“Growers couldn’t get into the cranberry bogs last week because of the rain,” said Liz Reilley of Jonathan Sprouts, Inc. (Jonathan’s Organics), located in East Freetown, Massachusetts. “This delayed our ability to begin harvesting by about one week,” she explained further. This rain fell in spite of the sustained drought that has affected cranberry farms throughout the state.
“Our season started strong, better than last year,” Reilley said. She added, “We’ve created a co-op of growers that grow only organic berries,” she said.
Jyson Scarborough of Belmont Produce Sales said, “Our growing season is fine. Right now, we’re waiting for rain to flood the bogs up on the Oregon coast. It rained for the last couple weeks, so we’re planning to begin the harvest in the next four to five days,” Scarborough explained.
“Our market has been steady for the past two or three years, with no major drops in sales. Because of the oversupply of cranberries, the market is soft but steady. Our prices have also been steady,” Scarborough added. “The drought on the East Coast really hasn’t had an effect on us or on our sales. Because we’re on the West Coast, we ship only to customers on the West Coast.”
Cranberry farmers in Massachusetts have been warned that they should expect a “5 percent drop in cranberry supply,” according to Bizjournals. That estimated drop was provided by the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistical Services. Cranberries need a good supply of rain to grow to a sufficient size, which has made the ongoing drought a real issue. While cranberry bogs do have in-ground irrigation systems, these don’t provide enough water to help the cranberries grow to an optimal size. Because of this drought, irrigation ponds are now low of water.
For more information:
Liz Reilley
Jonathan’s Sprouts, Inc.
Tel: +1 508-763-5505
Jyson Scarborough
Belmont Produce Sales, LLC
Tel: +1 559-637-1980