Wisconsin cranberries feed nation

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – Wisconsin’s cranberry growers are forecasting a 5.3-million-barrel harvest in 2025, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistic Services crop-production report. If projections hold, Wisconsin will remain the largest cranberry producer in the world, expected to supply an estimated 65 percent of the nation’s cranberries.

The forecast, an early-season estimate based on voluntary grower surveys, marks the 31st-consecutive year Wisconsin is projected to lead the nation in cranberry production. The projections can shift as the growing season progresses and conditions change.

“We’ve received encouraging feedback from growers who are optimistic about a good crop this year,” said Grant Holley, Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association Executive Director. “That said, as always, our growers face unpredictable weather and other challenges beyond their control. We’re confident in our growers, who rely on a delicate balance of generations of knowledge, ongoing innovation, and advancements in reliable crop varieties, marsh management, and growing practices — all working together to bring us the healthy and versatile cranberry, and what we hope will be a strong 2025 harvest.”

Cranberries have been Wisconsin’s official state fruit for more than 20 years, earning the designation in 2004. They are the state’s No. 1 fruit crop in both size and economic value.

“We’re proud to carry on the tradition of Wisconsin’s state fruit and to be the nation’s top cranberry producer, growing nearly two-thirds of the country’s crop right here at home,” Holley said. “Our industry not only fuels thousands of Wisconsin jobs — over 4,000 strong — but also drives nearly a billion dollars in economic impact, showing just how deeply rooted cranberries are in our state’s heritage and future.”

Wisconsin cranberries are grown on 25,000 acres across 19 counties in the central and northern regions of the state. About 5 percent of this year’s crop will be sold as fresh fruit. The remaining cranberries will be frozen and stored for longer-term sales as frozen berries, dried cranberries, juices, sauces and more. Wisconsin’s cranberry harvest typically begins in late September and runs through October.