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West Michigan farmers deal with freeze damage

Posted at 1:25 PM, May 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-11 13:25:26-04

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Farmers in western Michigan are scrambling to take care of their crops after temperatures recently dipped below freezing.

Kevin Robson is a horticultural specialist at the Michigan Farm Bureau. He says area farmers are taking preventative measures to save their crops.

Robson says many fruit growers, for example, have installed front fans to pull warmer air down into the orchard floors. Crops susceptible to the cold include cherries, apples and blueberries.

Another susceptible crop is asparagus. The first three harvests of Fuehring Farms’ roughly 300 acres of asparagus were destroyed by frost Sunday night and Monday morning.

The asparagus industry markets its crop as a Mother’s Day treat. But with Michigan being the second largest asparagus producer in the country, there won’t be much at stores in time for the holiday.