Farmers scramble to protect strawberry crops before Valentine's Day: 'It could take literally 30 minutes for you to have a catastrophic failure'
Surges of Arctic air that have pushed as far south as Florida have threatened an important fruit crop, and farmers in the Sunshine State have been on edge about recent cold conditions.
Plant City, Florida, is the "Winter Strawberry Capital of the Nation," according to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. The Plant City-Dover area grows over 13,000 acres of berries. Florida is a leading producer of the sweet, luscious fruit. The state produces nearly 15% of the country's strawberries, and almost all of the berries are grown during the winter season.
Recent outbreaks of Arctic air have broken records as far south as Florida, putting their precious crops at risk. Matt Parke farms 300 acres of strawberries in Plant City and has had to take extra measures to protect his crops from frost and freeze damage.
"Right now what we're trying to do is protect the Valentine's Day fruit that we're going to be picking here pretty soon," Parke told WFLA-TV prior to a recent cold snap. "It could take literally 30 minutes for you to have a catastrophic failure."
"We'll start getting frost at about 33 degrees or 34 degrees but as soon as we get that real hard frost, dry frost we need to kick it on," Parke added, referring to his irrigation system.
Parke, like many farmers, told the network he has to stay up all night to monitor temperatures in order to determine if and when he needs to turn on his pumps.
The value of strawberries has more than tripled over the last two decades and is poised to possibly double in the next decade. The Florida farming community is proud to claim the title of the "Winter Strawberry Capital of the Nation."
A healthy winter harvest can help Florida's growers gain a competitive edge by harvesting the season's first strawberries. Florida's cash receipts rose by just over 78.5% over the 10-year period ending in 2022, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services staffer Susie McKinley told The Packer.
Farmers are hoping to play catch-up after devastating back-to-back hurricanes damaged their crops. Hurricanes Helene and Milton took a toll on strawberry crops in 2024.
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Several dangerous surges of Arctic air have already entered the country this winter. We already know that our warming world is altering jet stream patterns, which can contribute to an increase in dangerous turbulence during airline flights. Even though it seems counterintuitive, our overheating planet is driving Arctic heat waves, which can temporarily displace cold air and increase the likelihood of bursts of bitterly cold temperatures moving southward into the U.S.
Scientists have spotted "the fingerprint of climate change" on many of the most deadly extreme weather events of the past 20 years. This highlights the urgency of moving away from dirty energy sources and toward renewable options for our energy needs. Switching to solar energy and modernizing our homes can help reduce carbon pollution that is overheating our planet.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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