FRANKFORD, Del. - A season marked by severe drought and freezing temperatures has pushed farmers across Delaware to find new ways to protect their crops — and their livelihoods.
Ryan Richard, owner of East View Farms, said the unpredictable weather has forced him to invest more money just to keep his greenhouse plants alive. "We still had some cold temperatures and a little bit of snow," Richard said. "So, you know, we're running a lot of propane through these houses."
For farmers without the protection of greenhouses, the challenge is even greater.
At Bennett Orchards, the solution has come in the form of tall, rotating wind machines, designed to mix warmer air from above with colder air near the ground — raising the temperature around delicate peach trees by several degrees.
"What that’s doing is pulling that warm air down, mixing it with the cooler air at ground level," said Henry Bennett. "And it can give you a five degree rise in temperatures."
Five degrees may not sound like much, but Bennett said it can mean the difference between saving a crop or losing nearly all of it.
"At 27 degrees, you may see 10% crop loss. At 24 degrees, you might see 90% crop loss. Thus, every degree is critical," he said.
Bennett Orchards uses wind power to keep peaches blooming.
Bennett Orchards installed the wind machines last year, but Tuesday marked the first time they were really put to the test. With peach trees on the verge of blooming, frost at this stage could have spelled disaster, but the wind machines were able to keep the peach trees from getting covered from frost.
"We're the only farm in Delaware to solely rely on the yields of perennial fruit crops for income," Bennett said. "So what we grow here is what we need to sustain our operations for the entire year."
The two machines cover the orchard’s 40-acre peach field and are equipped with temperature sensors that automatically turn them on when the air gets too cold — ensuring the trees stay warm and on track for the season ahead.