Vitalina Ruiz, who runs a fruit and vegetable stand at the Kissimmee Farmer’s Market called Vita’s Produce, sorts strawberries and places them out for sale. The market, in downtown Kissimmee’s Toho Square, is open Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mother always told you to eat your fruit and vegetables – she just never told you how expensive they would be.

The Kissimmee Farmer's Market has been a great place to get produce since 1987, but the record cold weather and the earthquake in Chile have been really hard on the market, and consumers as well.

Almost every vegetable grown in Florida has been hit hard by the winter freezes, Karen Ford, manager of the Kissimmee market, said. 

“Tomatoes have really been hit hard,” Ford said. “Not only has the price gone up, but it is going to be difficult to find them” in the coming weeks.

Tomatoes are a staple crop in Florida in the spring. But almost all of the growing areas were devastated by the freezes.

“And the recent heavy rains and continued cold weather have not been good for growing either,” she said.

Tomatoes normally have been selling between $12 and $15 a box for the market wholesalers.

“It was up to $52 a box this week,” she said.

The tomatoes at the Thursday morning market looked fresh and flavorful, probably better than what you might find at some area grocers, but that heavy price tag could mean salads with more lettuce and less tomato.

A basket of beefsteak tomatoes was $4.50 at the market this week. Last year, it probably would have been about $2.50, Ford said.

Despite the increased prices, Ford said the farmer's market is still the best choice for buying produce since the vendors get vegetables such as tomatoes faster than grocery chains.

“Our vendors get much of their produce from (the wholesale) market in Plant City,” she said. Their vegetables are harvested on Wednesday for the Thursday market.

Grocery chains have to buy in bulk and in advance, making it harder for them to have produce that is as fresh, she said.

Hugo Jimenez family members at their produce stand, which has been a part of the market for about 10 years, said they have noticed a drop off in business over the past few years.

“Last year, it was because of the economy,” Hugo Jimenez said. “This year, prices have gone up so much because of the weather.”

And it is more than weather causing havoc at the market. The massive Chilean earthquake is also taking its toll and that will only get worse in the coming weeks, Ford said.

Many fruits, such as grapes, plums and nectarines are imported from Chile this time of year, since this is the summer season there.

“But the earthquake has destroyed crops and the transportation system,” she said.

It remains to be seem just how much an effect that will have on the market in the near future.

Even that Florida spring favorite – the strawberry – has been hit hard by the weather.

Strawberries were scarce and expensive, Ford said. That problem was further compounded because the Plant City Strawberry Festival also was in progress and the festival was buying up much of the strawberries in the Central Florida market.

The festival has ended though, she said, so Florida strawberries are plentiful again.

The market had strawberries at $2 per pint and $3 per quart Thursday.

Fortunately, cool-weather vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce are readily available and at reasonable prices, she said.

Ford is optimistic that the marketplace will get better in the coming weeks, particularly when the California produce season arrives later in the spring and summer.

For the short term though, prices will probably remain high, with some fruits and vegetables in short supply, she said.

In addition to produce, the weekly market, located at Toho Square in downtown Kissimmee, sells honey, jewelry, woodcrafts, jams and jellies, Jamaican specialties, plants and more.