Over the last week, cherry, peach and apple trees have started to bud – about a month ahead of schedule. Fruit farmers in Michigan are concerned.
"The process has begun," says fruit farmer Kenny Stover.
There is nothing Stover can do except sit back and watch.
"You can see at the tip here a little bit of a green coming and that is going to be the leaf that forms on the apple tree," says Stover as he holds a branch from an apple tree in his hand.
Stover is a fifth generation fruit farmer in Berrien Springs – At Stover's Fruit Farm the family raises 18 fruits and vegetables.
"It definitely makes for some sleepless nights," says Stover.
And all their fruit trees are showing signs of spring about a month early.
"You are a lot more susceptible to cold night," says Stover, "when things start early like this we are due some more cold nights and it is just a little more scary – a little more of a risk having everything fully exposed like it will be."
The 200 acres of fruit on Hildebrand Fruit Farms are also showing signs of life – earlier than Mike Hildebrand has ever seen. The problem is a trip back to winter could damage or destroy a crop.
"We'll survive, no one is hurt...no one is dead. We'll be fine," says Hildebrand.
While Hildebrand is keeping a positive attitude, he and every other fruit farmer in Michigan know they are at the mercy of Mother Nature.
Warm temps making Michigan fruit farmers nervous
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thatbeangirl at 9:02 AM March 20, 2012
I grew up in Eau Claire, MI. I was hoping that the cool weather would return before the buds opened but apparently not.
And Mix, I was actually thinking the same exact thing. The possibility of it being exceptionally warm. Though we've been lucky (here anyway) with storms so far this year. I don't know. The whole situation makes me nervous.
MixieCat at 10:02 AM March 19, 2012
Oh boy........if we get a bad cold snap, demand will far exceed supplies and we will be paying a fortune for fruits and vegetables worse than we are now. It's better off just to move into summer now...........although my great aunt predicts we will have record high temps all summer and bad storms........she's not been wrong yet.