BANDON, Ore. (AP) — Oregon is enjoying a boom in cranberry production at a time when other states are seeing a drop.
Cranberries are not harvested in Oregon until early October, but a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released last month projects an increase in yields of about 23 percent in the state compared with a 10 percent decline nationwide.
Wisconsin is by far the largest cranberry-producing state, but it's projected to have an 11 percent drop from last year's 4.5 billion pounds because of a spike in rainfall and cooler temperatures. Massachusetts, the second-biggest producer, is also confronting a double-digit decline.
Oregon, the country's fourth-largest producer, chipped in with 400 million pounds in 2008, a number expected to jump to 490 million pounds this year.
"We don't have the snow and freezes that they do on the East Coast," said Carol Russell, who runs A&B Cranberries of Bandon with her husband, Allen. "Our growing season is longer. We'll still be harvesting in mid-November."
Cranberries are one of the most important crops on the south coast of Oregon. Though production numbers pale in comparison to Wisconsin and Massachusetts, Oregon growers contend their berries are redder than their Eastern rivals and have a higher sugar content.
The USDA's annual report on cranberries estimated a total national crop of 7.09 million barrels in 2009, compared to 7.87 million in 2008. The yield last year crushed the previous record of 6.89 million barrels in 2006. A barrel is about 100 pounds.
Demand has soared in recent years as the industry persuaded the public of the berry's health benefits and pushed the sale of dried cranberries that keep the fruit on shelves out of season.
While weather is blamed for Wisconsin's drop in production, it's also cited as the reason for Oregon's bumper crop. Consistent temperatures in the 70s this summer meant ideal conditions for bees to pollinate crops.
"Nature does 80 percent of farming," observed Ron Kasper, a south coast grower.
Despite the bigger yields, it's still unknown if farmers will make more money than last year, said Bryce Fugate, who works on his father's Fugate Family Farms south of Bandon.
Growers earned a healthy $100 a barrel last year, but there's no indication they'll get the same price for this season's crop.
And nature can still throw a curve between now and harvest time.
"The weather has been good up to now," Fugate said. "But it could be cold the next month. Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
