Leelanau County cherry growers can wrap up the 2024 harvest knowing they may be eligible for emergency resources through the federal government.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this week that a federal disaster designation was granted Leelanau County, as a result of significant insect and disease damage in cherries.
Seventy-give percent of this year’s sweet crop was lost as a result of a mild winter and warm, wet early season.
This loss would be worrisome in any economy, but for cherry growers it is more than a pitfall.
You see, for several years growers, sweet cherry revenue helped offset losses for red tart cherries, the fruit that put Leelanau on the map. A sizable fruit carryover from previous bountiful harvests has depressed the market with the cost of growing and harvesting outpacing revenue. Not to mention a federal marketing order which requires farmers to set aside a percentage of their crop to control supply and stabilize the two.
However, fruit growing doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Farmers, producers, retailers, restaurant owners rely on the success of the crop, which along with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, drive tourism.
The counties designated by USDA as natural disaster or contiguous disaster areas means qualified farm operators are eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Services Agency (USDA-FSA) provided eligibility requirements are met.
Farmers have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. USDA-FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
Here’s hoping that growers take advantage of the low interest USDA loan program.
We all stand to benefit from keeping our farms in production.
