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Farmers Hopeful Constant Cold Won’t Affect Crops

LYCOMING COUNTY — It’s cold, but fruit farmers we spoke with said so far it hasn’t been too cold for their crops or for them. Ray Marshalek ch...

LYCOMING COUNTY --- It's cold, but fruit farmers we spoke with said so far it hasn't been too cold for their crops or for them.

Ray Marshalek chopped away at a fruit tree on his farm near Montoursville.

"We're pruning our trees, the apple trees right now."

The sun's shining outside, but Marshalek's all bundled up.

"Personally I think it's a nice day. It's cold, but it's not bad,” said Ray Marshalek.

It's not too cold for him, but what about his crops?

“Last year we had a lot of temperatures 12, 13, 14 below zero and we had a lot of damage to our peaches," said Marshalek.

The owner said as long as it stays close to or above zero degrees the constant cold isn't necessarily a bad thing for his trees.

"It hasn't been cold enough to hurt to have any damage," said Marshalek.

"Apples and peaches they are up in the air in the wind. The wind is hard on them too. Strawberries they are down on the ground and protected,” said Tom Styer.

Tom Styer's market at his farm near Muncy is open all year round right now the shelves are a little empty.

"A little slow this time of year but we're here," said Styer.

Fields of strawberries are covered in snow. Styer said that's a good thing.

"Real cold and no snow that's hard on the strawberries but this year they are covered up. We put a layer of straw on them and they have a good layer of snow on them so I'm not at all worried about them,” said Styer.

"You're not getting temperature fluctuations. That's where you get more damage when you get the constant 30 today and 0 tomorrow it's been fairly consistent," said Marshalek.

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