PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Farmers across South Florida are scrambling to protect valuable crops against a weekend freeze that hasn't happened in years.
"If we lose these crops, we're out of it; it's that important to us," Jimmy Alderman of Alderman Farms in west Boynton Beach said Friday.
WATCH BELOW: Farmers cover crops with freezing temps in the forecast
On Friday, workers at his farm were putting down rolls of white tarp over organic tomato and pepper plants.
"This tarp we applied is breathable, but it'll hold the temp if it gets down below 32 degrees. This tarp is P19," Alderman said. "It'll give us a couple of degrees for a couple of hours of protection."
Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has asked the USDA to issue a disaster declaration for Florida counties that will be impacted by the cold weather.
"Florida is a critical supplier of fresh produce to the eastern United States during the winter months. Timely assistance will be essential to help our farmers recover and continue meeting that demand," Simpson wrote in his request.
The state is a major supplier of vegetables for the East Coast in the winter months, and any crop damage could disrupt spring supplies and prices.
"We're (located) between the Gulfstream and the Everglades. This area of Palm Beach County gives us the warmest temperatures possible," Alderman said.
