As the war with Iran closes in on one month, the conflict is driving up diesel and fertilizer costs for farmers in metro Detroit.

Watch Whitney Burney's video report: 'Were tired.' Farmers brace for rising costs of fertilizer amid Iran war

Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats over the weekend regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump gave the country 48 hours to open the critical waterway or face "obliteration" to its power plants. Iran fired back, saying it would close the strait indefinitely if that happened. As of Monday, President Trump extended the deadline to five days for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

While Brent crude oil prices dropped Monday morning from $112 a barrel to $100, costs at the pump continue to rise. In metro Detroit, gas is at an average price of $3.93 a gallon. Diesel is currently at $4.93 a gallon on average.

For farmers, who rely on diesel fuel to run their equipment, the rising costs have presented challenges to their operation.

At Debuck Family Farm in Belleville, Scott and Eric Debuck work nonstop from March until December. Their family farm has grown and harvested hundreds of acres of sod every year since the 1980s.

"The sod industry is much different than traditional farming. We like to call it farming on steroids. Its very intense. Its every day," Scott Debuck said.

"In the springtime, were fertilizing. Were getting the fields prepped. Were mowing. So, were out there using our tractors and diesel. Were rolling," Scott Debuck said as he described the process.

On the farm, there are multiple 1,000-gallon diesel tanks that run everything from trucks to irrigation pumps to tractors. Every time they have to refill them, which could be once a week or every two weeks, it costs thousands of dollars.

"When we irrigate, just imagine how much you irrigate your yard. Imagine 300-400 yards. Thats what we have to do. We have large diesel pumps pumping out 1,200 gallons a minute and we have four of them, so you can imagine the water that we use to irrigate," said Scott Debuck. "Sometimes our Diesel bill in the summer can be, just for irrigation sometimes, up to $5,000 a week."

The Debucks say for every dollar that fuel rises, it's thousands of dollars in additional costs for them. The farmers say one of their machines, the autostack, which harvests the sod, has a 40-gallon tank that is refilled daily. The Debuck family has three of these machines in addition to tractors and trucks. Although not all of the machines run every day.

"Were just getting ready to kick the season off, so its going to hurt and were going to have to absorb some of that cost because you cant push it all off to the consumer because the price of sod would be too high," Eric Debuck said.

If heightened diesel prices were not enough of a pain point, fertilizer is expected to cost more. The Debucks said the price has already increased about 30-40% higher in the last year.

WEB EXTRA: Farmer Scott Debuck explains what higher diesel prices means for a farm and the farmer WEB EXTRA: Farmer Eric Debuck explains what higher diesel prices means for a farm and the farmer

"At this particular point, are you more concerned about the diesel costs or fertilizer?" 7 News Detroit's Whitney Burney asked.

"Both. This grass here needs fertilizer on it. So well have to hit this grass right here in the next week or so. I mean, you see how big this field is. That eats up a lot of fertilizer," Scott Debuck said as the two stood in one of their sod fields.

"So costs are likely going up thousands at minimum," Whitney asked.

"Tens of thousands," said Scott.

The DeBucks predict some farmers will begin growing crops that require less fertilizer, which could cause a shortage of other crops like corn. They warned that not every farm will make it to the other side of this economic challenge.

"I think its common that youll see a lot of farms just sell because were tired. Were exhausted. The money is not there like it used to be there and its hard to pass it to the next generation if youre struggling," Scott DeBuck said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Where Your Voice Matters

Detroit police are searching for a suspect after a man was shot and killed on the citys west side Tuesday. 

It happened at an apartment building on Plymouth Road between Hubell Avenue and Marlowe Street. Police say the shooting happened around 5 p.m.

Watch the video report below: 'Upset, heartbroken': Man fatally shot on Detroit's west side, police searching for suspect

That was my uncle and he was a sweet person. He didnt deserve this, Dennie Gadie said as she stood near the crime scene.

Family members identified the victim as Rich Peeples and say he was in his 40s.

Were just upset, heartbroken that this had to happen like this, especially right down the street from his house. He grew up, he lived here all his life, said Stephanie Taylor, who is a cousin of victim.

Police had limited details on what led up to the shooting and as of 8 p.m. were still working to make an arrest.

He enjoyed life. He never bothered anybody, so I dont know what happened, Gadie said. 

Thats why its sad. We cant understand how this happened, Taylor added. 

Neighbors say the apartment building where Peeples was found, Maritsa Manor, is abandoned and often occupied by squatters. Family members of the victim say they are unsure why Peeples would have been there but hopeful justice will be served as police continue their search for a suspect. 

We just hope they find the person that's done this cause this is not fair, especially to his mom, Taylor said.

Anyone with information about this shooting should call Detroit police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP, where you can remain anonymous. 

Residents in Harrison Township say the roads have been getting worse for years and they want answers.

Watch Whitney Burney's video report: Harrison Township road conditions: Residents frustrated by years of bumpy roads

"I would say they've been getting worse and worse as the years go on," Michael Campbell, a Harrison Township resident, said.

Campbell is not alone. After 7 News Detroit visited the area last week, we were flooded with emails and Facebook comments about the poor conditions of the roads and questions about what the township is doing to fix them.

"Lots of ruts. Lots of clay. Whenever it rains, it just turns into a muddy mess," Campbell said as he described roads in the township.

Fellow resident Bradley Clary said the conditions are the worst he has ever seen.

"They sometimes get repaired, little potholes. They come down, the little guy with the shovel and basically fill in the deepest hole, but that's about it," Clary said.

Clary described what it is like to drive the roads every day.

"What's going through your mind as you're kind of bumping and chugging along," 7 News Detroit Anchor Whitney Burney asked.

"Do I have internal injuries because it is just that bumpy," Clary said jokingly.

It is an issue neighbors say they have been begging for a solution to for years.

"The biggest complaint that we get is on the local roads," Township Supervisor Kenneth Verkest said. "The state of Michigan gives money directly to cities and cities have the responsibility for their own roads. Thats usually incorporated with their road millage or a part of their funding that actually property taxes go to roads. In townships, the county agencies receive money for their roads. So, there is no money that flows directly to Harrison Township for roads and from our gas tax."

Verkest says the funding model for townships in Michigan does not leave much for local road repairs.

"The road funding was designed to make locals or Southeast Michigan in general, kind of more urban areas, donors to other parts of the state. We generate enough funds here locally but unfortunately, or fortunately for some parts of the state, some of those funds flow to more rural parts of the state. So thats one part of the challenge," Verkest said. "The frustrating part about that is while I can tell you how its happening and how frustrating it is, the state has not empowered the locals to be able to solve that problem."

Related video: Sumpter Township declares emergency over hazardous gravel roads, calls on Wayne County to act Sumpter Township declares emergency over hazardous gravel roads, calls on Wayne County to act

Verkest says in addition to this, the state recently made changes eliminating the sales taxes from gas tax while raising the gas tax. He says because of this change, Harrison Township has lost over $178,000 annually. Even still, at least three road repairs are on deck to be worked on this year.

"When I came in, I thought well hey, we can do better than this, and we can. The problem is those problems with road funding are not at a local level. They are at a state level. We don't even collect a general fund millage. This isn't a problem I can solve unless everyone in Harrison Township wants to pay more in taxes and I think we know the answer to that," Verkest said.

Another road residents say they would like to see repaired is Jefferson Avenue, which is a Macomb County road.

"This time of year, the roads in Macomb County as well as other communities are horrible," Bryan Santo, director of the Macomb County Department of Roads, said.

That repair is already set for this summer. Santo also added that Michigan counties are expecting a 30% to 35% increase in funding soon from the state's new Neighborhood Road Fund, which funnels gas tax and registration fees to local governments for road repairs.

"We're looking forward to that new funding, being able to make headway and move the needle as far as the road conditions in Macomb County as well as the state. Just bare with us," Santo said.

Back in Harrison Township, Clary had a message for state leaders.

"If Gretch wants to fix the roads, she can start with this one," Clary said as he stood on Winkler Road.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Where Your Voice Matters

A sewer construction project on Jefferson Avenue in St. Clair Shores is squeezing local businesses as it enters its second year, with one business reporting a revenue drop of up to 45%.

The project, managed by the South Macomb Disposal Authority, aims to add an additional sewer line to reduce discharges into Lake St. Clair. Currently at 45% completion, the construction has wrapped up phase 4 of 9 total phases.

Whitney Burney is 7 News Detroit's St. Clair Shores beat reporter. If you have a story idea for her, email her at Whitney.Burney@wxyz.com. St. Clair Shores sewer project squeezes businesses as revenue drops

Rani Sheena, owner of Winedock along the Nautical Mile, has operated his wine shop for more than two decades. He said the construction has significantly impacted his business.

"When the construction started, it demolished us. We're down probably about 40 to 45 percent, and that's not a joke for a shop like this," Sheena said.

Sheena specializes in hard-to-find wines and bourbons, describing his inventory as comprehensive.

"We carry A to Z. A lot of bourbons that you can't find anywhere, they find them in my place. I'm huge on wines. I get wines that most people can't get," Sheena said.

The impact extends throughout the Nautical Mile business district, though to varying degrees.

Previous coverage: St. Clair Shores restaurants seeing impacts of Nautical Mile construction St. Clair Shores restaurants seeing impacts of Nautical Mile construction

Dino Repotos, owner of Watermark Bar and Grill in St. Clair Shores, acknowledged the construction's toll on foot traffic.

"Construction definitely took a little toll. I think everybody is more afraid to come down here, but they've been doing a great job to try to keep the roads going and not being too many backed up," Repotos said.

Geoffrey Cole, catering manager at Waves Chill and Grill, said access issues created the biggest challenges for his business.

"The biggest drawback of everything that's been going is kind of the confusion. Obviously, you can see out here now, I have a driveway but for the longest time, I didn't have that one at all," Cole said.

South Macomb Disposal Authority leaders and St. Clair Shores Mayor Kip Walby said the project's ultimate goal is environmental protection. The additional sewer line will decrease discharges into Lake St. Clair, creating a cleaner waterway.

Business owners are asking for community support during the construction period.

"We're just hoping they can get going, move out of here as fast as they can," Sheena said.

Previous coverage: Businesses brace for impact as St. Clair Shores sewer construction project set to begin St. Clair Shores sewer project set to begin

Repotos emphasized the importance of community solidarity during the challenging period.

"As it still moves forward, there's still construction on Jefferson, there's still gonna be construction on Jefferson, but they're doing the best they can. We just gotta push through and all stick together," Repotos said.

The project is scheduled to wrap up in February or March 2027 and is currently on time.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.