Dangerous heat requires extreme caution even when caring for fresh produce.

The extended period of intense heat is impacting the crops in the Central Valley. Now farmers are having to make some changes to avoid losing their product and protect their livelihood.

"She's just spraying some water on the vegetables to keep them hydrated," said Andrew Lucchetti, manager at The Fruit Bowl in Waterloo, describing how they keep the corn fresh.

That's one way the Lucchetti's ensure their product stays fresh for customers.

Another one is switching up their harvesting schedules by picking their crops earlier and cooler.

The Fruit Bowl has been in business since 1947 and you can find just about any fruit or vegetable in season. Even with the wide range of locally-grown goods, Lucchetti told KCRA 3 they're no strangers to loss.

"It's just part of the game," he said. "You have to pick what you have that's good quality and keep it irrigated so that it can maintain, but yeah, the heat will turn things quickly."

And during summers like these, they're increasing their focus on irrigation to get the best prices for what they have.

A report found that weather-related crop losses have dramatically increased since 2001, with crop insurance payouts for heat increasing over 1,000%.

Source - https://www.kcra.com