LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – You may soon see higher prices at the grocery store for strawberries and other berries after a historic Florida freeze wiped out acres of crops at a Lake County farm and many others across the state.
That major historic cold snap that hit Florida could be costing farmers around a billion dollars, according to the State Department of Agriculture.
Southern Hill Farms in Clermont says it lost about five of its 16 acres of strawberries. The freeze and strong winds earlier this month also devastated the farm’s blueberries, sunflowers, and other crops.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Father-and-son owners David and Derek Hill say the losses could impact about one-third of their revenue this year.
“The supply is down for this month in the state, so prices will be a little higher in the store,” said Derek Hill of Southern Hill Farms. “You might see some nicks here and there on the fruit, but we will come back.”
The farm is hosting a ticketed Valentine’s Day event Friday, along with strawberry picking this weekend, to help regain some of the money lost. Even after the significant damage, the owners say March should be a peak period when many of their crops begin to recover.
[WATCH BELOW: Major weather pattern shift]