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Florida Agriculture Commissioner says cold caused up to $1.5B in crop damages

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SARASOTA, Fla. — Information from the Florida Department of Agriculture shows that the state’s recent bout of cold weather may have caused more than $1 billion in losses for the state’s farmers. 

“We’ve really gotten devastated in Florida,” Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said. “We don’t know the full extent yet of all the damage. Early assessments were the first night, we probably did OK. We were able to come through that. But three nights in a row, well below 32 for many, many hours really has devastated agriculture.”

What You Need To Know

  • Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson says early assessments show the state’s farmers lost anywhere from $500 million to $1.5 billion to crop damage during the recent bout of cold weather
  • The owner of Blumemberry Farms in Sarasota estimates her losses at $45,000

  • Colleen Blumenthal said her team was able to harvest a lot right before temperatures dipped, but much of what they couldn’t get to was lost — including about 80% of her tomato crop and half of her farm’s green beans

  • Simpson said he’s in talks with federal officials about securing financial relief for Florida farmers


Walking the fields of Blumenberry Farms in Sarasota, visitors will find as many as 70 different crops. After the recent cold snap hit, owner Colleen Blumenthal said much of the view is very different.

“This was completely full with really ripe, luscious green beans,” she said. “But once the weather got below 35, they just died on the vine.”

Blumenthal said about half of her green beans were lost to the recent cold weather, along with 80% of her tomatoes. She said she’s looking at up to $45,000 in losses across all crops.

Simpson said that is a situation farmers are facing statewide, with early assessments showing anywhere from $500 million to $1.5 billion in damages.

“You’ve got to remember, this time of year we’re growing 70-80% of all the fresh vegetables that are sold on the eastern seaboard of the United States,” Simpson said. “So, this is the bread basket of the country right now.”

He said he’s in talks with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and the White House to secure financial relief for the state’s farmers. 

“I believe the President (Donald Trump) is going to be very supportive of resources coming back in to support our farmers,” Simpson said. “My big thing was, let’s try to do this in real time.”

In the meantime, local farms like Blumenberry are making assessments of their own.

“It’s possible we might be able to harvest those,” farm manager Aaron Drucker said, gesturing to green tomatoes that may not have frozen in the cold. “As far as these plants continuing to thrive and create more tomatoes? Unlikely.”

According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, agriculture brought nearly $9 billion to the state’s economy in 2022. 

Sarah Blazonis

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