Southeastern Massachusetts cranberry farmers are experiencing their busiest time of year. Across the U.S., the Bay State is second only to Wisconsin in terms of cranberry production.
According to Karen Cahill, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association’s deputy executive director, “The cranberry industry in Massachusetts is incredibly strong.”
She informed FOX that a $1.7 billion contribution to the state’s economy and the creation of nearly 6,400 local jobs were revealed in a 2023 economic analysis.
However, one cranberry farmer in the state claims that growing conditions in Massachusetts are deteriorating.
FARMAGEDDON: TRUMP’S TRADE WAR AND SHUTDOWN ARE CRUSHING THE HEARTLAND
Jarrod Rhodes, a fourth-generation cranberry farmer in Carver, Massachusetts, produces 50,000 barrels, or 5 million pounds, of cranberries annually on his family farm. His family established Edgewood Bogs LLC in the early 1940s. According to Rhodes, they launched Cape Cod Select in 2009 to process some of their fruit for the frozen retail market.
But growing costs and shifting weather patterns are increasing the strain.
Rhodes stated, “It all adds up, making it much more expensive to grow here than in Wisconsin or Canada.”
Cahill added, “Massachusetts is generally an expensive place to conduct business due to high costs for labor, real estate, and utilities.”
DROUGHT CONDITIONS LEAVE PUMPKIN FARMERS WITH EMPTY FIELDS AND SMALLER CROPS
She also mentions that the size difference between Massachusetts and Wisconsin is a significant factor.
She stated, “Wisconsin has a much larger scale—more than twice the acreage of Massachusetts—and doing anything at scale tends to lower costs.”
Rhodes used a state program to decommission and restore more than 30 acres of older bogs in response to these pressures.
He declares, “The property was failing and required restoration.”
The state’s Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) oversees a cranberry bog program that transforms abandoned bogs into natural wetlands.
DER has restored numerous unprofitable bogs over the past ten years, including the Eel River Headwaters Restoration. According to DER’s website, Atlantic white cedar has recovered, wetlands now cover former farm areas, and river herring have made their way back upstream.
Rhodes was aware of a bog that wasn’t making money, so he applied for the program, which is supported by state and federal grants.
He clarified, “We chose not to rebuild it but instead utilize the funds to acquire a superior property.”
The Rhodes family now farms on a smaller area of land, but the retired bog will be permanently protected as a wetland, and the family is using the revenues to invest in fields with higher yields.
DER refers to the strategy as a “green exit strategy” in which families like the Rhodes are compensated with restoration grants and conversation easements to turn bogs into wetlands.
SQUEEZED SOYBEAN FARMERS AS COSTS RISE
Krista Haas of DER stated that land must be legally protected before any building can start.
Haas stated, “This places a deed restriction on the land, limiting specific activities like development.” “Conservation easements are frequently established through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) Program.”
Rhodes stated that many growers are thinking about following the same course as more projects materialize. He claimed that some people are getting close to retirement and that younger people “aren’t as interested.” The Rhodes’ wetland restoration is expected to be finished by the spring of 2026.
DER’s executive director, Beth Lambert, stated that the agency’s goal is to restore 1,000 acres over the next 10 to 15 years.
