Ask most farmers and they will tell you there aren't many guarantees in their line of work.

Crops can be up or down and that's just part of the job.

But when crops are as bad as this year's sweet cherry harvest, they need help, which is just what they're asking for from the USDA.

"I was born and raised right here on this farm," said Emily Miezio, with Cherry Bay Orchards in Leelanau County.

Miezio has spent more time around cherry orchards than most.

She knows well the joys and the heartbreak nature can deal to growers.

"I was probably seven or eight, and we hadn't gotten rain, we hadn't gotten rain; we were worried. And then it's time to harvest the sweet cherries, and we have a downpour of rain," Miezio said.

"And I remember sitting on our porch crying with my dad because we knew we were cracking sweet cherries with that rain," Miezio said.

Fast forward to this year and perhaps more porch tears for lots of northern Michigan sweet cherry growers.

"We had growers right here in Leelanau County that ended up not harvesting any of their dark, sweet cherries," Miezio said.

It was a perfect storm of unfavorable conditions: a mild winter followed by a quick warm up; wind and oh so much spring and early summer rain.

"Definitely there was a loss. And depending on where the orchard is, and you know, just these microclimates across the area, some were better than others," Miezio said.

Twenty percent of the country's sweet cherries come Michigan.

But this year's dreadful weather for growing, means anywhere from 30% to 75% of the crop was lost.

After months of costly pruning, mowing, applications, and H2A labor contracts

"When you get into your orchard and you're unable to harvest anything from it, you already have all the input costs in there," Miezio said.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture explaining the conditions that Emily and growers in nine counties experienced this season.

In it, she describes the conditions that lead to a "natural disaster for sweet cherry production."

If the USDA agrees and a disaster is declared, help for growers, like low interest loans, may become available.

State Rep. Betsy Coffia is urging the USDA to step up.

In a statement, Rep. Coffia said: "I strongly urge the USDA to grant this relief to support them as they face this devastating and costly crop loss after months of round-the-clock work and expenses to try and save it."

"I think for some growers, it will help," Miezio said. "I think that we are hopeful that it will help get us through this year. And a grower always has hope. I think we always we have to live with hope and hope that next year will be better. I think that's how we stay in farming is that hopefulness."

The request letter has been submitted to the USDA.

Source - https://wwmt.com