USA - Peach harvest in southwestern Michigan nearly wiped out by last winter’s polar vortex

10.06.2019 2041 views

The polar vortex that enveloped much of the Midwest early this year has nearly wiped out the peach crop in southwestern Michigan.

And it’s not just peaches, which Michigan is known for. Some of the region’s apricot, plum and apple crops also might be affected after the blast of polar air plummeted temperatures to minus 20 degrees in late January around the state.

Bill Shane, a tree fruit specialist at Michigan State University, says Michigan’s southwestern counties will suffer millions of dollars in losses from damage to fruit crops. The polar vortex also might have shortened the lifespan of trees that were severely damaged, according to Shane.

Bill Teichman recently inspected his peach trees at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm, a 500-acre orchard in Eau Claire, Michigan, and found deep, vertical cracks in some of their trunks. Others were bleeding sap. Some were hardly able to produce leaves, Teichman said.

He said he doubts that his peach trees will be able to produce fruit at all this year and that he already can tell that several need to be replaced.

A peach tree in Eau Claire, Michigan, that was badly damaged by last winter’s polar vortex.
A peach tree in Eau Claire, Michigan, that was badly damaged by last winter’s polar vortex.
AP

He also found that some of his apple varieties aren’t bearing fruit, either. He hopes to help cover his losses through an insurance claim.

His farm is still recovering from a late cold snap in 2012 that killed the farm’s peach trees.

“We’ve lost our peach crop twice in the past seven years,” he said.

Ben Smith, who manages Hinkelman Farms in Benton Harbor, Michigan, said some of the farm’s grape varieties were killed. It could take a couple of years before it can get its grapes back to full production, according to Smith.

Source - https://chicago.suntimes.com
12.11.2026

USA - Can crop insurance offer fishermen a better safety net?

For commercial fishermen, a sudden fishery closure can mean losing an entire season's income while bills keep coming. Vessel payments, insurance, moorage fees, and other operating expenses don't disappear when a fishery shuts down, and federal disaster assistance can take years to reach the people who need it.

12.11.2026

USA - Closing the Gap on Cotton Abandonment: The Case for a Harvest Incentive

Bart Fischer and Joe Outlaw write in Southern Ag Today: We all know that production agriculture is notoriously risky, with crop insurance having become the cornerstone of the farm safety net. 

12.11.2026

India - Wingsure looking to help farmers get credit for agriculture insurance premium payment

The AI-driven crop-insurance company’s founder and CEO Avi Basu says agri insurance has been an ‘important learning ground’.

12.11.2026

FAO unveils farming guide to help smallholders increase yields with fewer resources

Better seeds, integrated pest management and mechanisation to improve productivity while reducing resource use and emissions.

12.11.2026

Canada - Farmers say strychnine came too late

The emergency registration of two per cent strychnine had little impact on crop protection in Wheatland County this year, according to Premium Ag partner Matt Gosling. 

12.11.2026

Peru declares 60-day emergency as El Niño threatens potato crops

Peru has declared a 60-day state of emergency across 1,380 districts in 191 provinces following forecasts of rainfall associated with the 2026–27 El Niño. The measure, announced on November 3, covers several potato-growing regions, including Puno, Cusco, Junín, Huánuco, and Ayacucho.

11.11.2026

Scotland introduces bird flu prevention zone for keepers

A Scotland-wide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been introduced following an increase in cases of bird flu in wild and kept birds.

11.11.2026

India - Training for 56 master trainers on crop insurance from today

Two-day programme to focus on effective implementation of PMFBY and speedy settlement of farmers’ claims.