Unusual SoCal storms didn't spare indoor farmers
Added on 05 April 2023
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At Beylik Family Farms, tomatoes should be bright red and ready to pick, but the stormy weather and lack of sunshine delayed production by about three to four weeks.
Scott Beylik, a greenhouse tomato farmer in Fillmore, California, describes his on-the-vine tomatoes as "perfect for BLTs or burgers on a warm, sunny day."
The typical sunny days in southern California have been few and far between this month. While outdoor farms deal with flooding, the indoor ones fear the dark rain clouds the most.
A third-generation farmer, Beylik and his family have grown tomatoes inside greenhouses about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles since 1971. Their tomatoes rely on plenty of sunlight.
"In the greenhouse here, we're enclosed. We don't have lights in here. We still rely on the sun," Beylik said. "We want full sun for tomatoes. Well, when it's rainy and super cloudy, you don't have the sun. So, it really sets production back. It sets the ripening back."
Photo: Scott Beylik is a third-generation greenhouse tomato farmer in Fillmore, California. Provided by Fox News© Fox News
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