“It’s our way of life,” said Heidi Slinkman, a 4th generation cranberry grower at Gaynor Cranberry Company.
The Wood County cranberry growers demonstrated their work with a dry bed and a wet cranberry bog at Farm Technology Days to educated passerby on how the cranberry is grown and its importance in the state’s agricultural scene.
“Wood County has the highest concentration of cranberry growers in the world,” said Slinkman. “We have an extremely strong agribusiness presence.”
As the state’s number-one fruit, the cranberry’s importance to the economy is demonstrated through countless jobs, anywhere from farming, freezing, trucking, hauling, engineering, fabrication, and more.
The harvesting bog exhibited how cranberries are harvested and float in the water. Contrary to popular belief, the fruit does not grow in water but on a vine.
Volunteers with the cranberry committee invited Governor Walker on July 11 to experience cranberries. Walker posed with the group by the harvesting bog for pictures, Wisconsin-style.
