DOVER, Fla. — Strawberry farmers across Florida work to protect their crops from a cold snap.
David Hill with Southern Hill Farms posted updates over the weekend about his crops, including blueberries, strawberries, and sunflowers.
His Facebook posts have over 200,000 views.
His crops are covered in ice. During a freeze event, farmers use overhead irrigation to protect crops by continuously applying water, he said.
As water freezes, it releases heat, creating a protective layer of ice that keeps plants at a survivable temperature, he explained.
At the farm, they experienced temperatures in the 20s and high winds.
Hall said he lost some of his blueberry bushes, strawberry plants, and sunflowers.
WATCH: Freezing weather has farmers working around the clock
Gary Parke is co-owner of Parkesdale Farms in Dover.
On Monday, crews picked strawberries. Parke expects low temperatures for at least the next two days.
"We wait until the last possible moment, then we turn the pumps on, when it hits 32°, we turn the pumps on, and we start trying to make that blanket as quickly as possible," he explained.
Parke said he makes most of his income in 4 or 5 months.
"If a freeze comes in and knocks you out for a month, six weeks, that hurts. It would be the equivalent, I guess, of most folks losing 3 to 4 months of income. It hurts," he said.
Parke does not know the extent of the damage until the cold snap is over.
"They’ve picked off the stuff we’ve lost, except we’ll probably lose more again tonight, and then they’ll have to come out in a couple of days, clean that off, but everything you see left so far is what we saved," he said.
RELATED: Strawberry farmers share methods to shield crops from chilly weather
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