Too much rain during the summer dimmed an otherwise bright cranberry crop forecast, but Wisconsin should still lead the nation in cranberry production. Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association Executive Director Tom Lochner says the harvest is at it's midpoint, a bit later than usual, as growers waited until cooler weather for the berries to turn color...
"....overall a pretty good crop for Wisconsin. It's coming in at or above what is expected, maybe a little above that. We're seeing an increase in field rot because of the warm and wet weather....."
He says other areas of the country had some problems...
"....Massachusetts crop has been held back because of drought, New Jersey is about where they're supposed to be. The West Coast is off a little bit. Canadian regions are where they were expected, maybe down a bit....."
Lochner says it looks like a projected harvest of 580 million pounds of fruit, good enough for Wisconsin to top national production numbers. The state produces about 60 percent of the nation's cranberries.