Indiana’s Specialty Crops Diversify the State’s Agriculture Industry

In partnership with: Indiana State Department of Agriculture

Indiana farmers grow an abundance of cash crops like corn and soybeans, but did you know they also cultivate a plethora of specialty crops, including melons, flowers and tomatoes?

From Peppers to Planters

At Stuckwish Family Farms in Vallonia, Ryan Stuckwish grows a variety of specialty crops with his father, Lonn, and uncle, Vernon. Their main crop is watermelons, followed by tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, jalapenos, banana peppers, cantaloupes and sweet corn.

“We are known for our famous Jackson County melons,” says Stuckwish, whose grandfather Neal started the farm in 1959. “Our tomatoes are raised under high tunnels, which allow us to grow high-quality produce that is ready earlier in the season and is protected from the elements.”

The farm sells produce wholesale to major retailers and grocers as well as to local vendors who operate small markets and roadside stands. Visitors to the farm can purchase fresh-picked produce at Stuckwish Farm Market.

“I raise heirloom tomatoes, honeydew, strawberries, blackberries, green beans, zucchini, summer squash, pumpkins, fall squash and decorative squash for the market itself,” Stuckwish says. “We always tell people we enjoy selling to the individual buying one bin of melons as much as we do to those buying semi-loads.”

Stuckwish Farm Market opens in April with flowers raised in the family’s greenhouse, including hanging baskets, patio pots and decorative plantings. The market offers strawberries beginning in late May, followed by the rest of the produce as it ripens. They close their season in October with pumpkins, mums and squash.

“It’s rewarding working with family and keeping the farm my grandfather started alive,” Stuckwish says. “I have two sons, Brandon and Cruz, who I hope will one day want to keep this endeavor going. Farming is a hard job, but at the end of the day, there is always a sense of purpose and fulfillment.”

See more: Stroh Orchard in Indiana Offers a Bounty of Produce Throughout the Year

One in a Melon

In Vincennes, Brady Mouzin and his brother, Blake, are the fourth generation to grow watermelons and cantaloupes at Mouzin Brothers Farms.

“My great grandfather, Julius, started the farm in 1935 to grow produce for a local orphanage and later began selling to local markets,” Brady Mouzin says. “The original Mouzin brothers are his two sons, my grandpa, Paul, and my great uncle, Julius Jr.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, Mouzin Brothers Farms forged relationships with major retailers and rapidly expanded. Today, the Mouzin family grows four main crops in three states: Indiana, Florida and Georgia. Their operations encompass more than 12,000 acres.

“Watermelon is our staple crop, and we grow cantaloupe, sweet corn and pumpkins,” Mouzin says. “We also grow some veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and a variety of specialty watermelons, like personal-sized ones and Black Diamonds.”

Black Diamond watermelons are a new, extremely sweet category gaining popularity.

In early fall, Mouzin Brothers offers seasonal crops, including jack-o’-lantern pumpkins, white pumpkins, pie pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, straw bales and acorn squash they sell to major retailers.

“It keeps us extremely busy,” Mouzin says. “We ship to 15 to 20 direct-to-consumer retailers. Our top customers are Kroger, Walmart, Meijer, Costco and Jewel-Osco, which has a strong following in the Chicago area.”

During their peak season, from May to October, Mouzin Brothers Farms employs between 100 and 450 migrant workers through the H-2A guest worker program.

“We use harvest crews from Mexico,” Mouzin says. “The majority are the same guys every year. We get to know them and recognize their skills. They are phenomenal.”

For Mouzin, it’s rewarding to see customers enjoy the fruits of his family’s labor – not to mention the perk of getting to eat watermelon every day.

“I don’t know if it’s been bred into my genetics,” Mouzin says with a laugh, “but I don’t ever tire of eating watermelon.”

See more: What Are Pawpaws? Discover the Tropical Fruit Growing Wild in Indiana