The wild temperature swings we had this past winter have taken a toll on Southwest Michigan fruit crops.
MSU Extension viticulture specialist Mike Reinke tells us with warm weather followed by hard freezes, some of the more sensitive fruits were hit hard.
“We’ve had a reduced crop load and potential reduced harvest of a couple of varieties of fruit crops,” Reinke said. “Primarily peaches and some wine grapes. Not all wine grapes, but a few of the most commonly known varieties.”
Reinke says cherries were also affected. So, how bad is it?
“Ironically enough, the further north you go, the better the crop. So in a lot of Berrien County, Van Buren, some in Cass County, the wine grape crop was reduced 50 to 80 percent probably, depending on variety. Peaches were very similar, probably 80 to 90 plus percent.”
Reinke doesn’t expect this will affect the availability of peaches in grocery stores but says U-Picks and similar operations will not have much to offer in the area this year.
As for wine production, he still expects wineries to manage.
Reinke says while this has been a challenge to farmers, they do prepare for years like this with insurance and by leaning on other crops. Those that have not been harmed include apples, plums, pears, and blueberries. In fact, Reinke says blueberries look great this year.
