As many folks know, the summer season in Michigan can be a great time for fruit lovers.

Southwestern Michigan is home to hundreds of fruit growers, but up until a few weeks ago farmers were not too sure how well their crop would fare.

A freeze over Easter gave farmers across the country quite a scare.

Farmers here in Michiana wondered whether their peach buds could make it through the season.

It turns out that Michigan seems to be one of the few areas in the country which did make it through.

That news comes as a relief to peach farmers like Paul Friday of Coloma, Michigan.

A bad crop elsewhere in the country means Michigan peaches are even more in demand.

Friday says he has been getting calls from peach farmers in other parts of the country and many are asking Michigan farmers for fruit to buy, which they can then re-sell in their markets.

Bill Shane is the District Extension Fruit & Marketing Educator for Michigan State University.

Shane says southwestern Michigan was likely spared in the freeze because of Lake Michigan, which protects against temperatures from getting too low.

“Peaches are an exotic crop, more tender, they're a stone fruit, so that's why we sometimes loose the peach crop,” says Shane.

“We're going to have to dole them out, take care of loyal customers first, then take time to help supply the southeastern region that's short,” says Paul Friday, owner of Flamin' Fury Peach Trees.

In case your mouth is watering for this sometimes hard-to-find fruit, peach season is right around the corner.

Shane says the usual peach season in Michigan starts in early to mid-July and wraps up by mid-September.