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Farmers Brace for Freeze
11/18/08 - 08:38 PM
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Megan Albright - bio

Jackson County, Fla:

Mack Glass is in the middle of his second full harvest of satsumas.

“Every year is a new ball game.  It’s been very interesting and rewarding.  I enjoy it,” said Glass.

However, with cold weather hitting the Panhandle earlier than usual this year’s harvest might not be as sweet.

“For the time of year it’s going lower than we’ve seen in the recent years.  I have some concerns, but I’m pretty confident we’ll make it through the night.”

Glass uses a similar method to what strawberry farmers use in central Florida to keep their fruit and plants from freezing.  Emitters in the plant spray water to coat the tree and form an ice layer.  The ice generates heat which keeps the trees alive.  Glass says he doesn’t plan to turn on the water any time soon.

“We really don’t want to run the water with the fruit on the trees because that much ice on the fruit and the limbs could break the limbs on the trees.  We’re hoping we can get the fruit off of the trees before we have a night where we have to freeze protect.”

Right now food production is the second biggest money maker for the State of Florida, but it could become even more important.

“If we see a continuing decline in the economy, it’s going to be number one again as as a major source of income and production for the State,” said Ed Jowers, the UF IFAS extension director.

Even if a big freeze comes along, Glass doesn’t think it will completely knock him out of business.

“We’re optimistic that we’d be able to save the trunk and the limbs and be back in production real quick.”

If you’d like to be a distributor, or just want to pick some up for yourself, the Glass’s Cherokee Ranch is located 6 miles south of Marianna on Highway 167.  You can also give them a call at 579-4641.

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