I took these pictures the weekend before the Ozarks saw multiple nights of subfreezing temperatures. I was covering a story on those who could be most affected by the cold-snap: orchard owners who rely on their crop for income.
This orchard is located in the hills near Highlandville, about 30 miles southeast of Springfield. While peaches are the primary fruit grown here, apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and tomatoes can also be found.
Owner Paul Lais lives with his wife in Springfield, but during early spring he can be found at the orchard seven days a week, preparing for the growing season. He sleeps in a trailer he bought which he lovingly calls the "Man-Cave".
Lais says peaches and strawberries are the first to start growing; they typically blossom late March to early April.
Peach trees are the most vulnerable to cold during the blossom stage. Lais says if the temperature reaches 28 degrees, he can expect a 10% peach loss. If it dips to 25 degrees, up to 90% can be lost. During an early April cold snap two years ago, Lais lost a majority of his peach and strawberry crop and had to make up for the loss by working in Springfield.
If it gets below freezing, Lais will crank up his lone wind machine. The heat is generated from diesel-powered "smudge pots" placed near the base of the tower, and the propellor will circulate the rising heat throughout the 10 acres of peach trees.
Another tool to keep the peach trees warm is a sprayer. A tractor pulls the contraption between the peach trees as it sprays a mist of freeze-proof liquid calcium on them.
Lais will work the sprayer using a controller as he rides the tractor.
The fruit grown here will be sold to local grocery stores and the Farmer's Market in Springfield. If he loses most of his peach crop to the cold, Lais will have to buy fruit from other orchards and re-sell it. This costs twice as much as producing his own fruit.
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