Tallahassee is moving fast as a major winter storm threatens to send temperatures plunging across the Sunshine State this weekend. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson has already reached out to Washington, asking for a preemptive hand to help farmers survive what could be a devastating blow to the nation’s winter food supply.
In a letter sent Friday to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Simpson urged the federal government to prepare disaster declarations for Florida counties in the path of a powerful “bomb cyclone.”
The storm isn’t just bringing wind; it’s dragging a massive pocket of Arctic air far enough south to threaten crops in places like Collier and Broward counties—areas that rarely have to worry about a hard freeze.
READ: The $6,000 Sellout: Florida Bank Staffer Admits To Helping Cartels Drain $5.5 Million
For shoppers up and down the East Coast, this isn’t just a local Florida problem. During the winter, Florida is the primary source of fresh produce for much of the country. The list of at-risk crops is long, including staples like tomatoes, bell peppers, citrus, and strawberries.
If the sub-freezing temperatures and 50 mph gusts hit as hard as forecasters fear, the impact will likely be felt at grocery store checkouts in a matter of weeks.
Local growers are already out in their fields doing what they can. In some areas, that means running irrigation systems overnight to coat plants in a protective layer of ice or using helicopters to move warmer air down to the ground.
But Simpson warned that even with these efforts, the severity of the coming “bomb cyclone” could be more than individual farms can handle alone.
READ: ‘Bomb Cyclone’ Targets East Coast And Rare Snow Could Hit Florida Amid Deadly Freeze
The request for help marks an early test for the new administration’s agricultural response team. Simpson noted that he is looking for a “decisive and responsive” partner in the USDA to ensure that the Farm Service Agency and other relief programs are ready to go the moment the ice melts and the damage can be tallied.
Beyond the fruits and vegetables, the storm also puts nurseries, bee colonies, and aquaculture operations in the crosshairs. With the storm expected to move in Saturday, the next 48 hours will be a tense waiting game for Florida’s $160 billion agriculture industry.
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