Polk County Strawberry Farmers Race to Protect Crops from Freezing Temperatures

Protecting Strawberry Crops from Frost

• 🍓 Strawberry farmers in Polk County are working around the clock to protect their crops from freezing temperatures during the prime season.
• 🥶 At Fancy Farms in Lakeland, the next few nights are critical for the survival of the current season's harvest.

Harvesting and Preservation Methods

• ⏰ Workers are harvesting ripe fruit daily to get it to grocery stores, while also preparing fields for the cold.
• 💧 When temperatures drop to 32°, overhead sprinklers are turned on, coating plants with water to create an insulating layer of ice.
• ⚠️ Farmers have already experienced some crop loss due to frost on delicate blooms earlier in the month and are keen to avoid repeating this.

Economic and Operational Impact

• 📈 A deep freeze at this stage could be devastating, potentially impacting the farm's ability to stay in business next year.
• 🧑‍🌾 The farm employs 160 people, and schedules are adjusted to keep crews safe during extreme cold, often starting work later in the day.
• 📉 The cold weather could significantly impact the availability of strawberries in the coming weeks, including the period leading up to the strawberry festival.
• 📍 Fancy Farms will continue to monitor conditions overnight for the next several nights as cold weather persists.