‘If it saves a fruit, it’s worth it’: Citrus farmer spending thousands to protect oranges from Florida freeze
By Marlei Martinez
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UMATILLA, Florida (WESH) — Kris Sutton hopes he beat back the cold at his citrus grove, Faryna Grove Care, in Umatilla.
When frost starts to creep in, it threatens the blossoms on his orange trees. So the freeze forces farmers to be fluid.
Sutton had to act fast ahead of this weekend’s cold snap. He cranked on his irrigation system before the cold even set in.
He started spraying trees with the 70 degree groundwater at 4 p.m. on Saturday. And as day turned to night, the water turned to ice. Icicles glistened throughout the grove.
“Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often which is great,” Sutton said.
The drop in temperatures was no drop in the bucket. Sutton had to spend thousands of dollars he normally wouldn’t to keep the water flowing.
“Running the irrigation right now is expensive because the price of fuel right now is crazy,” he said.
It was a tough call that Sutton hopes leads to a fruitful year.
“It’s a cost. But if it saves a fruit, it’s worth it,” he said.
After the ice melts, Sutton said it will still take a few days to assess the full extent of any damage. But he thinks it is going to be OK.
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