License plates and watermelons

Just like the Japanese came up with an idea for square watermelons, the North Carolina Watermelon Association has their own creative juices brewing. Specialized plates with a watermelon can be purchased for an extra fee that is far less than Japan's $82 food price tag.
Obviously, the message is working because I was compelled to come home and look up our local growers. Watermelon is my favorite vegetable - yes veggie, not fruit. The summer delicacy is part of the cucumber and gourd family. (I looked that info up, too!).
Like any other produce association, watermeloners have a queen. Queen Madelyn hails from Denton and is a student at High Point University. The public is invited to Make a Melon Memory at the annual Watermelon Festival which will be held July 22-24, 2011 in Fair Bluff.
I would be amiss if I did not give a nod to the watermelon's cousin - the pickle. Mount Olive in Wayne County hosts the Pickle Festival in April. Pickle puns and tongue twisters abound whether one is sweet, sour, or earns their bread and butter in the industry.
With gas prices escalating, shipping costs for produce will be passed on to the consumer. Homegrown produce is better for our local economy, and after knowing a bit about the local growers, the urge to buy locally is even greater. To explore more about local growers and farmers' markets, check out NC Farm Fresh.
I never would have believed a license plate could be so educational.