little prodding to talk about their town's signature crop or the annual festivals that turned those hometowns into melon mechas. The taste is just what gets it. You can taste the whole watermelon. I have had people come to the watermelon festival and talk about the taste of a whole watermelon. They started the watermelon festival about 1979, 1980. And after that, as I say, the rest is history. It's just really taken off. In the festival department, Hope does have some history on its side. They started in the 20s. And while it's not the spinning image of what it was back then, they still maintain a well-earned reputation for scale-busting melons. No exaggeration needed. This is actually the size of the watermelon. The artist measured it and took pictures of it. So this is the actual size of the melon that Mr. Bright grew. And we still have the competition. It goes on every year. So there are people out there growing melons right now trying to break the record. Himstead County farmers like Tommy Warren say none of those record red melons would have been possible without the Red River. The river is about 400 yards away from where we're standing right now. And really, the river's the reason that we can grow watermelon here. This sandy loam dirt on the Red River is what makes the watermelon growing work in this part of the world. Oh, we've been growing them for probably 20 years here. And I've had as many as 60 acres and as little as five acres, but I've found that about 12 to 15 acres is just right. Raccoon got to me first. Let's see what we have here. If the weather, the river, or the raccoons don't do too much damage, Warren is left with something pretty close to perfect. But you've got to have some yellow meats and you've got to have some orange meat because you've always got folks that come through and that's the only kind of watermelon they want. Well, I'm going to tell you, you can go to the watermelon stands and you can get watermelons from all over the country. Watermelons that are grown in the Red River Valley have a sweeter flavor than any place else around the country that I've found. But around the Hope area, people come and they'll stop when they go down the interstate because they say the Hope watermelons are the sweetest watermelons around. Meanwhile, 218 miles to the northwest, Cave City has always valued taste over tonnage, carving out a sweet little niche. Just like Hope, though, they rely on the same secret ingredient. We just happen to have this really sandy soil right here and it's just a small little stretch that just happens to come right here in Cave City and that's what really makes the watermelons so sweet. In season, you'll find watermelon stands dotting the main drag through town. They sell them seemingly by the truckload. Among them, the Patterson Brothers. There's four brothers, Jarrett Soldist, Jacob, Joseph and then me. I'm the youngest, coming up on the end. And then my dad, he's the one that started it, just kind of a hobby and it turned into what we got now. And I think I'll kind of extinguish one of the first myths about watermelons. The first thing I would look for is a green stem. A lot of people will come here and ask for a dark brown or a dried stem and all that means is how long the watermelons been picked. It's just like any other fresh fruit. If you want a fresh watermelon, I'd say the first thing I'd look for is a green stem. These guys know watermelons inside and out. Anything within this kind of the seed range here is what we would consider the heart of the watermelon. That's where the sweetest bites of it will be. This is kind of more tart. Anything around that rind will be a little more tart than it is just super sweet. But you know, a lot of people like to salt the edges of it up and they kind of like the different flavor profile that the watermelon gives around the rind too. Growers here know they've got something special. In fact, if it doesn't say Cave City on the sticker, keep your money in your pocket. So these stickers are actually kept in the bank vault at the Bank of Cave City and the only way to get one of these is to be a registered grower with the watermelon growing committee. Being able to showcase something in a small town like this it just kind of puts you on the map. Not many people has got anything like this and known for world's sweetest watermelon, so it's kind of cool. I think, you know, people from Cave City, they've been doing it for long enough that they've kind of built a good name and reputation for it. And anybody who grows a watermelon puts one of these stickers on it, I think, kind of embodies that. And they use this sticker as a source of pride. Pride is a big reason why growers in Cave City and Hope continue to turn out world-class watermelons, and it's why their two mayors can brag a little bit, even to each other. Well, Mr. Anderson, I hope y'all have a really great festival up at Cave City, but if you really want the really sweet watermelons, come on down to South Arkansas because we've got the ones, we've been doing it since 1920, so here we go. Come on down to Hope and enjoy a watermelon. Appreciate the shout-out. And I noticed maybe one little issue there with your comments. I know you said if you want to get the sweetest watermelons, come down to Hope. I'm not really sure about that. I mean, we kind of have the world's sweetest watermelons, I mean, right there. So, yeah, I think if you want to come and get the sweetest watermelons, you probably have to come to Cave City, just no way around it. But I do hope people will come to Hope Arkansaw, too, because you guys definitely have some good watermelons and you've got a really fun festival from what I can tell. I'd love to get down there myself sometimes, so maybe you and I can work together on that, get people to come to Cave City, enjoy our festival, enjoy our watermelons, and then we'll ship them down your way and they can enjoy your watermelons in your festival. It's a friendly rivalry and a lively debate, but for anyone who truly appreciates watermelon, it's clear both towns have earned their stripes.