THE recent cold snap has left many around the north feeling the bite of winter with growers in the Mackay region particularly impacted.
Adam Burrows and Alicia Kidd of HillBilly Farm Co located in Eungella recently shared images online of frost covered produce from their permaculture operation.
Ms Kidd said they had experienced five days in a row of frost covered ground, but due to the substantial rainfall received earlier in May, were behind on plantings for the 2022 season.
"When we want to go in and and prepare the beds to get ready to plant, we don't like to go in and disturb the soil when it's damp," she said
"It's not ideal.
"We missed the window to plant where we go in and get it all ready.
"Thankfully, we were behind as this frost would have rolled emerging seedlings anyway."
The pair are based on 405 hectares (1000 acres) across two different operations and have spent the last two years growing and supplying vegetable boxes and working a market garden.
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The producers previously spent five years prior growing garlic.
Looking on the positive side, the pair plan to give the winter season a miss and resume planting in spring with produce such as cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes, whilst also using the time to focus on their new bakery venture in Eton supplying organic woodfired sourdough.
"We're looking at it from a positive perspective that we're glad that we haven't lost too much more," Ms Kidd said.
"There is a little bit of damage in there at the moment, the lettuce beds are fairly damaged.
"Some of it we may be able to get back, but a lot of it will die now.
"We're just rolling with the punches and that's what it's like when you're farming.
You're at the mercy of the weather."
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Kimba Wong said a cool dry air mass had migrated up to the north from the southern states causing the cold snap.
"Typically the temperature that we look at for frost potential is four degrees or less as a minimum temperature," she said.
"The temperature that we forecast and observe is just above the ground and so the ground itself can be quite a lot colder than what the actual thermometer reading is.
"We typically do need ground temperatures to be below freezing for frost to form, and what we need for those sorts of conditions is usually a cold dry air mass and clear skies to allow the ground to cool down overnight."
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