Snowy harvest continues for some P.E.I. farmers, for others it's too late

Dale Hickoxwalkeddown the row of crops andused a gloved hand to knocksnow off the plants still standing in his field.

He's in no rush now to get thiscrop of brussels sprouts harvested they're frozen solid, ruined.

He estimatesthe financial loss between$800,000 to $1 million.

"It appears that it's going to be garbage," said Hickox,"Because as a fresh product, if we go to harvest it and sell it to our buyer and it breaks down there, that's no good for anybody."

Thissnow and freezing weather is making it tough for farmers.

Crops like brussels sprouts can handle a little frost, but not the long, deep cold of recent days.

Hickoxsaidthe weather has kept him out of the field for the past four days.

Equipment sits idle in the field on Union Road in Three Rivers, P.E.I. while roughly half of Hickox's crop remains unharvested.

A few kilometres east, farm machines are stillworking to pull in the remaining crop through the blowing snow and frozen ground.

Anthony Nabuurs and crew are half-way through the harvest of feed corn.

The dried kernels being collected will be milled or stored in silos. They are unaffected by the cold.

With the piles of snow on the groundand more in the forecast, the farmers are anxious to get the job done.

"So far it hasn't stopped us," said Nabuurs, "But if we get what we're forecasted ... that might be a little tricky to get through so we're hoping that doesn't come."

But for vegetable growers like Hickox, anything that's not yet out of the field, is staying right where it is.

Hickoxsaid crop insurance will cover some of the loss.

"Weall know about climate change," said Hickox. "It's been quite a while since we've had winter come this early."

He said he may try growing shorter-season varieties because of the intense weather this year.

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