HAMMOND - Some strawberry farmers in Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes have covered their crops in anticipation of another cold blast.

On Monday, crews at Harris Strawberry Farm in Hammond fought the wind and cold, putting cloths over rows of strawberry plants to keep them warm.

"If we don't have everything covered, our blooms will burn, our strawberries will start freezing, and then they'll rot," farm owner Trey Harris said.

Harris said his farm spans 14 acres and includes 210,000 plants. He said it takes a lot of effort to get the strawberries from the field to the grocery store.

"It's easy for us to pick a red strawberry, but to get it there takes a lot," Harris said.

LSU AgCenter Horticulture Extension Agent Mary Helen Ferguson works at a research station in Hammond. She told WBRZ that different parts of the plant are vulnerable at different temperatures.

"If they're uncovered, the most cold-sensitive part of the strawberry is going to be the open flower, that's cold-sensitive to about 30 degrees Fahrenheit," Ferguson said.

Ferguson said strawberries are expensive to grow, but their value goes beyond money.

"Historically, strawberries have been very important here," she said.

Harris said that is part of the reason crews worked hard Wednesday to check the cloths, remove berries hurt by the cold and harvest the ripe fruit. The WBRZ Storm Station said on Wednesday that there is a growing likelihood of another cold outbreak over the weekend.

"It was a huge industry back in the day; we've got just 10 to 15 farmers fighting every day to keep this heritage alive," Harris said. "We've been lucky, now we're just getting ahead for Saturday."