A sudden return to near-freezing temperatures in New Jersey is forcing farmers to take extra steps to protect crops that began blooming during an early stretch of warm weather.

At Alstede Farms in Chester, rows of peach and plum trees are already showing signs of the season’s progress, but now, and its risks. After days of temperatures nearing 80 degrees, a cold snap now threatens those blossoms, which are especially vulnerable this time of year.

“Of course, with farming, we get to deal with the weather. So we’re very used to these temperature fluctuations,” Rebekah Alstede Modery, from Alstede Farms said. “And so we know that if we’ve been seeing a week of warm weather, we’re going to have to do something to adapt to these cooler temperatures.”

To combat the cold, the farm is preparing overnight operations aimed at keeping orchard temperatures just high enough to prevent damage.

One method involves ‘StopGel candles’, which are small, bucket looking objects, filled with wax and a cardboard lighter. They’re placed about 25 feet apart throughout the orchard and lit overnight to act like miniature campfires. The candles can raise the surrounding temperature by around four degrees, helping protect delicate buds.

Their farm crews also deploy larger equipment, including a “frost dragon,” a mobile heater that blows hot air, reaching 200 degrees, across the fields.

The goal is to prevent frost from settling on the blossoms, which could damage or destroy crops before they have a chance to fully develop.

“We look most forward to when we’re actually able to harvest these crops,” Alstede Modery said. “And that’s one of the reasons putting in this kind of work and putting in this kind of effort right now really makes it worth it.”