A late spring freeze in May damaged more than Nebraska's mainstay corn crops — growers say it wiped out many of the state's strawberries and some vineyard grapes.

The May 16 freeze dropped temperatures as low as the upper 20s in some parts of southeast Nebraska, damaging most of the area's strawberry crop, the Lincoln Journal Star reported.Beverly Schaefer, who owns Roca Berry Farm with her husband, said their two-acre patch was destroyed.

"A lot of people have been driving in and checking and asking us on Facebook," Schaefer said. "Right now we would be picking. We would have a parking lot full of people."

Not only did the freeze take away her strawberry revenue, it also axed berry-picking jobs for about 30 local teens, Schaefer said.

Martin's Hillside Orchard near Ceresco also reported a near total loss of its strawberries.

"I would say it took 95 percent of the strawberries," said Barbara Martin, who owns the orchard with her husband, Alex. "They were in full bloom when the cold weather hit. The rows look fine, but there's no fruit."

Area vineyards have reported 30 to 50 percent losses to their grape crops from the freeze.

James Arthur Vineyards near Raymond lost about half its grapes, owner Jim Ballard said, although some of that damage was caused by hail and winds a few days before the freeze.

"I don't know what else Mother Nature can throw at us," he said. "We've been hit with just about everything these last few months."Thanks to a bumper crop last year, the vineyard's inventory is in good shape, Ballard said, meaning there will be plenty of wine for sale.

Other area fruit crops are expected to fare better. Martin says her apple, peach and raspberry crops should do well, and Schaefer says her farm's main crop — pumpkins — had not yet been planted when the late freeze hit.

Source - http://www.starherald.com/