Watermelon Man

Just off the corner of 22nd Avenue and 20th Street in Brookings, you will find a camper.

Jim Byrne owns this camper surrounded by watermelons.

He has sold Forestburg melons in this spot for five years.

Byrne said, "When I lost my eyesight and I lost a lot of other things, then this is what I came back to. I'd rather be working than sitting on my duffs."

Before selling these Forestburg melons, Byrne worked as a groundskeeper at Dakota State University.

Byrne sells his melons for 35 cents a pound while Hy-Vee is selling their watermelons for 23 cents more.

Wal-Mart's prices vary, but Byrne's melons are approximately five cents cheaper.

Byrne says he sets his prices yearly and it never increases over the season.

"This has gotten to be a family affair. My dad is 89-years-old and he drives and he's picking the melons up, being that I cannot drive."

A few years ago, Byrne suffered a stroke, leaving him blind and unable to drive.

Byrne also sells squash and pumpkins. Squash is sold by size rather than by pound.

Right now, he only has two pumpkins, one of which his mother has laid claim to.

"In my mind, pumpkin season normally starts about the last week in September," Byrne said.

Buying local saves people money as well as helping the local economy.