GENEVA, Ohio (WJW) – ‘Frost’ is a word no farmer wants to hear in the month of May, but that’s exactly what many farmers across Northeast Ohio found when they woke up.

Hundley Cellars in Geneva is perhaps one of the hardest-hit.

“Frost this late in the season is devastating,” co-owner Tracy Hundley said. 

Hundley said they knew cold temperatures were coming, but they were praying it wouldn’t be a hard freeze.

“As you can see, the buds are on the vines,” she said. “When I went to check them at 6:20 this morning, they were frozen solid. So, there’s definitely going to be some loss.”

There are 29 rows of vines at Hundley Cellars, where up to 2,000 gallons of wine is produced. The hard freeze could have a $25,000 impact on their small business.

“It’s a grief, it’s a loss, it’s a huge loss,” she said. “Especially when you hand-plant these vines and watch them grow from little sticks in the ground to these beautiful producing wine grapes.”

Many farmers across the region have been impacted by the cold weather already this year, and this frost adds another degree of difficulty. Hundley said it’s best to stay positive.

“Bad situation or good situation, knowing that farming is so critical and what these people go through day after day to support our food in America,” she said. “Go to that farm stand, go to the wineries with the vineyards, buy a bottle of wine. Whatever you can do to support them.”

Hundley said it is a wait and see assessment for most of their grapes, but there is still hope the secondary and tertiary growing phases will be OK.

Hundley said they are very grateful for the support from people reaching out on social media and from those who are visiting the vineyard.