Here’s how cooler temps could impact your produce

Coachella Valley farmers are preparing for harvests to potentially freeze or become damaged with dropping overnight temperatures expected this weekend. Destroyed crops and a drop in supply could drive up some prices of commodities like red bell peppers and possibly double the price.

General manager of Peter Rabbit Farms in Coachella John Burton says even the slight changes in temperature could destroy crops. He says it’s one of the first large cool downs to cause worry this season.

“Typically after the freeze what you’ll see in the leaves is a blister open up in about two weeks that would be caused by freeze conditions,” Burton said about romaine lettuce — which takes up 80 percent of the business’ yields. Burton said strong winds can damage vegetation and kick up dust, dirtying the produce and making it not usable for sale.

For items like the red pepper which Burton says is a “staple in just about every market,” a box that carries anywhere from 36 to 40 peppers could so much as double in cost.

A box of romaine lettuce with 24 heads per box could change in price, as low as six dollars a box, to 50 dollars per box depending on market demands. Burton said after the romaine lettuce scare, the company is still “breaking even” due to low demand, even though he says romaine lettuce is now safe to consume.

Despite the red bell pepper and lettuce season coming to a close in the next couple weeks, remaining harvests could be impacted before the season wraps up. Burton said farmers could see anywhere from “four to 10” temperature drops a year.

Some growers like Burton are also adding water to their crops as a preventative measure. Water that’s warmer than the air temperature can coat and insulate plants to protect them from freezing.

During the winter weather it’s a good idea for home owners to cover up plants, bring pets indoors and keep an eye on outdoor irrigation systems.