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Drive on nearly any back road in our corner of Massachusetts this time of year, and you’ll be treated to an iconic New England scene: the cranberry harvest, with a bright blue sky above and fall foliage in the distance.
Here at the A.D. Makepeace Company, we farm about 1,625 acres of bogs in Plymouth, Wareham, and Carver. Our harvest began in early September and continues through early November.
The harvesting of cranberries can be done in two ways: dry harvesting for the fresh fruit market, or wet harvesting for juices, sauces, dried cranberries, and other specialty products.
Dry harvesting uses walk-behind machines to collect berries, which are then transported to receiving stations to be graded by color and firmness. Wet harvesting takes advantage of the berry’s natural ability to float — bogs are flooded, machines shake berries off the vines, and floating fruit is corralled and loaded for delivery.
As a founding member of the Ocean Spray Cooperative, all of the A.D. Makepeace Company’s harvest is delivered to the Ocean Spray receiving station in Carver, MA, for cleaning, processing, and sale.
Looking to catch a glimpse of the iconic cranberry harvest? In addition to the events listed below, a schedule of cranberry activities can be found on the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association website. When available, daily postings of safe, viewable harvest locations on the ADM property are shared at Makepeace Farms throughout the harvest season.
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