The sleepy coastal town of Castroville, CA is starting to come alive again as Spring approaches. Castroville is the official Artichoke Capital of America. A late winter frost can cause damage to artichokes on the plant, as well as to the plant, which would affect supplies for the Spring crop. Some frost is fine, just not long hours of freezing temperatures. Frost can blister the outside of the artichoke.
Rain is also devastating.
The Romans considered artichokes an aphrodisiac. Artichokes are the official Valentine's vegetable for Dr. Ruth. That huge storm wiped out early planted melon fields in the Caribbean and South America, particularly in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Honduras. Usually, harvest will begin in late November or early December. Last year, off-shore supplies really didn't kick in until late January.