PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Sudden jumps between really hot and freezing cold temperatures are having a massive impact on local agriculture, with area farmers warning weather could drive up the price of fresh produce.
The last frost date for Philadelphia was April 20 and that’s when an extreme cold hit the region, freezing farms and confusing crops.
“I’ve had crops get really happy and big and then we get this cold freeze come on. Now it’s kind of shocked them at a stage of their life where they don’t want to have those sorts of weather patterns,” said Maxwell Cohen, director of agriculture for FarmerJawn in West Chester.
He said peaks and valleys of hot and cold conditions are increasing labor hours on the farm.
“Oh, it’s gonna freeze, so we have to literally put blankets over the crops,” he said. “Oh, it’s gonna be really hot. OK, so then irrigation needs to go in at a time of the year when you are usually getting consistent rain.”
Cohen said that means the cost of local produce will likely increase and the inventory could fluctuate.
Flower farmer Dawn Zimmerman, owner of Ethel’s Backyard in West Chester, says the weather put a lot of her crop into shock at the worst time of year.
“It’s wedding season for us and that’s huge. Mother’s Day, Easter. Flower farmers make money in the spring,” she said. “Flower farmers will make over 60% of their income during these two months, so to hit that at this time of the year is really impactful to your bottom line.”
FarmerJawn will open its West Chester produce market later than usual due to the weather.
