This late-season heat is coming at a time when a lot of products are still in the ground, making it extra dangerous for crop, potentially leading to a lot of loss. From strawberries to lettuce to flowers, the heat is posing challenges for all kinds of crops in Santa Cruz County.
Berry growers, especially of strawberries, the county’s top crop, are fearful the heat could sunburn or damage their product.
“For the cane berries, it's blackberries and raspberries. It gets really hot under those hoop tunnels where they're growing, and it can cause fruit loss as well,” David Sanford, Santa Cruz Agricultural Commissioner, said.
The early year storms set the industry back, leaving more commodities in the ground. Ag Commissioner Sanford says this is making the crops more susceptible to heat damage.
"Things have been late because of the storms throughout the year. So, this is only exacerbating the problem," Sanford said.
Leafy greens like spinach and lettuce can suffer tip burn, dye back, and overall poor production. Farmers are having to focus on irrigation.
Jose Villa-Fana and his family have been growing flowers in Watsonville for 15 years, and he says the heat could burn off his blooming flowers, leaving them unusual.
“It burns the tips of the petals, and once you harvest them, they don't look so good. So, what we're doing right now, we use a lot of mesh greens that cover up about 30% of the heat, and it keeps him nice and cool,” Jose Villa-Fana, with Jose’s Flowers, said.
During heat events like this one, farmers are required to ensure safety for their fieldworkers is their top priority.
"Making sure that there's a lot of cold water, plenty of water in the field, a lot of shade available for brakes, and just monitoring for any potential signs of heat stress amongst our employees,” Sanford said.
Even though some farms called off activity, many continued working. Currently, there is no federal heat standard protecting farmworkers, yet heat is their leading weather-related killer.
Source - https://www.ksbw.com
