GRANBY, Mass. — A cold snap this week could've led to serious damage to crops at Red Fire Farm in Granby, but farm manager Stephanie Kennedy says the apples and peaches look to be OK.

"After looking at it this morning it looks like we got maybe, maybe at the most 5% damage from the frost," said Kennedy. "We were maybe able to hold and maintain a temperature inside the orchard and just as the frost was getting the worst at sun up-in order to keep all of them alive."

Kennedy said the farm took several precautions to protect their trees from the colder nights.

They used burn barrels and spread many of them across the field to keep the area warmer.

"We basically got the burn barrels got those in place, and then we started hauling wood from anywhere that we could find it," she said. "In these large bins that you see everywhere. I think we used maybe a total of 50 of those."

It was an effort that saw around 25 volunteers throughout Western Massachusetts coming together to bring wood as well as to supervise the burn barrels through the evening.

Kennedy says the community support was vital.

"It would not have been possible if our crew wouldn't have been fast acting but I don't think it would've been possible without all the volunteers at the end of the day," she said. "Just because they filled all the empty spots, and they made it just a little bit easier for us." 

It was important to have a different outcome this time.

After Kennedy says the family-owned farm lost nearly 100% of their fruit crop last year due to freezes.

"It was incredibly hard for the farm to take a hit like that but this year we're definitely seeing that the trees are very strong and have," she said. "What could be a very good crop if we make it through to the end of May without another freeze."