"There is no safety net, " said Dan Gregory, 64 years old, who farms more than 2, 000 acres of cherries and apples in Suttons Bay, near an inlet on Lake Michigan.

WSJ: Spring Is No Bowl of Cherries for Michigan Growers

CNN's Tom Cohen, Dana Davidsen, Brianna Keilar, Kevin Liptak, Dan Lothian and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Independently produced for Tell Me More by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick.

NPR: Finding Hope in Hip-Hop