Annual volunteer-driven Watermelon Crawl harvests thousands of pounds of food for the charitable food network each year.
Brandon Chapman, part of a fourth-generation farming family in Scott (Pulaski County), noticed that after every harvest, thousands of pounds of watermelon were left behind in the fields. Nothing was wrong with the melons, they were just oddly shaped or too “imperfect” to be sold in stores. “How can we use this leftover food?” the farmer and his family asked. That question sparked a long-lasting partnership, annual summer event, and an employment opportunity with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.
In 2010, the Alliance debuted Watermelon Crawl as a volunteer-powered event to harvest surplus melons and distribute them through the charitable food system. In 2024, volunteers harvested more than 60,000 pounds of watermelon and since the first Watermelon Crawl, millions of pounds of melons have been gathered and distributed in Arkansas.
“We get asked all the time–why watermelon?,” says farmer and Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance Food Sourcing and Logistics Manager Brandon Chapman. “Watermelons produce large quantities per acre, making them an efficient crop for impact. They’re hand-harvested without special equipment—perfect for families, kids, and first-time volunteers.”
Watermelon Crawl is a celebration of community, service, and Arkansas’ favorite fruit. Volunteers start the morning in the field and when the work is done, harvesters cool off with cold drinks, lunch, and fun activities like seed-spitting contests and watermelon bowling. The 2025 Watermelon Crawl is Saturday, August 9, from 8 a.m to 1 p.m. in Perryville in Perry County, which is new this year. For more than a decade, the event was held at the family farm in Scott before relocating to Stone Links Park through a partnership with the City of North Little Rock.
The move to Perry County is a result of a 2025 partnership between Heifer USA and the Alliance. The partnership allows the Alliance to increase their farm-to-food bank production by up to three times the amount from years past. Potential farming acreage increased from 17 acres to 50 acres. “The property at Heifer Ranch is beautiful,” says Director of Food Sourcing and Logistics Michelle Shope. “In time, we hope to add ‘on farm’ nutrition and agriculture educational programs.” Amenities new to Watermelon Crawl this year include a shady pavilion and full kitchen. Sign up to volunteer here: http://bit.ly/4lyGZ4L
