Early April frost devastates Teen Challenge strawberries

A late frost severely cut into a local addiction counseling ministry's annual strawberry sale.

Teen Challenge, a residential program for recovering drug users, uses the proceeds to fund its counseling outreach.

Executive director Jack Smart said the frost in early April devastated the crop north of Cape Girardeau on County Road 621.

"It's too soon to tell, but I'd estimate that we lost between 50 and 75 percent of our strawberries," Smart said.

The strawberry sale only generates about 5 percent of Teen Challenge's annual income, but Smart said the loss makes a big impact.

"We depend on the holiday season and strawberry season to pay bills," Smart said. "We're funded by donations, and they get pretty cold this time of year. The strawberries are our main source of income in the summer."

Smart said the loss of the early season strawberries will hurt Teen Challenge's annual Strawberry Festival, which will be held May 26.

"We're already rationing at the stand, but I don't know how many berries will be left by then," Smart said.

Smart said the frost was particularly damaging because an early heat wave caused blossoms to form early this year.

"We use sprinkle irrigation because the ice forming around the strawberries gives off heat," Smart said. "But once it gets below 18 degrees, even this is ineffective."

On the nights of April 5, 6 and 7, the temperature fell to 14, 13 and 10 degrees, respectively. The temperature stayed below 18 degrees for several hours, according to Smart.

Chris Frisbee, 22, of Mansfield, Ohio, is two weeks away from graduating from Teen Challenge's 10-month program.

"I got here at harvest time last year," Frisbee said, "And there's a big difference between the two crops. There's not a full day's work anymore. It's probably the worst crop they've ever had."

Jim Crysel, 40, of Sylacauga, Ala., was part of the crew that worked all night sprinkling the berries during the frost.

"It was so frustrating seeing those berries completely frozen," Crysel said. "All the time and effort that goes into growing them and you can't do nothing else with it."

Smart said that a good harvest yields around 30,000 quarts of strawberries. Last year Teen Challenge harvested 44,000 quarts.

"We'll probably only get 10,000 or 15,000 quarts this season," Smart said.

Teen Challenge sells the strawberries at a stand in the Plaza Galleria parking lot for $2.25 per quart.

They stand to lose almost $50,000 in revenue this year.

"We're going to have to depend more than ever on donations from individuals and churches who believe in what we're doing," Smart said.

"It teaches you a lot about your character," Crysel said of the loss. "Morale has still been real high. We know God's going to provide."

Frisbee said the ministry's blackberry and blueberry crops also suffered in the frost.

"We spent several months pruning the bushes, about 1,000 bushes, and pretty much lost all of them, too," Frisbee said.

Undaunted by the loss, the group is preparing to plant 16,000 strawberry plants for the next season.

"You just got to look forward to next year's crop," Frisbee said.

pwylie@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127