Melon Man - Ross Chastain on Watermelon Farming, Fame & NASCAR | Discover More скачать в хорошем качестве

Melon Man - Ross Chastain on Watermelon Farming, Fame & NASCAR | Discover More

Welcome back to Discover More, our once-monthly YouTube series powered by TurtleBox Audio, where we sit down with real people in agriculture to uncover the stories behind the food we eat. In this episode, we're sitting down with Ross Chastain, aka the "Melon Man" of NASCAR - a Florida watermelon farmer turned professional race car driver. Ross takes us through his incredible journey from working on his family's eighth-generation watermelon farm to winning crown jewel NASCAR races like the Coca-Cola 600, all while staying connected to his agricultural roots. But this isn't just about fast cars and victory lane celebrations. Ross shares the insider secrets of watermelon farming - from how to pick the perfect melon at the grocery store (hint: look for yellow on the bottom and feel for weight) to the complex crop rotations that require leaving land fallow for 7-10 years. We dive deep into the challenges facing Florida agriculture, from land preservation to the logistics of growing a crop that's 92% water in sandy soil. Ross also opens up about using his massive NASCAR platform to promote agriculture, bringing farmers to races across the country through his "Ag to Asphalt" series, and how he's built the Melon Man brand to bridge the gap between farming and racing. From his famous watermelon-smashing victory celebrations to the "Hail Melon" move that got him into the championship race, this episode shows how one person can authentically represent agriculture on the biggest stage. Watch the whole episode to discover how this eighth-generation farmer is changing the conversation about agriculture in America, one lap at a time. Chapters [00:00] - Intro — Discover More with Ross Chastain [00:01:49] - How to pick the perfect watermelon [00:04:13] - Storing and eating watermelon [00:05:06] - Growing up on a Florida farm [00:06:28] - Getting into racing at age 12 [00:08:56] - Life as a NASCAR driver [00:11:28] - Using NASCAR to promote agriculture [00:18:26] - Watermelon farming history — 8 generations [00:23:28] - Challenges of watermelon production [00:25:28] - Crop cycles & imports [00:31:11] - Watermelon fun facts and challenges [00:33:48] - Preserving farmland in Florida [00:37:14] - Smashing watermelons after wins [00:38:18] - The "Hail Melon" NASCAR move [00:40:56] - Building the Melon Man brand [00:42:45] - First NASCAR race advice [00:44:27] - Favorite way to eat watermelon [00:46:02] - Wrap-up & where to follow Ross 🔗Follow Ross Chastain🔗   / rosschastain   Visit: https://melonman.com/ 🌾 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG 🌾 A top-ranked podcast where agriculture meets pop culture. Hosted by https://instagram.com/nataliekovarik/... -- western tastemaker & millennial cattle rancher -- and https://instagram.com/taravanderdusse... --- sustainability expert & millennial dairy farmer. Every week, we dive into the top headlines in food, agriculture, and Western culture with a pop culture twist. 🌟 JOIN CLUB DISCOVER Want more Discover Ag? Become part of our exclusive Club Discover on Facebook! • Vote on the articles we cover • Connect with other Disco listeners • Discover behind-the-scenes content 🎉 Join the community:   / clubdiscover   📲 CONNECT WITH US ONLINE • Website: https://discoverag.com/ • Podcast: https://pod.link/1615443750 • Instagram:   / discoveragpodcast   • TikTok:   / discoveragpodcast