With Florida’s recent cold weather, see the steps for assessment and reporting after freeze events for agriculture.
“Florida has experienced several low-temperature and freeze events between late December 2025 and early February 2026,” shared a recent UF/IFAS blog article. It recommends ag producers in The Sunshine State visit UF/IFAS Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) website, and Extension Disaster Education Network Resource Dashboard “for additional information on current weather conditions in Florida and available tools related to cold protection.” It also shared steps for assessment and reporting as the “process is important not only for filing insurance claims on covered assets but also for informing decision-making processes related to disaster declaration, response, and relief at the local, state, and federal levels.” See them below.
Steps for Assessment and Reporting After Freeze Events
The UF/IFAS blog recommended taking these steps for assessment and reporting after freeze events:
- “Document all losses and damages from the freeze event(s). Take photos or drone images before cleanup occurs with date, time, and location stamps enabled. Keep a work log of all hours that you or your employees spend on preparation, mitigation, cleanup, and repairs.
- Contact your insurance agent about filing claims for any damages or losses covered by insurance. File a claim before any non-emergency cleanup or repairs are made.
- Report farm damages or crop/livestock 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.
- Investigate agricultural disaster assistance programs that might be available. It is critical to be aware that, in the aftermath of many disaster events, bad actors may attempt to take advantage of vulnerable populations during the recovery process. Remain vigilant against fraudulent assistance programs or businesses. For legitimate assistance programs, please contact agencies such as:
- Take the UF/IFAS EIAP Disaster Assessment Survey. This survey is used to estimate the state- and later county-level production losses for agricultural operations in Florida and results are communicated to state and federal agencies to inform their decision-making processes. This survey is not formally used for disaster designations or disaster assistance eligibility, so it is critical to make sure you also are reporting losses and damages to the USDA-FSA (see step 3).”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.