Extreme weather drastically cuts Polk County farmers' citrus yield

Florida farmers are facing a difficult harvest season after a year of extreme weather, and one Polk County citrus farm says its crop yield is down about 50%.At Ever After Farms in Polk City, the effects of a record cold snap earlier this year are still visible throughout the groves. Jenny Cahoon, the farms CEO, says the freeze destroyed about 30% of the farms trees. Extreme weather drastically cuts Polk County farms citrus yieldCahoon said the cold weather hit at a critical time for citrus trees, damaging the blooms that determine how much fruit they produce.When that cold came in for record number of hours it really did damage, a lot of damage on the trees and our bloom for that year and it affected that the yield, Cahoon said. So well see effects of that cold front for years to come.The cold snap was followed by a summer-long drought and heavy rainfall in September, adding to the challenges for growers.Cahoon said the reduced yield is creating a significant financial strain on the fa