through the U.S. Agriculture Department and received no assistance with the freeze. Now, she is doubtful she will for the hurricane.
Despite the mild climate, hurricanes are among the downsides to farming in Florida, said Gainesville farmer Daniel Robleto. He grew up in Palm Beach County and recalls beloved trees falling. When Hurricane Matthew grazed the East Coast in 2016, Robleto farmed in Palm Beach. He said he peeked through the boarded windows and saw the wind tousle the greenhouse. At the time, the lettuce and crops were sandblasted, perforated like needle pricks, he said. But most survived.
Prior to Hurricane Ian’s landfall, a handful of volunteers helped Robleto prepare Nicoya Farm. They placed tarps over unplanted soil to prevent weed growth and hardened clay from the rain, tied tomatoes and peppers to a trellis and housed seedlings in the barn, he said. His crops faced minimal damage.