Jan 22, 2009 12:57 pm US/Eastern
Florida Farmers Work To Protect Crops Against Cold
Click Here To See How Cold It Is In Your Neighborhood
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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Farmers used water sprayers to protect their crops from potentially dangerous cold temperatures.
CBS
As South Floridians grabbed heavy coats and warm jackets before they headed out the door Thursday morning, farmers were wrapping up a busy night protecting their crops.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, farmers scrambled to safeguard against agricultural losses from the potentially damaging cold temperatures.
At the three hundred acre Gulfstream Tomatoes farm in the Redland, employees worked all night long to keep the current crop from freezing.
The effort paid off, according to Gulfstream Tomatoes owner Ed Hagan who said their crops suffered no damage.
"I guess Mother Nature helped us," Hagan told
CBS4 Reporter Liv Davalos.
Hagan attributed the survival of his tomato crop to a lot of hard work. Employees spent the night using sprinklers and water sprays to coat the plants and trees with a protective layer of warmer water.
"The water helps put moisture in the plant and helps it survive and helps the bloom pods and the tomatoes and the end result is a green bush," said Hagan.
Gulfstream Tomatoes has a number of fields across the state and Hagen said he worried about some of the crops to the north including those on a 400 acre farm in Immokalee.
"We're worried about the tomatoes, the watermelons, the cucumbers and the cantaloupes," said Hagen.
In business more than 20 years, Hagan has lost crops to cold snaps in the past, losing as much as 75 to 85 percent in some years.
"In '77, the freeze of '89 and several other cold snaps in between," said Hagan.
Just a few miles North near Krome Avenue and 104th street, workers picked the eggplant crop which also survived the freezing temperatures. But despite efforts to protect the more fragile bean crop, farmers found some damage; the leaves burnt by the cold.
Agriculture in Miami-Dade County is a $2.5-billion business.
Farmers weren't the only ones who took protective measures in preparation for Thursday's low temperatures.
Davie's Flamingo Gardens attraction had to install heat lamps for animals such as parrots and tortoises to prevent them from getting sick from the cold overnight.
"The smaller tortoises we have in this exhibit we brought inside; it's a lot easier to keep them warm," said horticulturist Laura Tooley. "They can freeze a lot easier than the bigger tortoises."
In Coral Springs, Emily Buchanan takes care of her fragile nursery plants, saying "Anything delicate in nature, keep next to you because it sure is cold."
Because of the unseasonably low temperatures, everyone is urged to take special precautions with their plants and pets; they should be brought indoors if possible. Anyone using a space heater is reminded to turn it off before they leave their residence.
Click Here for more tips on dealing with the cold.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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