A mild winter with heavy spring frosts has left local blueberry farms devastated.

“Strawberries and blueberries were ahead of the game. We were picking strawberries at the end of January,” said Michael Parker at Hickory Bluff Berry Farm. “We should be picking berries in March and April, and the blueberries came very early this year. Then we had the two days of frost and high winds and it added up to probably a 90 percent loss on our blueberries.”

They were able to save the strawberries by covering them, but due to the wind it was impossible to cover the rows of tall blueberry bushes.

“There was really no preventative maintenance that we could have done to save the blueberry crop,” Parker said.

The Holly Hill farm wasn't the only one to lose large amounts of berries last month.

In Ravenel, a Champney blueberry field fared slightly better, reporting losses of 75 to 85 percent. Emery Tumbleston attributes that to being located near a river which keeps the area a bit warmer.

“At a nearby farm, Newton's Blueberry Farm, they experienced a cooler temperature. It was around 24 degrees,” Tumbleston said. “They even lost new growth on their stems. Its leaves were even burned.”

Tumbleston says they have about 10 acres of family farm, all devoted to blueberries. She says it's a devastating loss and one they had no control over.

"We always say that the Vegas player has nothing to do with the American farmer, because you're basically trying to beat all the odds," Tumblerson said. “Statistically, it shouldn't work. There's no reason anyone should go through all the elements just for a little comeback like this, but we still do it and we love it."

Champney's is a seasonal blueberry farm and despite the losses they will try to get as much off the bushes as possible and allow people to come in and pick what they can.

"We love being able to produce something from Earth," Tumbleston said. "When you can put something in the ground and watch it grow and know that you made it and then you're helping to feed a community, it's very rewarding to do something like that."

Meanwhile, the family farm in Hickory Bluff may weather the storm by diversifying its crops and doubling down on agritourism. Parker says small farms must invest in agritourism to stay competitive, especially when crops fail.

“If this is the only thing you trust, then there is no backup,” Parker said. “Farming is what made Hickory Bluff, no question about it. . .but agritourism is what keeps us afloat. I really believe that if we don't allow the public to come here and see our farm and experience our farm for what it is, then if something happens, then it's over."

In addition to picking blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, Hickory Bluff has a garden center, a food truck, and hosts community events on holidays like Easter and the 4th of July.

“As long as we can get the community to come out and support us, we'll make it,” Parker said.