Strawberry growers were also heavily impacted. Alex Nanalis from C.J.J. Farms estimated they had lost 60 to 70 percent of the current crop and he was awaiting anxiously to see how many plants were permanently lost—possibly as much as 30 percent of his entire acreage.

I would have assumed that a couple of the growers at the Grand Lake Market would have been immune from the freeze since they operate indoors. In one case, I was largely correct. Trevor Contreras from Solano Mushroom said that the delectable fungi do grow somewhat slower at reduced temperatures, but otherwise there’s no problem. The indoor grower that did suffer extensive damage is Western Sun Floral in Watsonville. I talked at length with Thomas Okamoto, the cousin of the owner, Kiyoko Sakaue. Although their flowers are all grown in greenhouses, they discontinued heating them several years ago when the increasing cost of propane and natural gas drove their monthly heating bill up to $15,000, necessitating a choice between higher flower prices and gambling with the weather.

Their tuber roses were hardest hit. For the first time ever, the roses dropped and they are not sure the remaining buds will open or the plants survive. Also severely damaged were the lilies. Okamoto said they are cutting about 90-percent fewer lilies and production of almost all species has suffered greatly. But if you’re one of their regular Grand Lake customers, you’re unlikely to notice since this is their number one outlet and it’s relatively well-stocked. Where they are hurting financially is at other markets where they have far less to offer.

If you’re looking for a bright side to this story, Okamoto said that tulips are better than ever since they require cold weather and he went on to share a tip on care of cut tulips: If they start to droop, add a few ice cubes to the vase.

Also on the bright side, Eddie Chavez from EGB Farms welcomes cold weather as it’s essential for the health of the trees that bear stone fruit—especially so with cherries. Also unfazed by the cold weather was Tom Kirkland whose Oh! Tommy Boy’s Organic Farm is carrying on a 150-year-long family tradition dry farming potatoes up near Valley Ford. Tom says the freeze destroyed the potato tops saving him the trouble of cutting them down mechanically. He explained that potatoes will not set and develop a thick skin until after the green tops die or are removed.

Unfortunately, that’s just about the extent of the good news that we can report. I would have to say that the future outlook for small, locally based growers is more uncertain than ever. Global Warming threatens to bring us increasingly extreme and fickle weather patterns with increased rains and diminished snow pack.

Locally based farms are also facing growing competition from corporate growers hopping on the organic bandwagon and competition, as well, from imported foodstuffs.

But the biggest intangible of all may be related to immigration. All farms, including most of the small, mom-and-pop operations rely on seasonal labor during the peak pruning and harvest season. In September, Lake County pears rotted on the trees due to a lack of pickers attributed to a crack down on illegal immigration. Isiah Flores at Twin Girls cited the same problem. In a typical winter, they have 48 pickers. This year, they could muster only half that and as a result, only 25 percent of their oranges had been harvested when the freeze struck. With the new travel restrictions being implemented, including a requirement that travelers from Mexico have passports, it’s anybody’s guess as to how much labor will be available in the coming years if Congress fails to enact remedial legislation.

Can locally based family farms survive? If so, a lot of the credit will go to the phenomenal growth in the number of neighborhood farmers markets, which offer growers a direct outlet to retail customers. When the Grand Lake Market opened in 1998, it was only Oakland’s third. Just in the last couple of years, markets have been added in Montclair, Temescal, near Mills College, West Oakland and even Kaiser Hospital. Hopefully, with the support of a more health-conscious consumer base, the family farm will manage to thrive.

Meanwhile, as my late father-in-law used to say: “Stay healthy! Be Happy!” To which I’d add: “And eat your fruits and vegetables.”