If not, you may disable cookies; however, this may affect your experience on the site. Yes, while Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., a cooperative owned by its growers, is headquartered in Lakeville-Middleboro, Mass., the world’s largest producer of cranberry products has a … If you wish to continue, click okay. So yeah, we are looking forward to that.". Discover how cranberries are grown in Ocean Spray's® cranberry harvest. The owners work 12 months a year to bring the very best certified organic cranberries to market. "For us, we just hope that people can enjoy cranberries," Lochner said. Ocean Spray Cranberries is a branch of Ocean Spray, an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 650 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and other parts of Canada as well as more than 100 Florida grapefruit growers. That could mean good things for Wisconsin's cranberry growers. The family started another cranberry marsh, Brockway Cranberry Inc., in 1992. We are a 300 acre Ocean Spray grower farm and we rely on Ocean Spray to independently evaluate some of the traits of our hybrid’s. Hayes joined in on the trend and posted his own version, too. Malcolm and Ardell McPhail are first-generation cranberry farmers. The Larocque family have been Canadian cranberry growers for Ocean Spray since 1958. “It has been very rewarding to have times when three generations have worked together on the marsh,” shared Jim. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. There’s a decent chance your Ocean Spray cranberry juice started out on the Biegel farm… It currently has over 700 member growers (in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Florida, British Columbia and other parts of Canada, as well as Chile). Jim was intrigued by the variety of hats a cranberry grower must wear: working outside, running equipment and being part of the Cooperative. Ocean Spray judges its cranberries based on their colour, size and freshness... as well as – surprising as it sounds – their ability to bounce! 'Confirm Password' and 'Password' do not match. Some examples include the 78-year-old Gottschalk Cranberry Inc. farm in Wisconsin that is owned by Fawn Gottschalk who operates it with her parents, and the Gilmore Cranberry Company, established in 1979. Andrea, the owner, was a great tour guide. 6 were here. Our mission is to grow abundant quality crops while sustaining our land and water resources and our family farm heritage. In 1954, Valley Corp joined Ocean Spray Cooperative and is still today an Ocean Spray grower-owner. Must contain 6-12 characters, a capital letter and a number. We are proud to be part of the Ocean Spray family. From wet to dry harvesting, learn all about our cranberry harvest process. Before becoming a cranberry farmer, Jeff served as the Executive Director at the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. Cultivating a unique, native fruit plant that has so many health benefits is also very gratifying. Join now and start contributing and following all things cranberry! Ocean Spray sales were increasing before the video, though. Louis-Michel, his wife, Geneviève, and their son, Édouard, live and breathe farming. They take pride in the cranberry farm … "As cranberry growers, we are deeply rooted in our communities, so we understand the value of building safer, healthier places to farm, work and live," shared Ocean Spray Farmer-Owner Heidi Slinkman of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This self-guided drive extends 50 miles across central Wisconsin’s cranberry growing region, stretching from Wisconsin Rapids to Warrens. The LaFleurs’ farm provides a great venue for agricultural tourism; Jeff and Kim host visitors from around the world to fully experience the cranberry harvest by donning waders in the bog to help harvest the crop. Ocean Spray gifted the TikTok star Nathan Apodaca a 2020 Nissan Titan PRO-4X and a trunk full of Ocean Spray. Thanks you for joining the Cranberry Club, Your password has been reset successfully. On this rainy, but unusually warm Wisconsin morning, we were near Wisconsin Rapids visiting the Gottschalk Cranberry farm, a 1,200-acre operation with 230 acres of cranberry vines. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. A TikTok sensation of a man cruising on a longboard … Come stay with us May through September at: Cranberry Leaf Compost For Sale Brother and sister, Ed A. Grygleski and Mary Klouda, own and operate their marsh, Valley Corporation, part of the Ocean Spray family since 1954. You must agree to our terms & conditions. The sisters’ great-grandfather, Charlie, worked on the farm as a young boy and purchased it after 30 years as a dedicated employee. She is so knowledgeable and fun! The growers thought Wisconsin would produce around 550 million pounds of cranberries this season but the total will likely be below 500 million, Lochner said. Thank you, instructions to reset your password has been sent to your email. Hayes said the Cran-Raspberry has been particularly popular lately. For the challenge, people re-create his video by drinking cranberry juice while skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac. The crop was smaller than the growers would like because of cooler temperatures in August and September. That was the start of a wonderful family operation. In the meantime, be sure to visit Wetherby Cranberry Co. or the Ocean Spray booth right down the street from us for your fresh cranberry buying needs. The Grygleskis of Wisconsin love growing cranberries – and they have been doing it for three generations! "We have been the benefactors of, you know, some strong sales based on consumers coming back to products that they love and that give them comfort in uncomforting times," Hayes said in the interview. His son, Jim, joined his father after college to run the operation. Enjoy the crisp, clean taste of cranberries from Ocean Spray®. Their first planting was 8 acres; today, it is 86 acres. Find cranberry juices, recipes, and more information about cranberry health and our farmers. The Tomah processing plant produces 31 million pounds of sweetened dried cranberries and concentrate annually, according to Ocean Spray. Tom and Jim grew their farm to 32 acres before selling it to become the State of Wisconsin’s Cranberry Research Station. Wisconsin's 270 cranberry farms are just finishing harvest season, Lochner said. The viral video trend is being called the Ocean Spray challenge. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and According to Ferzli, the adjustments the farmers had to make were few and mostly centered on upgrading technologies that … Email address is not in a correct format. Biegel says that 50 percent of the cranberries in the world come from Wisconsin. We own and operate a cranberry farm and offer seasonal cranberry and craisin sales. His son, Jim, joined his father after college to run the operation. It's owned by Sue Gilmore, who is also a descendent of one of the founding families of Ocean … FYI: North Tomah Cranberry Co. berries go to grower-owned Ocean Spray, located just down the highway from the farm. Inspired by a trip to Cape Cod’s cranberry bogs in 1938, Louis-Michel’s grandfather, Edgard, was a … Jim hopes that some of his four children – J.T., 34, Rachel, 31, Emma and Ethan, both 17 – will continue the family’s cranberry journey. The Bible Family of Wisconsin have been growing cranberries for Ocean Spray since 1981 when Tom Bible purchased an 18-acre marsh without any prior farming experience. Subscribe to her weekly newsletter Be MKE at jsonline.com/bemke. 09/28/2017 Ocean Spray Cranberry farms are a part of a large cooperative established in 1933 that includes the US, Canada, and Chile. Ocean Spray challenge on TikTok is good news for the No. In 2015, after more than 70 years, the operation moved to … More than half of these farms, according to a tweet by Ocean Spray, are owned by women. Sarah Hauer can be reached at shauer@journalsentinel.com or on Instagram @HauerSarah and Twitter @SarahHauer. Part of the Ocean Spray Cooperative since the 1950’s, their 212-acre marsh celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2016. Our 22-year-old daughter, Rachel, is very interested in cranberry production. The Bible Family of Wisconsin have been growing cranberries for Ocean Spray since 1981 when Tom Bible purchased an 18-acre marsh without any prior farming experience. Your password must contain 6-12 characters, a capital letter and a number. Happy festing!! We grow cranberries exclusively and proudly for Ocean Spray Cranberry Cranberries, Inc. A grower-owned cooperative since 1930 . Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry farmers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. An old producer from New Jersey, John “Peg Leg” Webb, was the first to remark on this peculiarity. Gottschalk is in its third generation of ownership and ships all its cranberries to Ocean Spray, an owner-cooperative with several Wisconsin processing plants. We enjoyed the tour, all the farm animals, and the sample of the craisins. more. "So we have seen, you know, overall sales great, and I expect to see Cran-Raspberry sales to take off quite literally in the next quarter. Ocean Spray gifted the TikTok star Nathan Apodaca a 2020 Nissan Titan, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A confirmation email has been sent to the email address you used to register your account. As Washington State University Extension agents in the 1980’s, the couple took a chance by purchasing an eight-acre cranberry farm that needed a lot of work. All cranberry varieties on this site (except Stevens) have been bred and cultivated by Valley Corp (Grygleski Family). Shortly after, they bought a 12-acre farm adjacent to the original that had been developed in the early 1900’s. Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. Here, Ocean Spray’s Tomah processing plant—home of the Original Craisins® Dried Cranberries—produces 31 million pounds of dried cranberries and concentrate every year. Ocean Spray is an American agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Ocean Spray CEO Tom Hayes said in an interview with Yahoo Finance that the company can't say yet if there will be an increase in sales but that retailers have said there has been "additional draw off the shelf." This website uses cookies to enhance your online experience. More than half of the world's supply of cranberries is grown here, according to the association. wisconsin cranberry highway One of the best ways to see harvest is by driving the Wisconsin Cranberry Highway. It's wasn't an idea dreamed up by the marketing team but an organic post that went viral. Please enter your information below to join the Cranberry Club. Starting in 1943, Ocean Spray operated a cranberry juice bottling plant in Bordentown, producing 32 million cases per year. A TikTok sensation of a man cruising on a longboard listening to Fleetwood Mac and drinking Ocean Spray juice is turning into big cranberry business. Fleetwood Mac is seeing a boost, too. Even our seven-year-old twins help out on the farm from time to time. 700 Families Strong Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry farmers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. By using our website, you agree to our privacy policy. Each farm and its efforts may seem tiny on its own, but collectively these farmers make a … At that time, production was for fresh fruit. Get Directions Edward came from Cranberry Lake in Phillips, WI in 1939 and started by managing the farm but later became owner. "My wife shared it with me, my daughter shared it with me, growers have been sharing it with me," said Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. We are a 300 acre Ocean Spray grower farm and we rely on Ocean Spray to independently evaluate some of the traits of our hybrid’s. All cranberry varieties on this site (except Stevens) have been bred and cultivated by Valley Corp (Grygleski Family). A TikTok star's video of him sipping on Ocean Spray has been viewed tens of millions of times. Right now, cranberry producers in the Ocean Spray Cooperative expect to break even, but some are looking at losses. Each farm and its efforts may seem tiny on its own, but collectively these farmers make a mighty impact. Hansen’s farm, Cranberry Creek Cranberries, joined the Ocean Spray co-op in the late 1990s and is one of the largest producers in Wisconsin. "The Ocean Spray Community Fund is the perfect extension of our commitment to community well-being." Wisconsin is the top producer of cranberries in the U.S., according to the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. The song "Dreams" is back on top songs charts. 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