ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 As forecasts called for freezing weather, David Hill planned to run sprinklers overnight, hoping a coating of ice would protect the crops at his Clermont farm.<\/p>\n
But Hill, who owns Southern Hill Farms, had never tried freeze protection in temperatures as low as were predicted for the early hours of Feb. 1. So he decided to spray water on only half his fields.<\/p>\n
The sprinkler plan didn\u2019t work, as a heavy, milky ice formed, which broke branches and ruined crops. But the other fields suffered damage too as the temperatures plummeted into the low 20s on the first days of February.<\/p>\n
The freezing weather wiped out all the farm\u2019s sunflowers, half its blueberries and a third of its strawberries, taking a good chunk of revenue with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be no normal about this season. That\u2019s for sure,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n
That is true across the state.<\/p>\n
The cost of freeze damage to Florida\u2019s farmers might top $1 billion, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said in a statement this week.<\/p>\n
Every farmer as far south as Lake Okeechobee who was actively growing crops was hurt by the record-setting cold snap, said Matt Smith, a commercial crop agent for Lake and Orange counties with the University of Florida\u2019s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.<\/p>\n
Smith said it may take months to understand the severity of the freeze. Farmers may see signs of fruit damage within two to four weeks \u2013 but wood damage may not be evident until April.<\/p>\n
And many farmers will be facing tough decisions soon. If the damage in a crop hits a certain level, it\u2019ll be unsustainable to bring the rest of the crop to the market.<\/p>\n
The agriculture sector in Florida \u201cis definitely hurting right now, and it\u2019s going to take a little time to see to what extent,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Hank Scott, the general manager at Long & Scott Farms near Lake Apopka, said his cabbage suffered minimal damage. But cabbage is a leafy, winter vegetable better able to survive during the cold.<\/p>\n
His farm lost some strawberries but still planned to open for \u201cu-pick\u201d customers this month.<\/p>\n
Blueberry crops, however, were hit hard. Blueberry bushes are particularly susceptible to the cold, and when sprayed, their bushes couldn\u2019t handle the weight of the ice that formed.<\/p>\n
Scott West, the owner of Tom West Blueberries in Ocoee, said the ice likely reached 100 pounds per plant.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis amount of ice\u2026just breaks the plant to pieces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
West said his farm lost from 70% to 80% of its blueberries, which covered 20 acres.<\/p>\n
It will be a while before the plants bounce back, if they are healthy enough to survive. In the meantime, he\u2019ll need plenty of workers to help remove broken branches, start a fungicide program, and stake the plants, West said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think we have a choice but try to keep the workers on because you can\u2019t spring back without the best farming practices,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s too soon to tally his financial losses, West said, but he expects some farms might go out of business.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order in response to \u201clast week\u2019s winter weather event.\u201d Without providing specifics, the message posted on X said the state was working to help \u201cfacilitate emergency harvesting,\u201d protect \u201cFlorida agriculture from further losses\u201d and provide \u201cprompt assistance\u201d to farmers.<\/p>\n
Though the state still has staff assessing damage from the freeze, \u201cwe do know that the damage to Florida crops will be significant, possibly over $1 billion,\u201d said Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson in his department\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cOur farmers are resilient and we believe they will continue to weather the storm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents can support Florida farmers by buying from local farms, visiting their \u201cu-pick\u201d events or purchasing produce with a \u201cFresh from Florida\u201d label, said Smith, the UF employee who has been speaking with farmers across the state.<\/p>\n
Hill said farmers have no choice but to keep working. Southern Hill, which is a family-run farm, opened its land to the public last weekend but had no produce to sell. Visitors were invited for food trucks and amusement park rides.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou feel like somebody sucker-punched you to the stomach. You feel like you\u2019re dreaming and you\u2019re going to wake up but you never do. But you learn to cope,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n
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