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Michigan tart cherry crop down

(UNDATED)- Farmers who grow tart cherries in the Midwest have had one of their worst years.

An unseasonably warm march that caused trees to bud was followed by an April freeze that killed the blossoms.

The federal government estimates Michigan, the nation's top tart cherry producer, lost 97-percent of its crop.
 

It says Wisconsin lost about 93-percent.
 

Tart cherries are different from sweet cherries, the variety sold fresh at farmers markets and in grocery stores.

Most tart cherries are dried or canned and used as ingredients in foods such as pies, granola and trail mix.
 

Most sweet cherries come from the west coast, so they weren't damaged by the freak weather in the Midwest.

Hans Ahlström is the host of several programs including the daily musical variety show Weekday, the mostly straight ahead jazz show Night Studio, the self explanatory Blues Today, and the eclectic Sound Spectrum. You can also hear Hans as the local host of NPR's All Things Considered news magazine. He also helps manage Public Radio 90's web content, interviews local and visiting writers and artists, works with NMU student interns, and writes the occasional news story.