Sustainability
Farmers have been growing cranberries commercially in Massachusetts for more than 200 years, harvesting this native fruit with a focus on sustainability. Sustainability is a three-pronged concept comprising environmental, ethical, and economic viability. Please explore the videos and brochures here to learn more.
Environmental Sustainability
Cranberry grower Matt Rhodes talks about environmental sustainability within the Massachusetts cranberry industry.
Economic Sustainability
Cranberry grower Keith Mann talks about economic sustainability within the Massachusetts cranberry industry.
Social Sustainability
Cranberry grower and Carver Selectman Dick Ward talks about social sustainability within the Massachusetts cranberry industry.
Read more on sustainability in Massachusetts cranberry production in this brochure, With an Eye Toward the Future: Sustainable Cranberry Growing in Massachusetts.
Cranberry Impact
Cranberries are native only to North America and southeastern Massachusetts is the birthplace of the commercial cranberry industry.
Cranberries are the No. 1 food crop in Massachusetts. The industry supports nearly 6,400 jobs and contributes an economic impact of $1.7 billion annual.
Cranberry growers farm more than 11,500 acres of cranberry bogs in southeastern Massachusetts. With 3-5 acres of support land for every acre of active bog, the cranberry industry protects 60,000 acres of open space.
Learn what's happening on cranberry farms this time of year:
Spring is an active time on cranberry bogs with the vines coming out of dormancy and beginning to grow. A flurry of activities will take place with the most important being frost protection! Other activities include: removal of the winter flood (anytime from mid-February through mid-March); late water flood (by mid-April) to provide pest management benefits without the use of chemicals; weed management; and planting new vines.