LIMERICK, Maine — It has been a mild start to the growing season for farms in southern Maine, however, an overnight freeze could threaten many crops in the region.
"The orchard is full of flowers. All the fruits are in different stages of bloom," Aaron Libby of Libby & Son U-Picks farm in Limerick. "It's really fingers crossed and hoping mother nature treats us right tonight."
The National Weather Service has issued a "freeze warning" in Androscoggin, Central Interior Cumberland, Coastal Cumberland, Coastal Waldo, Coastal York, Interior Cumberland Highlands, Interior Waldo, Interior York, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Southern Franklin, Southern Oxford, Southern Somerset counties.
The potentially low temperatures are a point of concern for Maine farmers.
"At 28 degrees, that's our critical temp, that's what we're looking at as a severe temperature. At 28 degrees we could be looking at losing 10 percent of these buds," Libby said.
According to Libby, if the temperature reaches as low as 25 degrees, that could threaten about 90 percent of budding trees.
"You can have the perfect 364, but one bad day can ruin the entire year," Libby said.
Libby & Son U-Pick grows a variety of fruits, including apples, blueberries, raspberries, plums, and peaches.
"I'm more worried about the crops in southern Maine than in northern Maine," Dr. Charles Tilburg said.
Tilburg is the director of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England. He says a freeze this time of year is not uncommon, but can still have an impact on crops.
"For the crops in northern Maine, this is something that's much more common, something that's typical, but in southern Maine, especially for some of the more fragile crops like peas and beans, I'm a little more worried that this frost is going to be determinantal."
Tilburg said one impact of climate change here in Maine is an earlier start to the growing season and earlier blooms. He said however that even as Maine's climate changes, there's still a threat of frosts this time of the year, which can impact crops.
"The longer the growing season we have, means that we will still get multiple frosts where our crops have bloomed," Tilburg said.
Libby said an irrigation system will help him keep water going to his plants and hopefully prevent more serious damage caused by the low temperatures.
If crops remain strong, Libby hopes to begin welcoming to public to his farm for blueberry picking in July.