Apple growers are also worried. Apple Association said he doesn't think the impact will be nearly as bad as the California freeze earlier this year that caused an estimated $280 million in citrus losses. Visit our tax guide for the forms, tools and tips you need to make the process less taxing. It's also coming as a shock to fruit trees that had already begun to blossom when the weather started turning warmer. In central Virginia, some trees were two weeks ahead of schedule. This material...

I would say the majority of growers do have crop insurance, but it s going to be a long time a year and a half - before these growers are going to see any income (from a crop), Owings said. But he said a 90 percent loss estimate of the county's crop - which typically brings in $20 million to $25 million annually - is fairly solid because apple tree buds simply cannot survive extended periods with temperatures in the teens. Owens said his crop insurance pays 50 to 60 percent of the crop s...

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin says he might ask for federal aid depending on how badly peaches andother crops were affected by the weekend freeze. Frank Funderburk, an agricultural extension agent in Peach County, the heart of Georgia's peach-growing region, says fruit has shriveled and leaves are turning black. Irvin says it is too early to tell what the final analysis will be, but says there is a significant amount of damage through most of state. Temperatures dipped into...

Fresh citrus tariffs of up to 50 percent would be reduced and eventually phased out, for fruit shipped during certain times of the year. Florida's crops have been short in recent years because of acreage losses to development, canker and other problems, but as harvests rebound, international markets are expected to buy more fruit, particularly grapefruit. California stands to benefit most from the tariff cuts, but "we have an opportunity to get our fair share," Sparks said. In addition to...

FORGET turkey twizzlers - a new generation of children is switching to organic apples, homegrown potatoes and homemade fruit smoothies, according to the growers behind a new farmers' market movement. The claim comes as farmers' markets make their way from the market hall to the playground in a pioneering initiative. She hoped the traditional market stalls, crammed with fresh fruit and vegetables, and locally-sourced Welsh lamb and beef, would break consumers' "supermarket mentality" Welsh...

Surging prices for eggs and citrus, plus above-average increases for cereals, sugars, sweets and some dairy products, mean consumers are paying more for breakfast staples at the grocery store and soon could be forking over more cash for omelets at Valley restaurants. Surging prices for eggs and citrus, plus above-average increases for cereals, sugars, sweets and some dairy products, mean consumers are paying more for breakfast staples at the grocery store and soon could be forking over...