CARVER, Mass. — The cranberry industry in Massachusetts is undergoing significant changes as financial challenges make it difficult to renovate aging bogs.
A state program is helping farmers retire some of their land and restore it to its original wetland state.
The restoration efforts aim to support the cranberry industry by focusing on higher-producing bogs while reclaiming land for ecological benefits.
Edgewood Bogs in Carver, Massachusetts, has decided to take 27 acres of their cranberry bogs offline and convert them back to native wetlands.
“This property here was a little distressed. It needed to be rebuilt which is stripping off the old vine, putting new sand down, and new irrigation which is costly,” explained Jarrod Rhodes whose family has run Edgewood Bogs for 72 years.
The decision comes as the cranberry market faces a glut, depressing prices and causing some bog owners to reconsider their investments.
“That was the goal, to be more efficient and focusing energy on higher producing bogs,” added Rhodes.
Eric Ford from the state’s Division of Ecological Restoration explained, “There’s a lot of land coming out of production. A lot of this land was formerly wetland habitat before bogs were constructed.”
The Eel River Project in Plymouth was the first restoration effort under the state’s project.
Since then, about 500 acres of former bogs and 10 miles of stream have been restored.
Restored wetlands offer recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, birding, and walking, while also playing a crucial role in climate resiliency.
Wetlands are excellent at absorbing heavy rain and preventing run off that can cause catastrophic flooding.
Melissa De Viviero is the project manager for the Carver project. She hopes future visitors will enjoy increased diversity in restored wetland by seeing more native plants and wildlife.
Eric Ford mentioned the state hopes to reclaim another thousand acres and ten more miles of stream over the next decade.
The average cost to restore a bog is about three million dollars, funded by a combination of local, state, and federal government grants.
So far, Ford said there has been no disruption in the funds received from Washington for these projects.
The program isn’t about replacing the cranberry industry. Its about helping it survive – and thrive.
“I think it’s a tradition and history and it was a native crop,” said Rhodes, reflecting on the cranberry harvesting tradition in southeastern Massachusetts.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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