First load of Cranberries 2017

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 27, 2017

• #1

We harvested our first field yesterday. It was a little new field and we wanted to get it out of the way early... also wanted to see what would break and or need fixing / changing.
Overall went up pretty good. A couple minor hose changes and nut and bolt tightening we should be ok when we get into the bigger fields in the few weeks.
This is water harvested - process fruit. I'll try to post some more pictures as we go along... fresh fruit dry harvest too in another thread.

Yellow Point Cranberries

 

OP

OP

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 27, 2017

• #1

Sorry for double pic

 

B

bmack95hd

Well-known Member

• Sep 27, 2017

• #1

Always thought cranberries were floated in ponds tended by guys in waders. Interesting.

 

WI Dan

Well-known Member

Location

Northern Wisconsin, Price County

• Sep 27, 2017

• #1

Didn't know you could grow them up there. We here in WI have a solid Cranberry industry. I've always wanted to participate in pushing berries but I don't think I would last long in the cold water!

 

kcm.MN

Well-known Member

Location

NW Minnesota

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Looks like quite an impressive operation you've got there!

 

P

pete black

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Thanks for the cranberries, love the whole berry cranberry sauce.

 

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

Location

Twin Cities

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Good post.
I support you guys.
Drink about a gallon of cranberry juice every week.

 

big tee

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Neat--Can't eat turkey without the berries!---Tee

 

WI Dan

Well-known Member

Location

Northern Wisconsin, Price County

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

those don't look like fields...?

 

Larry EC-OH

Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Very interesting.

I'd love to get up there some day (after I retire) and see your operation.

Larry

 

M

Mike M

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

YUCK ! I don't like them. Lucky for you many people do.

 

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buickanddeere

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

A little far to visit for us. We have attended this Cranberry Festival and farm a few times, great show. I do have keep looking over my shoulder as the ex fiancé lives in the same town. http://www.balacranberryfestival.on.ca

 

OP

OP

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Not only a double picture but I need to rotate them. 🤣

Anyway, that it the receiving station where they wash the berries out of out trucks and semis.

I will post pictures of the fields when we flood / beat and elevate the berries in the next week or so.

I'm pretty small Grower. We do Fresh Fruit - dry harvest for Thanksgiving on October 9th up here. But of course we flood our fields too for process harvest.

The cranberries don't grow in water. We spend a lot of time and resources to make sure they stay out of water.. other than harvest

Wisconsin is defiantly the biggest growing area, but you're not too far south. I'm on the 49th parallel and Warrens WI is on the 45th... and I garentee we don't get as cold as they do.

The first picture is what the field looks like at planting... we transplant plugs every sq foot.
The second picture is an established field with a fresh fruit picker. That's as tall as they get, and it's all covered in with vine.
Thanks for the interest. Grant

 

OP

OP

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Yep I know the Johnson family who have the
cranberries there. ...the while town gets behind it I
hear.

 

E

ed will

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Hi Grant, nice photos. Did you plant some peach trees? Ed Will Oliver BC

 

WI Dan

Well-known Member

Location

Northern Wisconsin, Price County

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

interesting. Thank you for sharing.
I guess I'm wrong to assume that anything north of me gets colder than me.

 

kcm.MN

Well-known Member

Location

NW Minnesota

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

If that's all the taller they get, then that's what I need growing in my yard! :lol:

...But no, instead we have the 6' tall grasses that many folks like to turn into large, geometric shapes! :shock:

 

OP

OP

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Thanks Jim.
Yes I started small. I have 8 peach trees, 2 cherry and a pear. I'm going to try for about 25-50 trees next spring. Gotta get my order in now.
Grant

 

O

Ozlander

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

Do you have to transplant every year?

 

OP

OP

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

No problem. Many forget that the coastal areas are
pretty mild in the winter. Lots of rain and a few
degrees above freeezing.

Last year was different. We were able to sled and
skate on the ponds for about 3 weeks.
Grant

 

OP

OP

C

CBBC

Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

No. That field was unproductive so I change the
variety. It will take 2-3 years to get a harvest... then
they can last for 30-40 years. Some fields are over
100 years I've heard. Probably not too productive
though.
Grant

 

C

coshoo

Well-known Member

• Sep 28, 2017

• #1

I used to work for Production Credit Assn (Now Farm Credit Services) back in the '70's and early 80's- had several growers as customers in the Long Beach and Grayland areas in Washington. Long Beach was all flood harvested, while most of Grayland was dry harvested. Do you still use Furford pickers? (its been so long ago that I don't remember if the one shown is a Furford or not). Most of the bogs in Grayland had little railroad tracks running through them to haul the berries in. I helped a guy with the harvest one time- plenty of work to do!

Ocean Spray had pretty much of a monopoly at that time- but I understand there are other outlets to sell to now. Haven't really kept up with it.