Wisconsin cranberry growers weather the perfect storm this season
As the leading cranberry-producing state in the US is in its final days of harvest, Grant Holley, Executive Director at the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, says this year the industry was hit by both perennial rest and unusual weather patterns. However, it was only prepared for one of those hurdles.
“Climate is really what it came down to in Wisconsin this year,” Holley said. “We had several days up in the 90s and 80s. It went on for weeks longer than we had normally seen in the past.”
Wisconsin cranberries are requesting some PTO
After three consecutive banner years, Wisconsin cranberry growers are projecting lower volumes for the 2025 season, Holley explained.
Last year alone, the state’s growers harvested a total of 6.01 million barrels of cranberries, one of the highest on record. And since cranberries are perennial plants, growers expected them to take a year off. Which they did.
“Call it their weekend,” Holley explained. “I think with all of the climate changes, the plants finally did just say, ‘You know what? We’re taking this year off’,” Holley said.
But this year’s weather was also unusual. So much so that there’s no record of a similar weather pattern in Wisconsin cranberry growers’ records, which Holley said date back to the 1800s.
“Extended heat—extended heat in the very beginning with high humidity—and then the rain just quit,” he explains. “We haven't ever seen anything like that, a year that doesn't match any of those historical records.”
Unseasonal heat and dryness
According to the USDA, overall US cranberry production is projected to be lower this season, and Wisconsin’s expected output is projected to total 5.3 million barrels, a decrease of around 11 percent from last year.
Holley said he doesn’t want to speculate on a final number yet, but he’s seen a decrease in harvest volume of up to 15 percent in some areas of Wisconsin.
“We'll probably stick with about 10 percent below average,” Holley explained. “Are we going to need to tighten the belt? Absolutely. Are we going to take a hit this year? Absolutely.”
However, he explained, Wisconsin cranberries are grown by fourth- and fifth-generation farmers who are accustomed to the ups and downs of the industry. So even though the harvest will be smaller, the crop’s quality is top-notch.
“The berries are always phenomenal. And that sounds like a commercial, but it's actually true,” he added. “The plants will take resources away from other berries so that the berries that actually are produced are the best berries that they possibly can be.”
And don’t fret—lower volume doesn’t mean scarcity, so there will be no shortage of Wisconsin cranberries this season.
“Last year was a banner year, so there is still a surplus of the fruit from last year,” Holley said. “A lot of our processors have very full freezers right now. They actually had to rent freezers across the country to be able to handle last year’s oversupply.”
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