Wisconsin Ag Connection - Wisconsin Celebrating 25 Years as Nation's Cranberry Leader

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Wisconsin Celebrating 25 Years as Nation's Cranberry Leader
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 08/15/2019

One of the biggest farm news headlines of the year back in 1994 was that Wisconsin finally overtook the state of Massachusetts in the production of cranberries. And a quarter-century later, the state's producers never looked back.

"More than half the entire world's supply of cranberries are grown on Wisconsin family farms, generating $1 billion in state economic impact and providing thousands of local jobs," said Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. "We are proud of our role in providing a locally-grown, healthy product to millions of consumers here in Wisconsin and around the world."

According to projections released this week by the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, Wisconsin growers will harvest an estimated 5.6 million barrels of fruit this fall. The forecast marks the 25th year that Wisconsin has led the nation in cranberry production.

The harvest forecast is part of the approximately 9.04 million barrels of cranberries expected nationwide, which is up one percent from last year. Wisconsin growers harvested 5.5 million barrels in 2018, and this year's projections are dependent on good growing conditions for the remainder of the season.

Wisconsin cranberries are grown on 21,000 acres across 20 counties in central and northern Wisconsin. Approximately five percent of this year's crop will be sold as fresh fruit, with the remaining berries stored for longer-term sales as frozen berries, dried cranberries, juices, sauces and more.

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