July is National Watermelon Month! Clemson Extension Agent and Host of Making It Grow, Amanda McNulty brings South Carolina produce to the forefront on her long syndicated ETV program! Whether she is learning about the efforts to save the nearly extinct Bradford Watermelon or suggesting local, farm-fresh produce for your table, Making It Grow is where it is at when we talk about watermelon! Tony Melton of the Clemson Extension Agent shows Amanda how to select the perfect watermelon, and you can visit a Watermelon Field Day in Blackville, South Carolina!
It is an annual summer event on Making It Grow to have the newly crowned South Carolina Watermelon Queens share their favorite watermelon recipes. Here are some of those recipes from Watermelon Queens past, and they are tailor made for those famously hot South Carolina days! Thank you to the South Carolina Watermelon Queens for sharing their time and recipes!
2025 - The 2025 Watermelon Queen, Gracen Vaughn, shares a luscious watermelon and strawberry parfait with Amanda McNulty.
2024 - Queen Kinlyn Hinson showed Amanda McNulty how to prepare watermelon salsa, while also giving lots of facts about the nutritional benefits of watermelons. She also talks about growing up on her family’s sixth generation farm, Hinson Farms.
2023 - Watermelon Queen Ansley Still visited Making It Grow and provided fascinating insights into the importance of watermelon and demonstrated how to create a mouthwatering Watermelon Feta Bruschetta.
2022 - Queen Samantha Nichols talked about the importance of hydration, and about how watermelon was the perfect thirst quencher for athletes. Samantha and Amanda made Watermelon Ham Rolls using chive flavored cream cheese, tortillas, lettuce, ham, and a blotted spear of watermelon.
2021- While in the Making It Grow studio, Queen Serena Allison showed us how to prepare a delicious and healthy watermelon guacamole.
2019 - Queen Courtney Kubu noted that watermelon is an important crop from many South Carolina farmers. As South Carolina Watermelon Queen, she talked about how she would be raising awareness of the crop by participating in parades and festivals. In the Making It Grow studio, she presented her recipe for Watermelon Parfait.
2018 - On Queen Emily Dicks' visit to the set of Making it Grow, she shared multiple recipes including a spinach, watermelon and feta salad.
2017 - Queen Blakely Johnson visited with Amanda McNulty, and provided nutritional information and health benefits for watermelon, as well as sharing recipes to make healthy salads using watermelon as an ingredient.
2016 - South Carolina Watermelon Queen Laura Schurlknight shared her unique and tasty Watermelon Pico de Gallo.
2015 - Clemson Extension Natural Resources Agent Terasa Lott talked with the 2015 SC Watermelon Queen Sydney Ford about some healthy recipes with watermelon including a fruit salad and cream cheese, walnut and watermelon spread for bagels.
2014 - Host Amanda McNulty met with Queen Brooke Allender when she visited the set of Making It Grow, and spoke about the process of becoming the SC Watermelon Queen. Brooke shared the benefits of watermelon as well as demonstrating how to make both a granola, yogurt, watermelon parfait as well as a delicious watermelon salsa.
2013 - South Carolina Watermelon Queen Catherine Woodtich
2012 - Queen Katie Taylor prepared ham roll ups and watermelon cucumber salad that are easy to make for summer menus.
Side Notes
- To become the South Carolina Watermelon Queen, aspiring candidates should contact the South Carolina Watermelon Association and express their interest. The candidate should have an interest in agriculture, enjoy traveling and speaking, and most importantly, love watermelons. Applicants must be female between the ages of 18 and 23. The competition is less about a beauty pageant and more about highlighting speaking skills and interview abilities. The chosen candidate will represent the South Carolina Watermelon Association and promote watermelon.
- SC Watermelon Association on Instagram!
