A Blog from the Bog!

Wisconsin—the Cranberry Capital of the World–Listen to the audio show on the Lowell Thomas Award winning NPR.ORG Podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer Check out this episode!

For many of us, our first introduction to cranberries as kids was at Thanksgiving Dinner when a red gelatinous mass of cranberry-something was extruded from a tin can and neatly sliced into thin saucer shaped discs–served as an obligatory side dish right next to the mystery-relish. As a grown up I eventually discovered Ocean Spray Craisins and packets of tasty fresh dried cranberries at Trader Joes. But when I was offered the chance to experience the Wisconsin cranberry harvest up close—including wearing a pair of waders to descend in to a cranberry bog to lend a hand corralling cranberries—how could I resist?

CIMG3315 — Tom Wilmer interviews Tom Lochner, Executive Director Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association

So here I am the heartland of Wisconsin in the midst of the Glacial Lakes District, with waders up to my chest, learning way more than I ever imagined possible about the bright red, tangy, and tasty cranberry. The cranberry is Wisconsin’s official state fruit. And the state is America’s number one Cranberry producer, supplying more than 60 percent of the annual harvest, producing a billion dollars in economic impact and generating more than 5,000 jobs. I was fascinated to learn that Ocean Spray Cranberry is not a faceless, mega-agri-corporation but a co-operative of family farmers. Even more eye opening was discovering the cranberry’s incredible array of health benefits, including heavyweight anti-oxidants, along with bacteria blocking anti-adhesion properties that work to alleviate urinary tract infections, ulcers, gum disease, and more. We’ll start our Cranberry journey with Mike Moss, 3^rd generation owner of the family run Elm Lake Cranberry Company, situated near Wisconsin Rapids. Next up is Glacial Lake Cranberries. In addition to their full time cranberry farming enterprise, the Brown family operates a gift shop/interpretive center, and leads farm-tours aboard their 24-passenger Berry Bus. We’ll visit with Tom Lochner, Executive Director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. Susan DeRouchey shares her lifelong passion for Cranberries. And then we’ll stop by for a visit with Amy Scheide, owner of Great Expectations Catering in Wisconsin Rapids, who also shares her love for the tart little red berry, along with Wisconsin Cheese, of course.