US: Florida Freeze could put strawberry crops at risk

Strawberry season is just beginning in Florida. But some farmers fear the cold weather could sink the whole season. With well over 35, each yielding multiple strawberries, on 15 acres of land, Pappy's Patch in East Seminole County has a lot at stake here. Workers have been busy since early Monday morning, making changes to their irrigation system, hoping they can fight off a potential frost and save tens of thousands of dollars just in this strawberry farm alone. Tim Mintor, who manages this berry farm, says up until now warmer temperatures this season have provided beautiful plants, a promising crop. The kind of good break Mintor’s been banking on.

“We just had back to back freezes and it kept freezing the bloom off the fruit,” Mintor said. A heavy frost could wipe out the crop. But having learned from past experiences, Mintor says this time he's ready to fight back. “We came over and switched all that irrigation over today, so if we have a heavy frost we can turn the water on and wash that frost off,” Mintor said. The only other option is trying to sell as many strawberries before by Tuesday afternoon. Mintor said the farm plans to open Tuesday at 9 a.m. for berry picking. They hope that by the time the even colder weather comes, they'll be sold out.

Source: cfnews13.com