MADISON, WI (WSAU) — Wisconsin leads the world in cranberry production.
The U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee expects more than 8 million barrels of cranberries to be produced around the county. More than half of that, 4.7 million barrels, will come from Wisconsin.
Tom Lochner, Executive Director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Association, said “Wisconsin growers are proud to be the number one producing region not only in the United States, but the world.”
The cranberry industry generates about $1 billion in economic activity around the state with much of that coming from Ocean Spray, the largest cranberry distributor in the world. The company expanded its processing facility in Wisconsin Rapids in 2008 and their Craisins product – freeze-dried cranberries – is made in Wisconsin.
Ocean Spray also operates a juice-filling facility in Kenosha. A recently expanded cranberry processing facility, operated by an in-state cooperate, is located in Warrens.
This will be the 27th year that Wisconsin has led the nation in cranberry production. Massachusetts is the second-biggest cranberry producer, followed by Oregon and New Jersey.
