HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — Jake Raburn of Hinton Farms Produce is relieved after surviving the first freeze warning of the holiday weekend.
"We prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Raburn said.
A strong cold front is spilling arctic air south across the eastern U.S. just in time for Christmas weekend, making for some of the coldest air of the season.
On Christmas Eve, people in the Tampa Bay region woke up with low temperatures in the 20s and 30s. On Christmas Day, lows are expected to start in the 30s with the coldest air north and inland.
While freeze warnings are expected, Raburn said there's always concern about the potential impact on their crops.
The local and family-owned farm has been around for decades, and specializes in strawberries and blueberries, along with other produce.
"This is our livelihood," Raburn said.
Like other farmers, Raburn has been putting water over his strawberries to serve as a protective coating from freezing.
Freeze events with significant damage to farms have the potential to cost consumers more when purchasing produce at the grocery.
Florida is the second-highest producer of strawberries behind California.
The agriculture industry in Hillsborough County alone generates a significant amount into the economy with nearly 3,000 farms existing in the county.
With Florida farms in the spotlight from freezing temperatures, Raburn said he hopes it encourages people to ask how their food is grown and the work that goes on into having produce available.
"Most farms across the country are really family farms," Raburn said. "[These are] families that are trying to do what's best for the land and what's best for people."