Milas was a tireless advocate for melon farming and worked with multiple breeders to develop “Kiss” melon varieties. For over 20 years, he was an active member of the California Melon Research Board and served as its President.

Milas’ core belief was that consistent flavor is the key to happy returning customers. He worked with researchers and scientists throughout the academic and professional ranks to help him accomplish his goal of making melons as flavorful as possible.

His innovative spirit led to numerous breakthroughs, including developing an irrigation process that delivered greenhouse-like consistency while reducing water usage by 70%. He developed proprietary equipment to plant, harvest, and transport the melons to protect them from bruising and heat damage in the field.

In addition to farming, Milas had three other true passions – his wife, Diana, his children, and aviation. A devote husband and father, Milas developed the Kiss melon program hand in hand with Diana.

A pilot from the age of 16, Milas loved flying over fields during harvest and waving to employees. He claimed that taking pictures of melon fields from the air was a different perspective and made him a better farmer.