New Jersey cranberry growers are forecasting 580,000 (100 lbs.) barrels to be produced in 2024, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, New Jersey Field Office.

If realized, the projections would match 2023’s production volumes, following a slight 3% upward trend from 2022’s numbers.

The Garden State’s production comes from a productive area of approximately 2,900 acres. Yields are at around 200 barrels per acre.

In Wisconsin, the largest growing state, production was 5.01 million barrels in 2023, up 4% from the previous year. Production in Massachusetts, at 1.97 million barrels, was down 13% last year. Oregon producers harvested 550 thousand barrels, up from 417 thousand barrels in 2022.

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Total domestic cranberry production for the 2023 season totaled 8.11 million barrels, up 1% from the 2022 crop year.

The New Jersey Pinelands are among the few places where cranberries grow naturally. Cranberries grow on vines that are very close to the ground. They need sandy, acidic soil which has a high water table. This wet area is called a bog.

In New Jersey, cranberry farming began in 1835 in a bog near Burrs' Mills in Burlington County. Many other bogs were soon constructed wherever there was a good water source. Some of New Jersey's first cranberry farms are still operated by descendants of the original owners.

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