Manatee County berry farmer protects crop from freezing temperatures: 'Toughest two nights'

MYAKKA CITY, Fla. - Icicles formed at a Myakka City blueberry farm after temperatures fell below freezing — but the icicles actually helped protect the crops. 

What they're saying:

Doug Melcher, the owner of BellaBlue Berry Farm and Winery, has been watching over his crop East of State Road 54 in Myakka City. 

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"When we got here, there was nothing, and we came out on weekends, put our own fencing in and you kind of build this, but you get older at the same time, so things get older as time passes," he said. "I look around, and I think we really did all of this. Planted all of the plants, put all the pipes in the ground. It’s really amazing that we did this all on our own."

After 14 years, BellaBlue Berry Farm and Winery has experienced some of the coldest weather conditions. But, when it hit 20 degrees at around 4 a.m., that meant little sleep for Melcher. 

"The diesel is working the hardest, and we are thankful that the aquifer is providing us with the water," he said. 

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He worked to protect his crop of blueberries and strawberries from the freeze. 

"I think they’ve been the toughest two nights we’ve ever experienced. We have the infrastructure to deal with it, but at the same time it’s real stressful," he said. 

Dig deeper:

Melcher said there’s really a method to what’s happening. Without the water running and the freeze happening, the crop, he said, would have been lost. 

"We start off with putting a coat of ice on the plants, the blooms, the berries and everything else to act like insulation. That ice builds overnight and in the morning you hope your temperatures rise, and the ice starts to melt off. When you have a substantial ice removed and the sun is out, and the temperature is up, you can turn the water off and things are generally good," he said. 

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Melcher noted good signs after surveying his crop — something that started as a garden project and turned into a community staple. 

"When it’s blueberry season we see old friends, which is really important. We have customers who pick five pounds for every month of the year, because they live on these blueberries," he said. 

What's next:

Melcher said all of that ice melted off of his crop, and his blueberry u-pick season starts in March. To find out more, visit their website or their Facebook page for the most up-to-date u-pick information.