Polar Express blasts through Florida, leaves mark in Georgia
Polar Express blasts through Florida, leaves mark in Georgia
Bone-chilling temperatures blasted their way through Florida and Georgia Feb. 19 as frigid Arctic air moved through the eastern United States.
“It was the coldest night of the year,” Gary Wishnatzki, president and chief executive officer of Wish Farms, told The Produce News Feb. 23.
Although temperatures plummeted into the 20s, Wishnatzki said, “It didn't affect Florida strawberries. The Florida blueberry crop got through it OK.”
On Feb. 23, Wishnatzki said temperatures had rebounded into the 80s.
While Florida strawberries and blueberries weathered the storm, Wishnatzki said, “Georgia was definitely affected.” He said Georgia blueberry producers are currently evaluating the extent of crop losses associated with the cold front.
Wish Farms, a third generation family-owned-and-operated business in Plant City, FL, is one of the larger strawberry growers and processors in the eastern United States. Additionally, the company is a year-round grower and supplier of blueberries and also markets some seasonal vegetables.
Wishnatzki said Florida strawberry growers were proactive and began irrigating the plants to protect them from the freezing conditions.
“Some growers have floating row covers,” he added.
By the time the front moved through, a number of cities in the East had reported record-setting lows for this time of year.