The U.S. cranberry harvest explained in four charts (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 top cranberry producing states? ›

Most cranberries come from Wisconsin and Massachusetts

Just five states grow almost all of the country's supply of the tart berries: Wisconsin produces more than half of all cranberries in the United States, Massachusetts harvests another third, and New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington produce much of the rest.

The growing season runs from April to November, with the harvest in the fall, usually running from mid-September to mid-November. Cranberries grow on the vines throughout the spring and summer. In the fall, there are two types of harvesting, wet and dry.

Cranberry bogs are an important part of the landscape here in the Buzzards Bay region. They maintain thousands of acres of wetlands, which help protect the Bay. They also provide important wildlife habitat for ducks, turtles, otters, turkeys, and more.

With the majority of the world's cranberry production located in the Americas (96% in 2021), that means more than half of the world's supply is grown in Wisconsin. The state has aptly been named the “Cranberry Capital of the World,” even declaring the cranberry their state fruit in 2004.

Wisconsin was the top cranberry producer in the United States in 2023, at about 5.01 million barrels, followed by Massachusetts with 1.97 million barrels of cranberries in that year.

The cranberry harvest takes place once a year from mid-September through early November. There are two methods of harvesting cranberries.

In fact, cranberry growers use flooding as a management tool to protect the plants from the cold, drying winds of winter, to harvest fruit and remove fallen leaves, and to control pests.

The water table is manipulated during the growing season to remain 12 to 18 inches below the surface of the bed. irrigation of a cranberry bed. Cranberry beds are not flooded during the growing season and water is supplied through the sprinkler system.

What does make the cranberry plant special is the fact that it can survive underwater for months during the winter. After the harvest and just before winter temperatures become dangerous to the cranberry vines, the cranberry bogs are flooded to protect the the plants from sub-zero temperatures and frigid winter winds.

From late June to early July, bees pollinate the cranberry flowers and tiny fruit form (fruit set). From this point until harvest, the growth cycle overlaps the beginning of a new cycle for the following year. During the first three weeks following fruit set, the fruit acquire most of their mineral components.

Why do they put spiders in cranberry bogs? ›

In these eco-conscious agricultural settings, spiders like wolf spiders find a haven. By allowing them to thrive, farmers promote natural pest control. These diligent predators keep insect populations in check, safeguarding cranberry crops without the need for excessive pesticides.

Growers apply a thin (1/2 to 2 inch) layer of sand on the surface of producing cranberry bogs at 2 to 5 year intervals in order to promote growth, improve productivity, suppress disease, and reduce insect populations.

In Massachusetts we call the place where cranberries grow a BOG. Natural bogs evolved from deposits left by the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. These deposits were left in impermeable kettle holes lined with clay. The clay prevents materials from leaching into the groundwater.

New Jersey ranked third among the states in total cranberry production.

Today, Wisconsin produces roughly 60% of the U.S. cranberry harvest, followed by Massachusetts, Oregon and New Jersey.