Some crop harvests in danger as Central Valley braces for storms

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- As the Central Valley braces for several days of heavy rain, some farmers say they're worried about the impact on certain crops.

"With this storm coming in, Sunday night, Monday... we're nervous because that means that the bees are going to stay in their hives and not do much work," said Kevin Herman, owner of The Specialty Crop Company -- which farms around 20,000 acres of Central Valley land.

Herman said bees are vital to the pollination process for almond trees.

But with the expected storms and cooler temperatures, many could die -- or at a minimum, hide -- meaning a delay for further blooming of almond trees.

And almonds aren't the only concern.

"Our stone fruit, and even nut trees, are something to be really concerned about," said Diane Berra, a salesperson at Green Hills Nursery.

Berra says those types of crops are also reliant on pollination. Be it stone fruit or nut trees -- she says all the crops farmers concerned about this year face additional risks.

"If you get some foliage that's starting to push out, you still can track some disease on there," she said.

And it's not just farmers that need to worry -- because a cut in crops means a cut in the county's income.

Herman predicts his company's almond yield this year could face 20-25% damage due to the coming storms.

Because of this, he urges shoppers to buy local, especially now -- just as he says he tries to do.

"If I buy my tractors up in Modesto, and they get the sales tax revenue -- their roads get improved, not ours here," he said.

Last year, Fresno County was back on top in terms of agricultural exports. Farmers say these storms could impact that, but it's still too early to tell.