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.

Read more Cranberry Harvest at Deer River

Fruition Livestream: Summer Recap

In the past three months, those tuning into the Fruition Local Foods Livestream have gotten a significant taste of the north county’s food scene. This series gives viewers a chance to really get to know the people behind the businesses. Interviewees shared how and why they grow, cook, and sell the food and products that they do. Viewers have the chance to win prizes that are generously donated by the farmers and chefs on the program. Past viewers have walked away with a Thanksgiving Turkey, gift certificates, and fresh local honey, just to name a few. Celebrate the growers and makers in our community and tune in for the next showcase this Wednesday, August 18th from 7 to 8 pm.

Each month features three unique farmers or food entrepreneurs. Here are some of the tidbits we’ve enjoyed so far from each month. 

May Showcase 

During the first-ever local foods showcase the Livestream provided some insight into the culinary magic that is happening at Big Spoon Kitchen in Potsdam. Owner and chef Will Trithart shared how meals rotate weekly based on seasonally available items. 

Eight O’Clock Ranch has continued to provide their customers near and far, with a range of delicious and healthy meats. We heard from owner Kassandra about how their business model started off nearly 20 years ago with sales mainly by mail but has since shifted in the past few years to predominantly local sales. Read more Fruition Livestream: Summer Recap