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Farmers strive to save crops from unseasonable cold

Farmer's crops are being stunted due to the severe weather.

ROLAND, Ark. (KTHV) – Severe weather can cause major damage to crops, so farmers are working extra hard to make sure the damage is minimal.

Wye Mountain Flowers and Berries farmer Beth Eggers knows what severe weather can do to her crops.

"In 2010, we had the hail storm of a lifetime. It nearly the destroyed the blueberry plants,” Eggers said.

So, with severe weather season underway, she's preparing for the worst.

"Hopefully they'll make it through undamaged but hail can damage the fruit that's beginning to set,” she said.

Last weekend's unseasonably cold temperatures have already caused problems to her berries.

"The leaves are curled up. They're black, real dark around the edges. They were bright green before the freeze,” Eggers said.

Eggers said usually her flowers would also be a lot taller by now but because of the colder weather, their growth has been delayed and they've even lost a few.

"They should be about 6 inches tall at this point and they're about 2 to 4 inches tall,” Eggers said.

Eggers has since placed tarps over her flowers and hopes the weather will allow her plants to thrive again.

"We've not been able to open up the tunnels so the plants are only 3-4 inches tall. So we've been a bit delayed this year especially compared to last year we were so far ahead of the game last year,” she said.

Eggers said she hopes Wye Mountain will be open by Memorial Day for blueberry picking season, if the weather cooperates.

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