Cranberry Harvest at Deer River

You may not think of cranberries as a North Country crop, but we have one commercial bog producing over 80 acres of this autumn fruit. Deer River Cranberries was established in Brasher Falls over 20 years ago and the Local Foods team at Extension caught up with the managers to learn about and photograph the entire harvest.

So how do cranberries get from the bog to your table?

Each ‘bog’ is like a garden bed that’s sunk a foot or two deep and is 5 acres in size. With 15 bogs currently in production, Deer River produces 1 million pounds of berries in an average year (though this year’s crop was earlier and smaller than usual due to cranberry tipworm).

The harvest starts with water being released into the bed, flooding the plants with enough water to just cover the vine tips. Water is reused between bogs, by opening and closing the flumes connecting each bed.

Water reels are driven through the bog, back and forth like a lawnmower, knocking the fruit from the vines.

After being knocked off the plant the cranberries float on top of the water ready to be collected.

Workers corral berries with a floating boom across the bog.

The floating cranberries get pushed towards the collection area.

Berries are then swept to the collection tube.

Manager Scott Davis supervises the cranberry harvest and grading process as the fruit makes its way from the bog to the truck.

The berries then proceed to the receiving station for cleaning and processing.

After another rinse and shake, they’re on their way to the shipping crates.

Tasha Gamble oversees the filling of the shipping crates.

Deer River Cranberries sells to Canadian companies and multiple wineries. While their harvest season is over you can stop in at Elliot’s Farm & Home Supply, the Potsdam Food Co-op and Nature’s Storehouse in Canton.

Lauren grew up in neighboring Vermont exploring and loving the green mountains and vast landscapes. Her undergraduate degree made her appreciate the communities that surround local foods and a Master’s Certificate in Food Studies from the University of Southern Maine made her want to pursue a career in the food system. In 2021 and 2022, she was the Local Foods Marketing and Development Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County.