LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Acres of crops were covered up Friday night as fearful farmers prepared for a frosty weekend.
Some used bedsheets, others canned their tomatoes before they were grown.
At Triple J Farms in Georgetown, Kentucky, they used frost covers to protect their strawberries often sold at the St. Matthews Farmers’ Market.
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“It’s an attempt to prevent the frost from really nipping us in the butt,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. “We’re looking at historic lows.”
In Corydon, Indiana, they’re taking a more creative approach. Owner of Turtle Run Winery, Jim Pfeiffer stacked 18 piles of wood throughout his vineyard, planning to light bonfires overnight to keep the vines from being destroyed.
“I’d rather try and fail, rather than not try and fail,” Pfieffer explained. “I've read about it a lot in Europe, and I've seen it a lot in California so we're going to give it a try.”
“As with any frost, there's only two things you can really do. You can try to mitigate what crops you have resources for like the strawberry crops with covers, or secondly just hope and pray that it doesn't get you as bad as it can,” Quarles explained.
Those at Triple J farms are picking what they can now, to have something for the farmers’ market, freeze or no freeze.
Quarles standing alongside farmers and hoping the rare May frost won’t take everything they’ve worked for away.
“It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it can be devastating,” he said. “Please cross your fingers tonight and say a little prayer for Kentucky farmers.”
For more information on Kentucky Farmers’ Markets, click here.
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