photo provided by RYAN ATWOOD
A note from Alissa Hevesh, UF/IFAS Extension Highlands County:
Federal Response: At this time, the Secretary of Agriculture has not declared recent weather events a disaster. As damage begins to show itself in the coming days and weeks, please report damages or losses to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Farm Service Agency (FSA), even if you are not currently enrolled in an FSA program. Information reported to the USDA FSA is used to determine eligibility for agricultural disaster declarations. Our nearest FSA office is in Okeechobee and can be reached at (800) 243-9912 or (863) 763-3345 ext. 2. For more information on the agricultural disaster declaration process, visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/tools/informational/fact-sheets/emergency-disaster-designation-declaration-process
State Response: As there was not a formal declaration of a State of Emergency from the Governor’s office, many of the disaster response and recovery protocols we are familiar with after a hurricane were not activated.
Dr. Christa Court with the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program will be releasing some information about agricultural damage assessments within the next day or two.
Post Freeze Workshop for Fruit Growers
There is an online “Post Freeze Workshop for Fruit Growers“ webinar tomorrow afternoon from 2-4PM, organized by some agents in South Florida. Pre-registration is required. The agenda includes the following:
- Freeze damage symptoms and recovery for citrus
- Freeze aftercare of tropical fruit trees
- Using the FAWN weather system
- Available programs, reporting timelines, and key steps producers should be aware of after a disaster
Citrus Post-Freeze Recovery Webinar
The CREC Grower Seminar that was scheduled for next week (2/11) has been postponed, and CREC is instead offering a “Citrus Post-Freeze Recovery Webinar” in its place. Please see the updated schedule below:
February 11, 2026 — New Event
Citrus Post-Freeze Recovery Webinar
10:00 AM, online only
Register here: https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/sOmJ_JgSTb2uP0wxdQDhTQ
February 26, 2026 — Rescheduled Seminar
CREC Grower Seminar
10:00AM, in-person only
Register here: https://crecgrowerseminar022026.eventbrite.com
Refer to the Cold Weather FAQ page on the CREC website; the “Recovery” tab may be particularly helpful at this time: https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/research/citrus-production/2026-Cold-Weather-faq/
Provided by ALISSA HEVESH