A surprising mid-April cold snap has triggered Nevada County’s first request for a crop disaster declaration in around seven years. County Agriculture Commissioner Chris de Nijs says wine grapes were hit the hardest…

click to listen to Chris de Nijs

De Nijs says the estimated production loss was 55-percent. And that would translate to a one-point-two million dollar revenue loss for growers. If the request is approved by the California Office of Emergency Services, emergency loans and additional assistance, such as improving the health of the vines, would be available. The county grows over 400 acres of grapes. De Nijs says other crops were also impacted significantly. But he says those plants didn’t meet the threshold to allow them to seek a similar declaration…

click to listen to Chris de Nijs

De Nijs says wine grapes are among the top four cash crops in Nevada County and represented about 13-percent of the total agricultural value of all crops.