Massachusetts farmers anticipate record cranberry harvest despite climate challenges

Workers adjust floating booms while wet harvesting cranberries at Rocky Meadow Bog (Picture credit: AP)

Cranberry farmers in US state of Massachusetts are expecting a robust harvest this year, despite facing weather-related difficulties. As the second-largest cranberry-producing state after Wisconsin, Massachusetts is projected to yield 2.2 million barrels this year, a 12% increase from last year.
Farmers are currently harvesting cranberries by flooding their bogs and using machines to loosen the berries from the vines. The floating berries will then be collected and sent to processing plants.
Massachusetts has almost 300 cranberry bogs covering about 14,000 acres.
Steve Ward, a second-generation cranberry grower, anticipates harvesting 15,000 to 20,000 barrels this year, his best yield in three years. “The season has been pretty good this year. We’ve had a pretty good crop,” Ward said. He supplies about 80% of his crop to Ocean Spray.
However, farmers are dealing with the impacts of climate change, including extended dry periods and higher temperatures. “We have had some challenges with some of the hot weather and had one of the longest dry spells we have ever had,” Ward explained. “We are having more 90-degree (32 degrees Celsius) days clumped together. The cranberry plants just don’t like that type of weather. Our average temperatures, especially at night, are higher. Cranberries need cooler temperatures at night.”
Despite these challenges, the industry continues to adapt. Some farmers have diversified by installing solar panels, and Ward is considering adding floating solar installations to his water sources. The cranberry industry in Massachusetts, dating back to the 19th century, has faced challenges like trade wars and fluctuating prices in the past.