By Clint Thompson Strawberry planting has commenced across southern Florida. Growers have been met with ideal conditions so far, according to one producer. “It’s been great. We’ve had overcast days. It’s great planting weather over here,” said Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida. “We’ve had some misty rains early on, a little bit of rain …
‘Great’ Planting Conditions for Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson Strawberry planting has commenced across southern Florida. Growers have been met with ideal conditions so far, according to one producer. “It’s been great. We’ve had overcast days. It’s great planting weather over here,” said Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida. “We’ve had some misty rains early on, a little bit of rain …
Strawberry Grower in Plant City Survives Idalia with Minimal Damage
By Clint Thompson Matt Parke’s anxiousness paid off this summer in preparing for the upcoming strawberry planting season. Instead of waiting to apply plastic, the farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida, decided to apply it early. Since that part of the state avoided the brunt of Hurricane Idalia last week, the move paid off and all the …
Hurricane Idalia’s Possible Impact on Florida Strawberry Growers
By Clint Thompson The storm known as Idalia will become a hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida this week. That’s not good news for the region’s strawberry growers already preparing for the upcoming season. Producers are already laying plastic with expectations of planting their crop in September. A storm, with potential to reach Category 3 status, could …
Florida Strawberry Update: Hillsborough County Land Running Low for Farmers
By Clint Thompson Hillsborough County, Florida’s winter strawberry capital of the United States, could soon be in danger. Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida, believes the influx of people moving into the area means there is less and less land to use for agriculture. That will slowly impact the county’s production of strawberries over time. …
California Floods Affect Florida’s Strawberry Production
By Clint Thompson The current weather crisis in California is impacting Florida’s strawberry harvests. One producer said he is picking additional fruit this time of year amid the floods out west. “I go until April normally with some of them, but we’re going a little longer than normal because California is in disarray with all the weather they’ve been getting. …
California Floods Impacting Florida’s Strawberry Harvests
By Clint Thompson The current weather crisis in California is impacting Florida’s strawberry harvests. One producer said he is picking additional fruit this time of year amid the floods out west. “I go until April normally with some of them, but we’re going a little longer than normal because California is in disarray with all the weather they’ve been getting. …
Florida Strawberry Growers Preparing for Freeze
By Clint Thompson Florida’s strawberry crop could be damaged by the sub-freezing temperatures in the forecast for this weekend. Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida, discusses the scenario he and other producers are facing with potential temperatures in the 20s scheduled for Friday night and Saturday night. “We’re going to be running water, but it’s …
Florida Strawberry Farmer: Input Costs to go up 30% Next Year
By Clint Thompson A challenging year for Florida strawberry production is expected to worsen next season. Especially if the price of oil continues to spike amid the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, growers are likely to experience extremely high input costs entering next year’s planting season. “Anything that has to do with transportation is going up. If transportation goes up …
Florida Farmer: Strawberry Market in Shambles
By Clint Thompson The strawberry season is nearing an end for Florida growers. To say that producers have had their share of challenges would be an understatement. Input costs have spiraled out of control, and the strawberry market is in “shambles,” according to Matt Parke, farm manager of Parkesdale Farms in Plant City, Florida. “As an industry, I think we’re …