"...becoming the Texas and the National Watermelon Queen, I truly felt I was becoming who I was always meant to be..."
Olivia Johnson, the National Watermelon Queen, returned to her hometown as this month’s guest speaker at the Lunch and Learn, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce Health Care Committee, sponsored by Wiggins Farms, on Wednesday, July 26 at the AgriLife Extension Office.
Olivia, 22-year-old daughter of a 6th generation farmer, has spent her entire life in the watermelon industry. With her watermelon and agricultural background, and her title as National Watermelon Queen, she brought a healthy amount of information to the event.
“We are so grateful y'all could take the time to come and talk with us. We’re all so proud of you,” said Chamber President Deborah Chadwick. “We’ve all watched you grow up and grow watermelons and help your parents on the downtown square. And now you’re a representative of the watermelon industry,” she said.
Olivia says after living her whole life dedicated to loving watermelon, she can’t help but feel being the National Watermelon Queen is what she was meant to do.
“I grew up on a farm,” said Olivia. “If any of you have ever seen Johnson's Produce, we used to sit on the square, and now we’re across from Dairy Queen. So I have been in the watermelon field and on the farm my entire life. So for me, becoming the Texas and the National Watermelon Queen, I truly felt I was becoming who I was always meant to be,” she said .
Olivia discussed the health benefits of watermelon, the agricultural background to growing and selling watermelon, and the watermelon industry as a whole.
“As you’re eating your watermelon, there’s many benefits. It’s happy, but it’s also healthy. I mean who can eat a watermelon and be sad? I’ve never seen a sad person with a watermelon,” said Olivia. “When I think of watermelon, I think of togetherness. I think of the beach, the lake, people sitting around with their family cutting open a melon,” she said.
Alongside the happiness to the summer fruit, she explained the density in nutrients within watermelon. Explaining that watermelon is filled with vitamin A, C, B-6 and so much more.
“You can’t live your life or fuel your body without getting the nutrients you need,” said Olivia. “And when you go to the store and buy a watermelon, you’re also supporting your local growers who work so hard to provide this delicious fruit that supports your body,” she said.
“As the National Watermelon Queen, I am simply a promotional ambassador for the National Watermelon Association. I do farm tours, school visits, store promotions, 5K’s, anything where watermelon is featured,” she said.
Olivia says with all the state-wide traveling she does to promote the watermelon industry, she, and all other Watermelon Queens, find themselves in Canada often due to the amount of watermelons shipped from the United States.
“My watermelon sisters and I, which are the 8 other state Watermelon Queens, we love what we do, not only the industry, but we fall in love with the people,”said Olivia. “We are truly a family doing everything we can to better the watermelon industry and everyone around us. As National Watermelon Queen, I stay completely busy. Some days you might see me working at my parent's produce stand, sometimes I’m at school, but my main job now is promoting watermelon,” she said.
Olivia says she thrives to get more women involved in agriculture and the Watermelon Industry itself. For more information on the National Watermelon Queen or National Watermelon Industry, you can check out their website www.watermelon.ag or Olivia’s official Facebook page; National Watermelon Queen.
