Remember all those cold nights this winter when the temperature dropped to double digits below zero? Peach farmers do, and now they're able to judge the damage the cold caused to their peach trees. But the crop loss varies greatly the farther the orchard is from Lake Michigan.

Dave Rabe's peaches are looking good, thanks in part to his orchards' close proximity to Lake Michigan.

Cold temperatures this winter did damage the state's peach crop.

"You are going to find about 70 percent of a crop overall. Some people got a full crop and some got hurt bad from the cold," Rabe explained.

Farms on the lakeshore benefit from the big lake's protection. While farmers many miles inland reported multiple days with temperatures at 19 degrees below zero, the lowest it fell on Rabe's farm was 15 degrees below zero.

Farmers in central southern Michigan and those on the east side of the state have reported the greatest peach crop damage.

"And even up by Hart they had some more damage," Rabe said.

Most peaches grown on the lakeshore go to processing markets to be used in pies and canned. The supply of Michigan peaches sold in grocery stores and at farm markets will be tight, with peach prices similar or slightly more than last summer.

A peach expert with Michigan State University says farms in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio have much greater crop loss because of the cold winter. That's one factor that could create upward pricing pressure on peaches grown in Michigan.

Source - http://www.wzzm13.com/