I pass cranberry bogs every day on my way to and from work. The other day, I passed one that was in the middle of harvesting the berries. Besides being a pretty sight, it points out an advantage cranberry growers have over other farmers. As with all my posts, just click on the picture to see a larger view.
Because the cranberries grow in low-lying fields along streams, the fields are easily flooded. The growers do this when the berries are ripe (or nearly ripe) and can easily be knocked off their stem. All the harvesters have to do is drive over the plants and shake them so that the berries come off. Then they float to the surface of the shallow water. Then they are "herded" into one end of the pond with long skimmers or boards (kind of like the oil skimmers used to keep an oil spill from spreading). Once the cranberries are all in one place, a truck drives up and the berries are vacuumed into the truck. It's a very interesting operation and they make it look easy. I know with modern equipment, much of modern farming is much easier than it used to be. But I find it hard to imagine that anything is agriculture is anywhere as efficient as cranberry harvesting.
Because the cranberries grow in low-lying fields along streams, the fields are easily flooded. The growers do this when the berries are ripe (or nearly ripe) and can easily be knocked off their stem. All the harvesters have to do is drive over the plants and shake them so that the berries come off. Then they float to the surface of the shallow water. Then they are "herded" into one end of the pond with long skimmers or boards (kind of like the oil skimmers used to keep an oil spill from spreading). Once the cranberries are all in one place, a truck drives up and the berries are vacuumed into the truck. It's a very interesting operation and they make it look easy. I know with modern equipment, much of modern farming is much easier than it used to be. But I find it hard to imagine that anything is agriculture is anywhere as efficient as cranberry harvesting.
1 comment:
What a great post about cranberry bogs...they have always fasinated me for some reason. I remember going to Ocean Spray when I was little and they showed the whole production, then we got samples of drinks I had never seen in a store before, or since then either. Cranberry is the essence of fall.
Smile today. :)
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