CRANBERRY PRODUCTION IN WISCONSIN
Judge for yourself
Wisconsin is the nations leading producer of cranberries, harvesting more than 60 percent of the countrys crop. The little red berry, Wisconsins official state fruit, is the states number one fruit crop, both in size and economic value.
The cranberry, once called crane berry by settlers because of its blossoms resemblance to the sandhill crane, was first harvested in Wisconsin around 1860 by Edward Sacket in Berlin, Wisconsin. Today, more than 250 growers produce cranberries throughout central and northern Wisconsin.
Where Wisconsin Cranberries are Grown
Cranberries are grown on 21,000 acres across 20 counties in Wisconsin. The sand and peat marshes in central and northern Wisconsin create the perfect growing conditions for cranberries.
During the early 1890s, the center of the Wisconsin cranberry industry shifted to the Cranmoor area, just west of Wisconsin Rapids. Later developments occurred in the Black River Falls, Warrens and Tomah areas, followed by cranberry farms in northern Wisconsin, primarily around Manitowish Waters, Eagle River, Spooner and Hayward.