AMITE — The south Louisiana snowstorm this week left strawberry farmers uncertain about their delicate crops.

Joey Liuzza, who owns Liuzza Family Farms, said farmers were prepared for the arctic blast, but the snowfall adds a literal layer of complication.

The strawberry fields were covered to insulate the plants from the cold. The snow caused extra weight on both the crops and his mind.

“It depends on how much ground heat is there built up radiating from the ground but once the snow got on the net, it kind of pushed the hoops down, pushed the net down and it took a lot of the insulation away,” Liuzza said.

He hasn't uncovered his field yet, but he said he is not optimistic about how it will look.

“It kind of, initial observation it looks like we’re going to have quite a bit of loss of fruit loss and bloom loss,” Liuzza said.

He said he harvests berries from November until May. The snowstorm's timing hurts the potential for Valentine's Day berries, a big chunk of the strawberry business.

"That's kind of disheartening knowing that we're not gonna have the full volume for that, and now we have to wait and see what we will have," Liuzza said.

He said it's hard trying to rebound from a four-week harvest loss, but he said he's fortunate to grow other fruits and vegetables. He said he will have berries just in time for the annual Strawberry Festival.

He said it's important for people to buy locally to help farmers out during this trying time.