Weekend’s chilly weather good for strawberry crops, spokeswoman says

After a weekend of chilly weather, farmers at Wish Farms are excited about the potential of their crops.

“This weather is actually great for the strawberries,” said Amber Maloney, director of marketing at Manatee County-based Wish Farms. “When it’s cooler, the berries stay on the vine a little longer and it really helps bring out the sugars in the fruit.”

Wish Farms, a family-owned and operated company, has a farm in Duette and specializes in strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.

A cold snap came through over the weekend and dropped temperatures into the 40s at night. But it delighted Wish farmers.

“It was a little warmer leading into the season than it typically is, so farmers were happy to have this cold front come through,” Maloney said.

She added that the cold patch is typical for December.

According to Spectrum Bay News 9, there are challenges with the temperatures dropping. Farmers must make sure pumps and sprinklers are working despite the chill to ensure water makes it to the fields. The water surrounds the berries and buds, frosting them over when it’s cold and protecting them.

Blueberry farmer Jason Nadler at Nadler’s U-Pick Blueberry Farm in Hudson told Bay News 9 they also made sure computers were monitoring temperatures correctly and that irrigation systems were running.

Warm weather, Maloney noted, is not necessarily bad for berries and every season is different.

And there’s more good news for those who enjoy the berries.

“A lot of the strawberry growers have planted a little earlier this year and so the fruits have been in good supply so far,” Maloney said. “And as far as the Christmas season, quality is really good, labor has been good and it’s going to be even better with a cold front coming.”

The cool weather isn’t completely gone yet.

The National Weather Service calls for a high near 73 on Tuesday but lows will be in the upper 40s, and by Wednesday the high will drop back into the low 60s.

This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Weekend’s chilly weather good for strawberry crops, spokeswoman says."