PIERSON, Fla. — In Pierson, Fern growers prepare to freeze plants to protect them from the cold snap.
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Edward Dragon from WM. F. Puckett Inc. explained that covering the crop with water will likely start overnight on Tuesday.
Temperatures are expected to be in the 30s for much of the week in the evenings and early mornings.
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Freezing the ferns creates an igloo effect that helps preserve the plant and keep it alive, assuming everything works as it should. Dragon said if it gets cold enough, that isn’t always the case.
“Let’s say we got a pump that goes out at that spot here, we will lose probably about 100 acres. Now, usually, we got backup pumps, but you know, stuff happens,” said Dragon.
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Frost ahead of Valentine’s Day, which is the busiest season for ferneries, is always a concern and after two years of bad storms, farmers are dealing with even more challenges.
Most ferneries are operating with no insurance after companies dropped them following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.
Dragon said because of that, they’ve stocked up on supplies to keep them going in an emergency but that comes with a cost.
“I mean the price of everything has gone up as everyone knows. Chemicals, fertilizer, labor,” said Dragon.
What happens in Pierson plays a major role in rising prices across the country but since that number is determined before the season, farmers have little control over their profit.
“We can’t up the price because it’s a set price, so we take the loss on that,” said Dragon.
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