To keep Wal-Mart and other large retailers
happy, Skip Walchli purchased a watermelon
sizing machine from Durand-Wayland that
sorts melons to the quarter-pound.

Bob Walchli loves Wal-Mart. And not just as a consumer, either. The Oregon grower sells a lot of vegetables, and especially watermelons, to the megastore, which retails more produce than any store in the world. Wal-Mart has developed something of a reputation among growers — and suppliers of all types — for driving a hard bargain. Many find their demands, especially on product specifications, to be unreasonable. But Walchli doesn’t see it.

“They’re very easy to get along with,” he says. “I’ve heard the horror stories, but from our own experience, our local Wal-Mart has been great to work with.” Walchli suspects that many of the horror stories stem from the fact that those growers can’t meet Wal-Mart’s demanding specifications, and it frustrates them. “If you’ve got what they want, they’re easy to deal with,” he says. “Of course, it helps that all the chains fight over Hermiston melons. They all want to get them on their ad first.”

Walchli also has something of a special relationship with Wal-Mart, as evidenced by the fact that Walchli Farms was showcased a couple years ago in a special program the store initiated, “Salute to America’s Farmers.” Wal-Mart set up a little farmers market in a store showcasing Walchli’s products. “They sold everything we grow,” he says. “That was a neat deal.”

It’s important to note that Walchli works hard to satisfy Wal-Mart’s demands, as well as those of other chain stores. For example, each chain demands a certain size of melon. And they all seem to want a different size, says Walchli with a sigh. If a chain wants melons that are 14 to 16 pounds, a 13-pounder or 17-pounder is simply unacceptable. The stores don’t want to have to weigh the melons in the store, they just want to price them all the same, Walchli explains.

For that reason, Walchli’s dad, Skip Walchli, bought a watermelon sizing machine from Durand-Wayland that can sort melons to the quarter-pound. If you don’t keep up with the chains’ demands, says Walchli, you’ll get left behind. “My dad believes that if he didn’t get this machine we’d have to become a mom and pop deal.”