Landmark Texas Fruit Stand Out of Produce For 1st Time in 80 Years

For generations in Gholson, Texas, people from all over the country have been visiting Holder's Produce stand to get their watermelons in the summertime. The legendary Central Texas fruit stand sells around 10,000 of them every year, but sadly this one will be different.

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Owner Larry Holder says this year's weather is almost identical to the hot, dry days we experienced in 2011. As a result, for the first time in 80 years of business for the stand, there will be no famous watermelons available this summer, according to KWTX.

Holder's Produce in Gholson Under Stress

To add to crop production issues, Holder was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Almost his entire family, including his daughter, granddaughter, son-in-law, and nephews have been stepping in for Holder, trying to make it through the season. He says between his health problems and the poor crops, it's been a perfect storm of bad news.

Lack of Produce for 2022

However, Holder’s heath isn't the reason for a lack of watermelons at the iconic Central Texas stand this summer. The recent weather has resulted in nothing but peppers in their field, and seasonal strawberries were also killed early by the heat. Holder's Produce sells jellies, tomatoes, pumpkins, and other melons, but it's been a tough year for everything.

Hoping for Fall Crops at Holder's Produce

Despite the poor watermelon crop, the family says the future for Holder’s Produce looks bright. They hope that fall produce will help make things up to their customers, and plan to try for some more watermelons in a few months. In the meantime, you can keep up with their progress on the Facebook page for Holder's Produce.