The 2024 cranberry season came at a steep cost amid wildfires and drought in New Jersey, but the 2025 crop is looking much better.

Chatsworth

Cranberry farmers in New Jersey, particularly at Lee Brothers Farm in Chatsworth, faced significant challenges during the previous year's drought, which led to increased costs and resource use. The lack of rainfall not only stressed the plants but also heightened the risk of forest fires, forcing farmers to rely heavily on irrigation and other measures.

This season, improved weather with a wetter spring and summer has allowed the cranberry bogs to recover, resulting in a more promising harvest. Farmers report that the plants have responded well, and the crop is expected to reach consumers nationwide through the Ocean Spray Cooperative. The improved conditions are seen as a positive sign for both local growers and cranberry consumers across the country.

Cranberry farmers hopeful for a comeback after 2024 drought

There are thousands of cranberries floating around me here at Lee Brothers Farm in Chatsworth, New Jersey. It's peak harvest here in the Pine Barrens, and after last year's drought, farmers are hoping for a much-needed turnaround this season. The challenge we had last year was the lack of rain. We had no rain, measurable rain, since about July 20th that went all the way through harvest. And our harvest season ended about the first week of November. Not only did we have issues in terms of being able to supply nutrients to the plants through the rainfall, but we also had the threat of forest fire. To save the crop, farmers had to rely on every resource they had, and it came at a steep cost. We used a lot of resources we don't normally utilize. We spent more money in the month of probably September, October, November in fuel than we did the previous months of the entire year. This year tells a much different story. A wetter spring and summer helped the bogs bounce back, giving farmers hope for a stronger yield. The plant had been stressed all last summer and last fall, so we weren't real sure how the plant was going to respond. We were fortunate enough to be able to have enough water to flood to protect them in the wintertime, which we did. And once the spring got here, we were able to get a little bit of rain, which was beneficial. They're strong plants, and we've been able to learn a lot from that. And the plants have responded, and now they're delivering us a crop this year. And that means good news not only for families here in New Jersey, but all across the country. Lee Brothers Farm is a grower-owner within the Ocean Spray Cooperative, delivering supplied cranberries that reach millions nationwide. It's very special for us to harvest a crop, one of three Native North American fruits, and delivering it to the Thanksgiving table. That's pretty significant. It's pretty special. And with better weather on their side, growers say this season is shaping up to make a cranberry comeback. For AccuWeather, I'm Allie Reed.

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