A holiday visit with family turned into a difficult homecoming for the owners of Oceanview Gardens in mid-December.

Dwane and Laura Ballou were visiting family in New Hampshire when they received the news. On Dec. 10, they learned that four of the large, enclosed growing tunnels at their greenhouses had collapsed.

The business sits at 5.9-Mile Zimovia Highway and serves as a major source of starter plants, fresh vegetables and flowers for the community. The long structures are typically packed with rows of lettuce, broccoli, pumpkins and green beans.

When the couple returned two days later, they saw the heavy toll of the Alaska winter. A thick buildup of snow and ice had pushed down on the curved metal crossbars until the center of the buildings gave way.

Despite the twisted metal and torn plastic, the owners are looking for the silver lining.

“We were pretty lucky,” Dwane Ballou said. “It could have been worse.”

While the plants inside survived the initial collapse, wildlife soon found the opening. Deer wandered into the broken structures to snack on shrubs and strawberry plants.

“The deer don’t just go for the strawberries,” he said. “They love eating the whole entire plant.”

The damage has forced a change in plans for the upcoming spring. A temporary nursery now sits in the building directly behind the shop to keep the spinach, lettuce and other greens safe.

Because the tunnels are considered temporary structures, insurance will not cover the loss. This means the recovery will come out of the couple’s own pockets.

The plan for this year involves a shift in technology. The farm will replace the destroyed buildings with three hoop tunnels that are easy to set up right before planting.

Dwane said he also plans to invest in gable houses which feature a peaked roof design that allows heavy snow to slide off more easily.

Some crops will be missing from the shelves this year. Fans of the farm’s corn on the cob will have to wait until next year, as that crop will not be part of the current rotation.

However, other parts of the business are actually expanding.

Seedlings for hanging flower baskets will arrive within the next two weeks. The farm hopes to sell twice as many flowers as they did last summer. They even plan to transport some of those baskets to Petersburg for sale.

By the time May rolls around, the property should be filled with more than 200 trees and shrubs. If the farm continues to grow at this pace, the Ballous expect they will eventually need to hire extra help to keep up with the work.

“I think things definitely could have been worse,” Dwane Ballou said. “We’re expecting a big summer this year.”