An asparagus grower in southwest Michigan reported frost damage following temperatures dropping to 29 degrees on Sunday night (19 April). Harvest had started about two weeks earlier than usual at the beginning of the month.
"We had it down to 29 degrees, and the current crop in the field is, for the most part, fried, so it'll be a few days now to recover," said Jason Meachum.
High Acres Fruit Farm, located in Hartford, produces a range of crops, including fruits, vegetables, and corn, across approximately 2,428 hectares.
Meachum said it will take several days to assess the extent of the freeze impact. "We irrigated, ran wind machines as we could, but it's a little early to tell on the trees yet," he said. "At ground level, it was a heavy, heavy frost."
Fieldwork has also been affected by rainfall during April.
According to USDA data, one per cent of corn and sugarbeet crops in Michigan have been planted.
Soil moisture remains above average, with 69 per cent of topsoil and 41 per cent of subsoil reported in surplus across the state.
Source: Brownfield
