The fickle nature of Mother Nature could cost one local business hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Mike Long, owner of The Berry Patch LLC., formerly the Pick ‘N Patch, at 2814 North 800W, near Hoffman Lake, said he is looking at a 90 percent loss after recent freezing temperatures have caused his produce to freeze over.
His “you-pick” farm and wholesale operation features blueberries, strawberries and commercial crops.
While commercial crops can be insured in Indiana, blueberries and strawberries cannot, said Long.
Long owns The Berry Patch along with his brother-in-law Hal Hoffman, and purchased the business last winter.
“We’re assessing the damage on a daily basis,” said Long.
Long said he’s talked with others in his business and they’re all dealing with the same thing.
“We were looking at a record crop early on. Warm temps in March had us looking at (produce) coming in 6 to 8 weeks. Now that we’re getting our March weather, it’s a different story,” said Long.
Now Long is trying to use the ice with his produce being partially covered by irrigation to protect the plant.
But that is a tightrope as Long then also has to be concerned with the weight of the ice destroying the entire plant.
Long admits that they are faced with the possibility of no harvest.
If they do have a harvest, Long hopes that the size of the produce will make up for the lack of quantity.
“There’s always next year,” said Long. “It is what it is.”
