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######NOTE:Due to FDA and USDA regulations, farm visits are highly restricted. An annual farm tour is held each fall during harvest.
Information about this tour will be available mid September.######
What’s under the radar for a lot of people and also just plain under the water is Michigan’s cranberry harvest. Cause in order to get these little berries off the bush, you gotta flood the fields first – far out!
You heard right … If you’ve never seen a Michigan cranberry harvest (or wondered why those guys in the Ocean Spray commercials are wading waist high in water) it’s simply the best and most efficient way to bag these buoyant berries and bring’m to market.
Wally Huggett and his wife Sharon own and operate The Michigan Cranberry Company … so, before I commence to capturin my own cranberries … I thought it best Wally and I have a quick “cranversation.”
Well, after a few encouraging words from Wally … and a quick lesson in ways to stay warm and un-wet in the water … I wiggled into some waiting waders and well … went for it.
I was totally captivated with the complete chronology of cultivating these crazy little cranberries. From the berries still on the vine … and the big swim … to the washing … and even the sorting … it was all completely fascinating. (me eating berries off the line) … oops, sorry … couldn’t help myself.
So, now you know that the cranberries you consume … have to float first … and uh … you also know that if I was in charge of the harvest (me picking them out of the water one at a time) … cranberries would be a rare commodity indeed … hu boy!