PLANT CITY & DOVER, FL – Despite fearsome-sounding weather and freezing temperatures hitting the East Coast and Gulf States, the outlook for Wish Farms’ strawberry crop is looking bright. Though temperatures reached well below freezing—reaching record-breaking lows in the area—the well-prepared strawberry grower was up to the challenge of keeping these beloved berries intact and thriving.
“Last night in the Plant City/Dover, Florida area, temperatures got down to about 28° F,” noted Amber Maloney, Director of Marketing. “Our growers ran overhead irrigation—a process that protects the fruit by forming an igloo of ice—around the strawberries and strawberry blooms to avoid frost. Ice melted off about 8:30 a.m. this morning, so water was able to drain with no problems. The whole process was successful and very manageable for our growers. There has been no long-term damage reported at this time.”
And while temperatures are expected to remain exceptionally cold through the weekend, Amber said that the Wish Farms team is confident in its continued ability to bring high-quality berries to market in the coming days and weeks.
“Tonight, we expect very similar temperatures (possibly a little colder), but nothing we can’t handle,” added Amber. “The cold weather is slowing down the berry ripening process, so supply will be very tight for the next week until temperatures return to normal. Weather is forecasted to stay cold through the weekend, but we are hopeful that, by Tuesday, we’ll be back to a regular picking schedule.”
For more information, visit Wish Farms’ Pixie Blog Post and check out Wish Farms' Facebook Live video assessing its strawberry fields. For more updates on important growers in the fresh food world, stay up-to-date with AndNowUKnow.
