Poultry and egg farmers use fans and water to cool the barns housing their birds. If the power goes off this summer, chickens and turkeys could overheat and die.
Growers say their energy bills have tripled.
Experts recommend poultry farmers prepare for blackouts by installing backup generators and alarms to notify managers when the power goes out. Farmers in Lake County report serious frost damage to walnuts, pears, apples and winegrapes. At least 35 percent of a crop must be damaged in order to declare a disaster. Nighttime temperatures in Lake County dropped as low as 24 degrees earlier this month. Fresno crop value drops The nation's top agricultural county reports a drop in sales of farm goods.