Utah's fruit growers have been hit with a devastating one-two punch this season that wiped out developing fruit.
For one fourth-generation Utah County farm, the result is a season with nothing to harvest — a harsh example of how increasingly volatile weather can upend agriculture.
Pyne Farms, a family-run operation that has been in business since 1903, lost its entire fruit crop this year after extreme spring weather devastated tart cherries, apples, and peaches across 53 acres in Santaquin and Genola, KSL-TV 5 reported. It was the farm's first complete crop failure since 1972.
"We're not going to take anything — nothing," owner Kent Pyne said, per KSL-TV 5.
An unusually early warm spell caused the trees to bloom three to four weeks ahead of schedule. Then, three separate hard freezes struck, destroying the developing fruit before it had a chance to mature.
Pyne said "99.9%" of the farm's cherries turned black after the freezes, while apples and peaches suffered nearly identical losses.
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Pyne said many nearby orchards are facing the same outcome, with statewide fruit losses estimated at roughly 90% to 95%.
For consumers, that could translate into higher grocery prices as stores rely more heavily on fruit shipped in from other states.
Fruit trees are especially vulnerable to rapid weather swings because they rely on precise seasonal timing. Warmer winters or unusually hot early-spring temperatures can trigger blossoms too soon, even while the risk of freezing weather remains.
If temperatures plunge after blooming begins, an entire year's crop can be lost in just a few hours.
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Scientists have long warned that rising global temperatures can disrupt seasonal patterns. For orchard owners, that creates an expensive trap. Trees wake up early, then get hit when winter suddenly returns.
Extreme weather disasters like this can threaten both livelihoods and local food systems. When farms lose a full season's crop, growers can lose a year of income, workers can lose wages, and businesses connected to harvesting, packing, and selling produce can also suffer.
For now, Pyne Farms is focused on surviving the difficult year ahead.
"It's depressing. It's sad," Pyne said. "But I know it's not like this every year. We just have to make the best of a bad situation."
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