Headline : How are Tree Fruit Farmers Adapting to a Changing Climate?

Read more from the original article on here at modernfarmer.com.

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Climate change threatens to upend fruit production. From mulching to thinking bigger, here’s how some farmers are adjusting to a riskier future. 

“A lot of the Michigan growers have told us we probably couldn’t have picked a worse year to take over,” says John Behrens, owner of Farmhaus Farms and Farmhaus Cider Co. Coming off an exceptionally warm winter, it’s clear to Behrens that it’s a particularly challenging time to become a farmer. “We had a day that was over 70F, and the next day, the high I don’t think got out of the 20s,” he says. “That is not normal.”

Across the country, farmers growing apples and other tree fruits are intensifying their efforts to mitigate the challenges posed by increasingly erratic weather patterns driven by climate change, from spring frosts to drought. Tactics include frost fans, misting and mulching. Plus, in some cases, growers are planting new trees that they believe will help them to prepare for a more resilient farming future. With these strategies, farmers hope to keep their precious fruits from being destroyed by the elements, protecting their livelihoods—and the quality of the fresh and local produce that consumers can enjoy.

Behrens, who is also president of the Michigan Cider Association, has recently embarked on a new challenge: taking over a tree fruit farm close to his cidery in the Grand Rapids area. The farm—which had previously been with one family since 1907—grows apples, peaches, pears, plums and cherries. There is also a market and bakery onsite. Being a cidery and a grower has some advantages: The fruit has a clear path to production even when packing houses are overrun, and using hail-damaged fruits is easier. 

Read more from the original article on here at modernfarmer.com.

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