While many Georgia watermelon growers were surprised by May rains that have delayed the deal until mid-June, Tom Glenos of Kid’s Choice Fresh Produce Inc. in Weston, FL, which grows and ships watermelon from several locations in Florida, Georgia, Arkansas and Michigan, pegged the state’s late start from the beginning.

While some Georgia growers are grappling with field conditions that have made harvesting nearly impossible, Glenos always planned to start his Peach State deal in the middle of the month.

He took the same tack earlier in the year in Florida, The success of these kid-friendly, high-graphic bins led Tom Glenos Buying Services Inc. to change its name to Kid’s Choice Fresh Produce Inc. in 2012. (Photo courtesy of Kid’s Choice)when he planted his crop to come off a little later, hedging his bets against inclement weather. When a March 4 freeze took a bite out of most of the Florida crop, Glenos’ plantings were spared.

With his Georgia deal planned to come off a tad behind other growers, Glenos’ intuition proved right again. His farms in Cordele and Sycamore, GA, will begin harvest almost right on schedule.

It is no surprise to Glenos that the overall Georgia deal is delayed – once a domestic production cycle gets behind, as was the case with the cold weather in Florida, it typically sets the tone for the rest of the deal as it moves northward as the summer progresses.

While the Florida deal was “a little behind last year” the later harvest was “actually a normal circumstance because last year we were way ahead,” Glenos said. “This year’s more back to normal. It did look like we were going to be really far ahead but the cold changed that.”

While the Florida crop had some size problems due to the cold, Georgia is set up for excellent size and quality. A cool early spring followed by warmer-than-average temperatures and ample rain during the growing season delayed planting, but should produce large, sweet fruit.

“We had a lot of cold early so hopefully that set a good crop. Usually cool weather does bring on more sugars,” Glenos said.

Kid’s Choice has growing operations that follow the deal through the season, with 200 acres in Florida, 200 more in Georgia, 200 in Michigan and 230 in Arkansas.

The Arkansas deal “usually starts around the Fourth of July or a few days afterward” with the Michigan deal coming on a few weeks after to round out the season, Glenos said.

Kid’s Choice Produce formerly operated as Tom Glenos Buying Services Inc. But after finding a remarkably receptive audience with the introduction of new, high-graphic, kid-friendly bins in supermarket produce departments in 2011, Glenos decided to rename and rebrand.

The distinctive bright yellow bins, featuring a smiley face with a watermelon grin, “just attracted so many customers I decided to connect the bin to the company,” Glenos said. “I want an identifiable product with the consumer and people really trust the bin”