Snowy harvest continues for some P.E.I. farmers, for others it's too late
'It's been quite a while since we've had winter come this early'
Dale Hickox walked down the row of crops and used a gloved hand to knock snow off the plants still standing in his field.
He's in no rush now to get this crop of brussels sprouts harvested — they're frozen solid, ruined.
He estimates the financial loss between $800,000 to $1 million.
"It appears that it's going to be garbage," said Hickox, "Because as a fresh product, if we go to harvest it and sell it to our buyer and it breaks down there, that's no good for anybody."
This snow and freezing weather is making it tough for farmers.
Crops like brussels sprouts can handle a little frost, but not the long, deep cold of recent days.
Hickox said the weather has kept him out of the field for the past four days.
Equipment sits idle in the field on Union Road in Three Rivers, P.E.I. while roughly half of Hickox's crop remains unharvested.
A few kilometres east, farm machines are still working to pull in the remaining crop — through the blowing snow and frozen ground.
Anthony Nabuurs and crew are half-way through the harvest of feed corn.
The dried kernels being collected will be milled or stored in silos. They are unaffected by the cold.
With the piles of snow on the ground and more in the forecast, the farmers are anxious to get the job done.
"So far it hasn't stopped us," said Nabuurs, "But if we get what we're forecasted ... that might be a little tricky to get through so we're hoping that doesn't come."
But for vegetable growers like Hickox, anything that's not yet out of the field, is staying right where it is.
Hickox said crop insurance will cover some of the loss.
"We all know about climate change," said Hickox. "It's been quite a while since we've had winter come this early."
He said he may try growing shorter-season varieties because of the intense weather this year.