Cranberry harvest up over last year

The appearance of fresh cranberries in stores is a sure sign that fall has arrived and that the American Thanksgiving holiday will soon be here. There are a little over 200 acres in cranberry production in Maine, with 85% of that acreage in Washington County.
Alden Mingo of the Red Beach‑based Mingo's Evergreen Products says the season is just about wrapped up for him. According to Mingo and other growers, the cranberry harvest is about average this year. "We had rain when we needed it. We had cold when we needed it. Weather‑wise, things worked out well," comments Mingo. Last year's harvest was way down because poor weather conditions resulted in poor pollination. One grower described the 2014 season as a disaster, but things are looking up for this year.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension cranberry specialist Charlie Armstrong says there is a growing interest in dry-picked cranberries versus the wet harvest process where the bogs are flooded with water and cranberries are removed by a suction device. A surplus of wet-harvested berries has driven the price down. Wet-harvested berries, once they are exposed to water, need to be processed right away. Most are processed for juice or sauce. Dry‑picked berries have a long life and when sold in stores are bringing a substantial increase in price. Armstrong says organic dry‑pick berries are attracting more buyers.
Sugar Hill Farm Cranberry Company is a family cranberry farm, and Christine and John Alexander have been harvesting cranberries for 10 years on 10.2 acres in the Columbia Falls area. Prior to moving to Maine, the Alexanders lived on cranberry acreage in Massachusetts. They incorporated some new techniques as well as some old ways used by Christine's relatives in the 1940s. In the past, the Alexanders have harvested both wet and dry‑pick cranberries, but Christine says they have been switching over to dry‑pick harvesting. She says it is a matter of economics, as the price received for dry‑pick berries is substantially higher.
The Alexanders grow three varieties of cranberries -- Howes, Stevens and Pilgrims -- and ship them over much of the country.
The Alexanders are among 30 growers statewide, with half of Maine's cranberry acreage owned by Washington County's Cherryfield Foods.
Cranberries, blueberries and Concord grapes are three native fruits that are commercially grown. By 1871, the first association of cranberry growers was formed.