CAMP DOUGLAS, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – As autumn sweeps across Wisconsin, the state gears up for more than just another cranberry harvest—it’s time to celebrate Wisconsin’s Cranberry Farmer Appreciation Week.
Governor Tony Evers recently announced October 14-20 as Cranberry Farmer Appreciation Week as a way to tribute to the hardworking farmers who have shaped the state’s agricultural landscape for generations.
Cranberry farming in Wisconsin has deep roots, dating back to the Indigenous tribes, such as the Menominee, Ojibwa, and Ho-Chunk, who harvested the berries with their bare hands. As time went on, farming technology and harvesting methods began to rapidly change.
“We’ve gone through several variations of harvesting equipment, methods for frost protection have changed. We use, for example, GPS on all of our tractors now so everything that gets fertilized or harvested…the GPS is plus or minus one inch”, says fourth-generation cranberry farmer Lisa Potter with Cutler Cranberry Farms.
Wisconsin’s cranberry industry has grown significantly since its early days, now producing 60% of the nation’s cranberry supply. For 29 consecutive years, the state has held the title of top cranberry producer in the U.S., making the fruit a key player in the state’s economy.
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