Farmers fear the worse with another overnight freeze

BERRIEN SPRINGS, Mich. -- This final cold snap could ruins Michiana fruit farms for the season.

Local farmers said they will be working through the night trying to keep their crops safe, doing everything from running wind machines, to flood their fields to keep the temperature on the ground from dropping too low.

As the sun set Thursday night, local farmers watched as the temperature started falling fast. Stover's Farm Market in Berrien Springs is just one of many who said protecting their crops will come down to how cold it gets, and how long it stays that cold.

Right now, Kenny Stover, a 5th generation farmer for family-run business, said he is just trying to save what is left of his apple crop after losing 50 percent of his apples during the last freeze.

 "It's just really sad because this is our way of life, and for so many of my neighbors it's their way of life too. It's just so sad because when it does drop down to 25 or 26 degrees, there is just nothing you can do," said Stover.

There is some good news, though. Some of Stover's crops, such as the peaches and the sweet cherries, bloomed so early because of the stretch of warm weather in March that both crops are far enough along that they can handle these low temptress.