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Why Wisconsin is No. 1 cranberry state
With more than double the production of the No. 2 state, Wisconsin’s cranberry industry is valued at just under $1 billion.
3 Min Read
FESTIVE FRUIT: U.S. households consume about 80 million pounds of cranberries every year during the holidays.Photos Courtesy of Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association
Wisconsin has led the nation in cranberry production every year since 1995, when the Badger State overtook Massachusetts as the country’s top producer. Wisconsin produces about 5 million barrels of cranberries per year. Massachusetts is a distant second, with about 2 million barrels per year.
The second-largest growing region in the world is Quebec, where about 2.5 million barrels of cranberries are grown per year.
Cranberry capital
“Wisconsin is the best place to grow cranberries for a whole bunch of reasons,” says Grant Holley, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association. “Sound government support, including pro-farming laws and resource access, plays a vital role in Wisconsin’s thriving cranberry crops. Available infrastructure, research support and innovative growers drive Wisconsin’s cranberry industry forward, ensuring both environmental stewardship and higher yields that sustain the industry’s economic impact.”
Wisconsin cranberry acreage has leveled off at about 20,000 acres in 18 counties. The top cranberry-producing county is Wood County, which produces 1 in 9 cranberries grown in the world. The other top counties are Monroe, Jackson, Juneau and Adams, with about two-thirds of the state’s cranberries grown in the central part of the state. A northern tier of counties from Eagle River to Manitowish Waters is the next most-prolific region.
The sand and peat marshes in central and northern Wisconsin create the perfect growing conditions for cranberries, Holley says.
CRANBERRY COUNTRY: Wisconsin cranberry acreage has leveled off at about 20,000 acres on farms in 18 counties. The counties where cranberries are grown are colored above.
According to Holley, about one-third of the U.S. cranberry crop is exported to Europe, Canada, Mexico, South Korea and China.
Cranberry marketer Ocean Spray reports that U.S. households consume about 80 million pounds of cranberries every year during the holidays, which is 20% of the nation’s total yearly appetite for the red fruit.
While juice and sauce can be purchased year-round, fresh cranberries are only available at local grocery stores from October through December.
SWIMMING SWANS: Swans take in the sights on a cranberry bog during the harvest this fall in Wood County, Wis.
Cranberry fun facts
On average, 200 cranberries are needed for a single can of sauce.
It takes more than 4,000 cranberries to produce 1 gallon of juice.
2024 marks the 20th anniversary since cranberries became Wisconsin’s official state fruit.
Cranberries are Wisconsin’s No. 1 fruit crop both in terms of size and economic value.
Wisconsin cranberry growers annually lead the globe in production and outgrow the next-largest growing region by more than 1 million barrels.
Cranberries were originally stored and shipped in wooden barrels weighing 100 pounds each. Though no longer used, the 100-pound “barrel” remains the metric of measurement.
Harvesting 20,000 acres across 18 counties, Wisconsin’s 250 cranberry growers annually maintain more acreage of cranberry crop than any other state.
Wisconsin’s cranberry industry is valued at just under $1 billion.
The Wisconsin cranberry industry employs more than 4,000 people in the state.
Less than 5% of the annual cranberry crop is sold as fresh berries; the other 95% is made into sauce, juice, dried fruit and other food.
Cranberries are ingredients in more than 1,000 food and beverage products on the market.
About 20% of U.S. annual cranberry consumption is consumed during the holiday season.
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