Florida Freezes Foment Datil Dilemma

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Written by Market Observer

Sunday, 07 March 2010 23:54

The recent frigid Florida weather, attributed to Algore's global warming, has had a seriously deleterious effect on much Florida agriculture, including the precious Datil Pepper crop, which is very sensitive to low temperatures. "I don't know what I've got left," fumed one grower and producer of world-famous Datil sauce. "I'm afraid to go look. We lit the smudge pots for six days straight, burned over a hundred gallons of diesel, and I don't think there's going to be enough surviving plants to produce half of my sauce demand." The Datil, while easygoing through drought and heat, has serious problems with temperatures below 40 degrees. The temperatures in the Sacred Ground of The Datil ranged from 50 degrees during the day, to below 23 at night during January. There were many hard freeze warnings from the National Weather Service, always a harbinger of trouble for growers. Alas, when one grows the Datil, these hazards are known. Plans are made to protect mature producing plants; many garages were stuffed with large pots of large Datils to ride out the cold. Datilpower headquarters itself had several 'overnight guests' next to the heater. So, like the tomato crop which suffered 76% loss, and several other Florida crops which took similar hits, the price of the beloved Datil Sauce may rise, due to lack of supply. But bear up, Datilpower fans; the Datil grows fast, and the plants that are still growing will produce prodigiously(remember the horse manure?)(Go Rick Go!). All of us in the Datil Community are working feverishly to re-establish the place of the Datil in the hot sauce firmament.