Marketplace All-in-One Farmers feel the big freeze
Jan 27, 2026
Elizabeth Troval, Marketplace reporter covering agricultural and regional economics, reports from the field on a brutal freeze. She describes ice-toppled timber and threatened sugar cane roots in Louisiana. She explains how cold stalls crawfish molting and cuts cattle weight. The report stitches together vivid scenes of farmers grappling with sudden, widespread cold.
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Cold Snap Hit Farms Unevenly
- The deep freeze had varied impacts across agriculture, from timber to cattle to crawfish.
- Some sectors face long-term loss (timber, sugarcane) while others see short-term slowdowns or even benefits (crawfish).
Timber Damage Is Years Of Lost Growth
- Mississippi's ice bent and broke pine trees, often pulling them out of the ground.
- Keith Coble notes a 12-year-old tree's loss means growers lose a decade of growth and must restart.
Sugarcane Depends On Unfrozen Roots
- Sugarcane faces risk if roots freeze because regrowth depends on underground buds.
- LSU's Mike Deliberto warns frozen roots can prevent multiple harvest cycles next year.