WE’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE’LL SEE THAT WET WEATHER COMING UP IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. MEANTIME, THE FREEZE HIT A POPULAR FARM IN LAKE COUNTY QUITE HARD. WORKERS AT SOUTHERN HILL FARMS WERE ALREADY BACK OUT PLANNING TODAY. THEY’RE NOT GIVING UP. WESH TWO LINDSAY LOHAN TOURED THE DAMAGE AND ASKED HOW YOU CAN HELP OUT. THE SOUND OF CRACKLING IS ICE MELTS AND FALLS OFF THE CROPS AT SOUTHERN HILL FARMS IN CLERMONT. AS THE SUN CAME OUT AFTER TWO DAYS OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES, THE DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT. WE PROBABLY LOST 35% OF OUR FARM REVENUE FOR THE YEAR. OWNER DAVID HILL DIDN’T SLEEP MUCH THESE LAST TWO DAYS. UP ALL NIGHT TRYING TO PROTECT HIS PLANTS. 1 OR 1 AND A HALF ON ON SATURDAY NIGHT, SUNDAY MORNING. AND THEN PROBABLY GOT THREE, THREE AND A HALF LAST NIGHT. THIS FIELD OF SUNFLOWERS DEAD. SO HILL’S OUT MONDAY PLANTING A NEW ROUND TO BE READY IN APRIL. THEY TRIED TO PROTECT THE BLUEBERRIES BY CREATING AN ICE SHIELD. UNFORTUNATELY, IT DIDN’T WORK ON MANY OF THE PLANTS. WE’RE LOOKING AT. PROBABLY THE FIRST HALF OF THE BLUEBERRY CROP BEING GONE. YOU HAVE ONE SHOT DURING BLUEBERRY SEASON, WHICH IS COMING UP IN MID-MARCH, AND YOU WANT TO PROTECT THESE FLOWERS YOU SEE HERE ON THE TREES, BECAUSE IF THE FLOWER SURVIVES, THAT IS WHERE A BLUEBERRY WILL COME IN. IF THE FLOWER DIED DURING OUR COLD SNAP, NO BLUEBERRY. THE STRAWBERRIES THAT WERE RED AND RIPE AND EVEN THE ONES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT RED, I DON’T THINK THEY’RE GOING TO MAKE IT. AND WE REALLY WON’T KNOW UNTIL WE GET A COUPLE DAYS OF SUNSHINE ON THESE. AFTER AFTER THE FREEZE. IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS. THEY’RE HOPING THE NEXT BATCH OF THE SWEET TREATS WILL BE READY JUST IN TIME FOR VALENTINE’S DAY. WITH 100 EMPLOYEES ON PAYROLL. AS SOON AS THE FARM DOES REOPEN. THEY ASK YOU TO COME OUT EVEN IF THERE WON’T BE AS MUCH PRODUCE. WE’RE GOING TO TRY TO COME UP WITH THINGS AS MUCH FOR THEM AS IT IS FOR US. BUT BUT IT WON’T MATTER UNLESS. UNLESS THE COMMUNITY COME OUT. COVERING LAKE COUNTY IN CLERMONT LINDSEY, WESH TWO NEWS. NOW THEY HOPE THE BLACKBERRIES WILL BE READY IN APRIL AND PEACHES IN MAY. THEY SAY THEY HAVE TO GET THROUGH ONE MORE NIGHT OF FREEZE, AS WE HEARD C
Family farm in Central Florida loses 35% of farm revenue in freeze
Updated: 5:16 PM EST Feb 2, 2026
Monday morning, after two straight nights of freezing temperatures, Southern Hill Farms in Clermont sounded different. Ice crackled as the sun finally rose high enough to loosen the ice-cold grip. With daylight came the reality of what the cold had done.”We’ve probably lost 35% of farm revenue for the year. The other aspect is the agritourism, we have food trucks and rides and things like that, it all adds up,” said owner David Hill. Hill hadn’t slept much. For two nights, he and his team of 100 people were up in the dark, doing everything they could to protect the crops that families come out to pick and enjoy. But it wasn’t enough for some of the crops. Their fields of sunflowers didn’t make it through the freeze, so Hill was back out planting Monday, starting a new round now so the flowers can still be ready for April.Other crops will take a little time to fully assess. The farm tried to protect its blueberries by creating an ice shield over the plants, but it caused some of the plants to snap and break. “We’re looking at probably the first half of the blueberry crop being gone. I would love to think we’re going to have some blueberries towards the second half of April,” Hill said.The strawberries that were already red and ripe are likely inundated with water.“I don’t think they’re going to make it,” Hill said, adding that the farm won’t know for sure until a few days of sunshine reveal what can recover and what can’t.Still, there’s hope ahead. The next round of strawberries may be ready just in time for Valentine’s Day. Hill said reopening matters not just for the fields, but for the families who depend on the farm for their livelihoods. When the gates reopen, the farm is asking the community to come out and support them — even if there isn’t as much produce at first.“They rely on us. They’re wanting to know what’s the answer and we can’t give it to them yet. We’re going to try and come up with things as much for them as it is for us, but it won’t matter unless the community comes out,” Hill said. Looking ahead, the farm is hopeful blackberries will be ready in April and peaches in May.
Monday morning, after two straight nights of freezing temperatures, Southern Hill Farms in Clermont sounded different. Ice crackled as the sun finally rose high enough to loosen the ice-cold grip. With daylight came the reality of what the cold had done.
“We’ve probably lost 35% of farm revenue for the year. The other aspect is the agritourism, we have food trucks and rides and things like that, it all adds up,” said owner David Hill.
Hill hadn’t slept much. For two nights, he and his team of 100 people were up in the dark, doing everything they could to protect the crops that families come out to pick and enjoy. But it wasn’t enough for some of the crops. Their fields of sunflowers didn’t make it through the freeze, so Hill was back out planting Monday, starting a new round now so the flowers can still be ready for April.
Other crops will take a little time to fully assess. The farm tried to protect its blueberries by creating an ice shield over the plants, but it caused some of the plants to snap and break.
“We’re looking at probably the first half of the blueberry crop being gone. I would love to think we’re going to have some blueberries towards the second half of April,” Hill said.
The strawberries that were already red and ripe are likely inundated with water.
“I don’t think they’re going to make it,” Hill said, adding that the farm won’t know for sure until a few days of sunshine reveal what can recover and what can’t.
Still, there’s hope ahead. The next round of strawberries may be ready just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Hill said reopening matters not just for the fields, but for the families who depend on the farm for their livelihoods. When the gates reopen, the farm is asking the community to come out and support them — even if there isn’t as much produce at first.
“They rely on us. They’re wanting to know what’s the answer and we can’t give it to them yet. We’re going to try and come up with things as much for them as it is for us, but it won’t matter unless the community comes out,” Hill said.
Looking ahead, the farm is hopeful blackberries will be ready in April and peaches in May.