“Big Man’s Watermelon Farm” attracts national attention
Morris Hodges may run a relatively small farm in his hometown of Mound Bayou — about five acres where he grows watermelon and cantaloupe — but its reputation as “Big Man’s Watermelon Farm” is very large indeed, extending even to Washington, D.C.
Tom Vilsack, the current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in the Biden administration who also held the position under President Obama for eight years and was governor of Iowa for eight years, appointed Hodges to the Fruits and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee in October, 2022 for a two-year term. But it all started on a small family-owned farm.
“I was raised on my grandfather’s land and home where I still am today,” said Hodges. “I’m a third-generation farmer and I truly love continuing the tradition. His name was Rev. James Carmichael, Sr. and, as the title implies, he was a minister, a farmer and a blacksmith. Back in his day cotton was king, of course; but he also grew watermelons and I used to eat them as a child until I’d get sick!” he laughed.
Today, Morris Watermelon Farm, LLC (better known as “Big Man Watermelon Farm”) produces Morris’ locally-grown and “outstanding” watermelons which are available for both residential and commercial customers. “I want to provide top-tier quality produce for the community,” he said.
Unlike so many others who grow up on a farm and continue to farm, Morris’ career — and life — took several interesting turns before eventually winding up back where it all started.
“After I graduated Mississippi Valley State University with a degree in electrical engineering, I entered the television industry in 1980,” he said, “working first in Houston for PBS, then in Chicago with CBS and, later, for Fox in Los Angeles until 2009,” he said. “I was in engineering for the news coverage at both of the latter stations.”
Hodges arrived at Valley State via a baseball scholarship and was a great athlete. “I wanted to go pro but, unfortunately, I didn’t get drafted. Instead, I got a call from a communications school in Chicago asking if I’d like to get an FCC license to go into television, which is how I ended up in the business, via Houston at first.”
His athletic ability was how Hodges’ acquired the “Big Man” moniker which he now uses for his watermelon business. “That was my nickname when I played baseball and football at Valley, even though the ‘big’ represented my heart, I was told — I wasn’t all that large!” he laughed. “To this day, people may not know who Morris Hodges is — but they know ‘Big Man’!”
In 2012, Hodges was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer, “meaning I only had a 30 percent chance to live,” he said. “I had returned to Chicago which is where I went through chemotherapy; but I decided to come back home to Mound Bayou in 2014 after conferring with my oncologist and I started back working the farm in 2018. My family had been renting out the family farm at the time but the gentleman who lived there passed away.”
Hodges said he had to literally start anew as a farmer again and re-educate himself about modern agricultural practices. “I started working with the USDA and other ag agencies in Cleveland to learn everything that had changed so drastically from when I was a child and helped my grandfather,” he said. “I studied hard and took classes and made the decision, again in 2018, to start up the farm again.”
Thankfully, in the meantime, Hodges beat his bleak health diagnosis two years ago and is now completely cancer-free. “Through the grace of God,” he said.
“You know what’s ironic?” asked Hodges. “While in Chicago, when I was a news manager at the TV station, I edited an eight-part news series, hosted by an investigative reporter with The Chicago Tribune, on a doctor accused of performing unnecessary colonoscopies. We won an award for that documentary — and then I was diagnosed.”
Since resuming his family’s farming operations, and becoming an LLC in 2019, Hodges has developed a passion for his produce as well as for the importance and significance of farmers to the well-being of the nation, hence his recognition by the Ag Department.
“I designed my own automated irrigation system with my well here and also added timers so I can water separate fields individually,” said Hodges about his operations. “I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish here. I don’t use herbicides and utilize organic practices on my farm. People tell me I have the best watermelons they’ve ever tasted.”
Hodges gives away the majority of his watermelons to the community, including to the children at the public housing authority in Mound Bayou.
“I like to give back to my community,” he said. “I do sell my products and, at one time, tried to get into Walmart, but was unsuccessful. However, the most important thing to me now is being able to sit on this 25-member Ag Department committee where we recommend changes to USDA programs and promote better practices for the food-supply chain in this country. Of the 25 members, I’m the only farmer on the board,” said Hodges.
“Small farmers have a variety of challenges today and I have given many webinars and presentations to the USDA in my role as a member of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee,” he continued, “and believe I have made a difference, including some specific changes here in Bolivar County with our produce. We collaborate with the Mississippi Food Network and have a great relationship with them, as well as with our Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner, Andy Gipson. They’ve done a fantastic job working with us to make fresh produce available to the community.”
Hodges is, indeed, a “Big Man” in more ways than one. And he has been recognized for his advocacy work, with tangible results, for farmers nationwide and for his home county of Bolivar. His website is bigmanfarm.com where more information may be found — and orders can be placed.