SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif- Farmers are out protecting their crops as much as they can, but there still could be some kind of frost damage that will eventually drive up prices for the consumer.
Keeping your plants hydrated is one way to try and keep them healthy. "What it does is it allows for the temperature to go down 2 or 3 degrees cooler before it begins to get damaged," said Tom Ikeda, the owner of Ikeda Brothers Farms. Here on the central coast, citrus and avocado are the most susceptible to the cold. "If you damage your trees you reduce your production for the whole year," said Ikeda.
Ikeda said he is spending 100's of dollars an acre to protect his trees during this time, and it isn't just a loss for farmers. It can be a loss for you and your wallet when you head to the grocery store. "Our window for harvest is a lot less, we just got started harvesting some fields at 9:30, there's been mornings where its 11 o'clock before we get started," said Ikeda.
So there is less supply which drives up prices. "The demand is usually pretty steady at times so if you have less crops on the market the price is going to go up," said Ikeda. The cold weather also slows down the crops growth. "It slows the crops maturity so instead of broccoli crop maturing in two weeks from now, it may take four weeks," said Ikeda.
Some citrus and avocado farmers are even having to wake up in the middle of the night to monitor the temperatures.
