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Assisting cranberry farmers through research and experiments done at the UMass Cranberry Station

Ted Reinstein reports on the farmers keeping this industry alive in Massachusetts thanks to hard work and a lot of passion.

Assisting cranberry farmers through research and experiments done at the UMass Cranberry Station

Ted Reinstein reports on the farmers keeping this industry alive in Massachusetts thanks to hard work and a lot of passion.

ANTHONY: HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN CANBERRA COUNTRY? AT MAKEPEACE FARMS COUNTRY STORE, THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF HINT S.OVER IN CARVER, YOU CAN ORDER A COUPLE OF DOUG BEATONS AND A KEMI UTLEY FOR LUNCH. >> PROBABLY 18 OF THEM NAMED AFTER GROWERS. ANTHONY: AT THE VERY GUYS FARM STAND DAN DELI, SDWANICHES ARE NAMED AFTER LOCAL CELEBRITIES, A.K.A. CRANBERRY FARMERS. WE DO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE CALLING AND ASKING IF THEY CAN GET ON THE BOARD. THEY JUST HAVE TO COME UP WITH A GOO SANDWICH. ANTHON OWNER NANCY, WHOSE HUSBAND IS A CRANBERRY FARMER HIMSELF, AND NUMBER EIGHT, SAYS THE BERR GUYS ISN’T BUILT ON CRANBERRY CRED. >> NUMBER FIVE IS OUR PLUMBER WHO COMES HERE. HE’S A GREAT MAN. EVERYBODY WHO COMES HERE IS GREAT. WE HAVE GREAT CUSTOMERS. ANTHY:ON CRANBERRIES ARE MORE THAN A SIDE DISH ON THE STATE’S AGRICULTURAL MENU. >> IT IS OUR BIGGEST SINGLE FOOD CROP. ANTHONY: JOHN LEBEAU,HE T MASS COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. >> WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO SUPPORT IT. ANTHONY: THE STATE RECENTLY PUT ITS MONEY WHERE ITS MOUTH IS. >> WE RECENTLY ANNOCEUN 7.75 MILLION DOLLARS TO UPDATE THE FACITYLI HERE. ANTHONY: FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THE UMASS CRANBERRY STATION HAS HELDPE FARMERS WITH THE LATEST IN RESEARCH. >> WE FIND THINGS THAT WORK, THINGS THAT DON’T WORK. WE FIND TUNE IT. WE DO MORE EXPERIMENTS. THAT IS PRIMARILY WHAT WE DO HERE. ANTHONY: DIRECTOR HERE LOUIS SANDLER -- DIRECTOR HILARY SANDLER TAKES US INTO THE BOGS. PLOTS ARE MARKED OFF FOR EXPERIMENTS TH FERTILIZERS, PEST MANAGEMENT, FERTILIZER, AND THE LIKE. >> WE CALL IT DECORATING. I HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS ABOUT Y30EARS. ONE THING THAT ALWAYS AMAZES ME IS THE PASSION THAT GROWERS HAVE. THEY LOVE WHAT THEY DO. >> THIS IS A RESILIENT INDUSTRY. I SEE A GREAT FUTURE AHEAD FOR CRANBERRIES. THE GROWERS HERE ARE SINGLE-MINDED ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, BUT VERY INNOVATIVE, VERY CREATIVE ON HOW THEY DO THEIR BUSINESS. >> IT IS A GAMBLE. YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE NERVES OF STEEL IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE A CRANBEYRR GROWER, BECAUSEOU Y DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SPEND BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE. ANTHONY: FOR ANYAL WKER, SURVIVAL MEANS SUPPLEMENNGTI WITH HONEY AND SOAPS. FOR MIKE, SAROL POWER ALLOWS HIM TO STAY IN THE CRANBERRY BUSINESS. >> WE WOULDN’T BE IN IT AT ALL IF WE DIDN’T LOVE IT, AND IT IS PART OF OUR FAMILY AND WHAT WE DO. YOU CAN’T HELP IT. IT IS THE BERRIES. IT IS THE PEOPLE. IT IS BEING OUTDOORS. IT IS A GREAT FEELING. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF IT WAAS PROFITABLE FEELING, BUT WE WILL DO IT, WHATEVER IT TAKES. SHAY:NA AND DPIESTE THE DROUGHT ON THE CAPE, THIS YEAR’S CROP IS LOOKING GDOO AS FAR AS QUALITY AND QUANTITY. ANTHONY: FARMERS DID HAVE TO DO A LITTLE MEOR WATERING. THAT CUTS INTO THEIR BOTTOM LINE. BEAUTIFUL AND , AS ASH AND DELICIOUS, AS IT IS EVERY -- BEAUTIFUL AND DELICIOUS, IAST IS EVERY YEAR. THAT’S ALL FOR "CHROCL
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Assisting cranberry farmers through research and experiments done at the UMass Cranberry Station

Ted Reinstein reports on the farmers keeping this industry alive in Massachusetts thanks to hard work and a lot of passion.

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association is the place to go for info about all things cranberry in the Bay State.Makepeace Country Store is a berry, berry cranberry place. The Berry Guys Farm Stand and Deli offers killer sandwiches in Carver, named for local cranberry growers!UMass Cranberry Station is a research facility in Wareham.

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association is the place to go for info about all things cranberry in the Bay State.

Makepeace Country Store is a berry, berry cranberry place.

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The Berry Guys Farm Stand and Deli offers killer sandwiches in Carver, named for local cranberry growers!

UMass Cranberry Station is a research facility in Wareham.