Tart Cherry farms across the state have been hit hard by cold weather.
The tart cherry is synonymous with Michigan. Michiganders celebrate the annual Cherry Festival in Traverse City and produce nearly 75% of America's supply.
However, nature still has its way.
Spring frost, along with other issues, caused over 40% of the state's yield to be lost for the 2025 harvest.
In northwest Michigan, the loss was even greater.
According to MSU Extension horticulture specialist Nikki Rothwell, the region used to harvest 180 million pounds in tart cherries. This year there were only 30 million pounds.
"We had cold temperatures in April, before the blossoms had opened. So, the buds were still pretty tight, maybe a little green showing, and the temperatures before the day before hit the 70s," Rothwell explained.
"And then we got cold...coupled with it is that it was really, really windy. So, we don't really understand the role that wind plays in freezing or causing bud damage."
Most temperature testing within MSU Extension takes place within growth chambers, which means there is no wind factor involved. This year's crop loss has Rothwell considering how they can factor wind for future testing.
"We have to understand this role of wind...I think wind contributed to that. It's something that's been rattling around the back of my mind," said Rothwell.
In Central Lake, King Orchards saw an 85-90% crop loss for this year, a much higher loss than the rest of the region.
That's according to Juliette King-McAvoy, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the orchard. She says due to a lack of crops they were unable to produce cherry concentrate this year- one of their biggest productions.
Instead, they had to source from other producers, causing a price increase.
"We're trying to grow this industry. We're trying to get more customers and there's nothing that hurts our momentum and growth more than volatility in the price or in availability," King-McAvoy explained.
"We might have just had a new customer using our concentrate in their product, and all of a sudden our prices have gone up 25%. They may not choose to continue that product or they may look for a different fruit to concentrate like a cranberry, or a blueberry."
Back at MSU Extension, Nikki Rothwell believes climate change is going to be detrimental to growing perennial crops in Michigan. She says breeding takes time, and they can't breed something fast enough to keep up with the changes.
"We're relying on good cold winters," Rothwell said. "You throw this monkey wrench in these, just two random days in April, causing significant damage." "Trying to understand how to minimize risk for growers to grow... I feel like it's going to be a real challenge moving forward."
