Some tough news for those in Michiana wanting local peaches this year.

Indiana and Southwest Michigan farmers suffered a loss of their peach crop this year, after a cold start to the year. With a combination of fragile peach buds and a cold snap earlier this year, we'll have to do without local peaches this summer.

After a cold January, many local farmers' peach crop couldn't survive, as peach buds aren't really built to withstand negative temperatures.

This is the second year in a row Michiana farmers are suffering a loss.. as negative temperatures froze the peach buds beyond saving.

While it might have seemed like a warmer winter than we're used to.. those days it went below zero were noticed by farmers.

Owner of Kercher's Sunrise Orchard in Goshen tells me the community isn't too fond of the news.

"People are so sad. They're they're probably more concerned about the peach crop around here because they love Kercher peaches. And we have some really super varieties. And we tree ripen them. So when you take them off the tree and you bite into them a juice runs down your face," said Maureen Kercher, Kercher Sunrise Orchard owner.

Fortunately, most other fruits weren't affected. The farm's signature fruit, apples, are built to withstand the winter. Kercher tells WSBT 22 apple buds can withstand negative temperatures. Peaches on the other hand, aren't as hearty and are lost once the temperature drops to negative numbers.

Kercher says it's something farmers can't really see coming.

"It's nothing that we can predict unless we have a really cold temperature in the winter. And then we say well, we're probably not going to have a peach crop this year," said Kercher.

Peaches from other states will still be available. The farm will get peaches from a different part of Michigan and South Carolina. All other fruits will be available, as well.

"We will have lots of lots of summer fruits. Strawberries are going to start early this year. That's the big news you want to talk about. People need to know that because of this warm spring and warm winter and everything. Everything is super early," said Kercher.

Source - https://wsbt.com