Cranberries can prosper in Aroostook County

To the editor:
    In 1993, various agencies cooperated in an EPA-funded project “Maine Cranberry Research Project to Avoid Wetland Conversion in Northern New England.” The idea was to determine the feasibility of commercial cranberry production in Maine and evaluate varieties best suited for producing “maximum yields and high quality berries” on non-wetland (upland) beds. Project Manager was John Harker, Director, Production Development, of the Maine Department of Agriculture.    In northern Maine, a half-acre section of the sand-gravel flood plain near the Aroostook River in Washburn was converted into a cranberry bog research-demonstration system. The site (formerly on the Dupram Farm) was part of the waste water reclamation beds at the old french fry plant in Washburn. Grant monies were administered by the Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District (CASWCD).
    In August 1993, the design plan was drawn up by Keith Roble, Field Engineer for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Presque Isle. Inside an earthen dike (for purposes of flooding), his plan showed existing ground layered with 6 inches of soil, 3 inches of sand, about 4 inches of peat, and finally an inch or more of sand.
    The bed was planted three times, once with one year rooted plugs planted in August of 1994, again with a variety trial of one year rooted plugs planted in July 1995, and again with unrooted vine in the spring of 1996. Each method of planting was successful in establishing plants. Planting was completed by Jim Dwyer, crops specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Ken Hill, NRCS district conservationist.
    It was noted in subsequent reports that weeds needed to be kept under control, and adequate moisture, but not saturation, should be maintained. Researchers were reminded of the importance of clean sand when the weed nutsedge emerged in the bed, but not in areas surrounding the newly-constructed bog.
    The cranberry variety trial was harvested under the direction of Leigh Morrow, a supervisor of the CASWCD, on October 4, 1999. Yields of the several varieties planted (including Pilgrim, Bergman, Early Black, Howes, Stevens, Ben Lear, and others) ranged from nearly 1,000 pounds per acre to almost 5,000 pounds per acre for the Ben Lear variety.
    The last year cultural practices were applied to the bog (now owned by the town of Washburn) was 1999. Various grant proposals and funding requests in the late 1990s to restore and maintain the site bore no fruit. But today, the cranberries are doing just fine — all by themselves. So the project did demonstrate that cranberries can grow and prosper in Aroostook County.
Steve Sutter
associate supervisor, CASWCD