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Plant City strawberry farmers concerned about crop during cold snap

Farmers very concerned about wind
Posted at 5:09 AM, Jan 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-18 11:08:28-05

PLANT CITY, Fla. — Strawberry farmers are concerned about their crops after a temperatures dropped below 32 degrees early Thursday morning.

Farmers at Fancy Farms in Plant City are working to keep their strawberries covered in water, running their sprinkler systems throughout the night.

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The idea is that the water forms a protective layer freezing the strawberries. This is industry standard, according to a Wish Farms blog post. 

However, the owners of Fancy Farms are concerned about winds. The wind doesn't allow the water to evenly freeze the strawberries.

Other farmers typically use ground cover to protect strawberries, using large tarps to cover and protect the berries, according to Wish Farms.