Wisconsin Dominates Cranberry Production, Massachusetts Faces Challenging Times

Cranberry farmers in Wisconsin and Massachusetts are gearing up for harvest season, but the industry is facing a multitude of challenges. Wisconsin, the top-producing state, is projected to harvest 5.3 million barrels of cranberries in 2025, surpassing Massachusetts' 1.75 million barrels. The industry is being hit by low prices, climate change, and an aging workforce, prompting some farmers to explore alternatives such as restoring bogs to natural wetlands.

Key Takeaways:

• Wisconsin is projected to harvest 5.3 million barrels of cranberries in 2025, down 3% from last year, while Massachusetts is projected to produce 1.75 million barrels, down 22% from last year.
• The industry is being hit by low prices for the berries, rising costs of producing larger, hybrid varieties, and the effects of climate change, including unpredictable weather and warmer fall conditions.
• Massachusetts farmers are facing an aging workforce, with average ages over 60, and are not being replaced as younger generations are not interested in the long hours and physical demands of managing a bog.
• Some Massachusetts farmers are considering alternative uses for their bogs, such as putting solar farms, selling to housing developers, or preserving the sites and restoring the wetlands that once were there.
• Restoration efforts are gaining traction in Massachusetts, with federal, state, and local funding covering the costs of conserving and restoring the land, which has proven to be a magnet for native plants and wildlife.
• Wisconsin is also exploring restoration options, with only four bogs having been restored to natural wetlands so far.

Statistics:

• Total cranberry production is estimated at 8.13 million barrels in 2025, down 9% from last year.
• Wisconsin's projected 5.3 million barrels account for 65% of the nationwide total.
• Massachusetts is projected to produce 22% less cranberries in 2025, down to 1.75 million barrels.
• One barrel of cranberries amounts to 100 pounds (45 kilograms).
• There are approximately 300 farmers in Massachusetts managing over 13,000 acres (5,261 hectares) of cranberry bogs.

Sources:

• Associated Press: "Wisconsin Dominates Cranberry Production, Massachusetts Faces Challenging Times"
• Michael Casey, Associated Press: "Massachusetts Cranberry Farmers Feel Pinch as Prices Drop"
• Brian Wick, Massachusetts Cranberries: "Massachusetts Cranberry Industry"
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: "Wetland Restoration"