BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 23, 2024
Farmers expect a stronger cranberry crop this fall compared with last. Although cultivated in Maine since the 1800s, cranberries are lesser known than the state’s prolific wild blueberries. While this year is promising a bumper crop, Maine growers are not always so lucky. In addition to increased competition from other states, cranberry growers have had to adapt to heavier rainfalls and additional days of extreme heat as the climate changes. The past four years ranked among the 10 warmest on record in the state, according to the Maine Climate Council. What’s more, Maine is getting one to two additional days per year with 2 or more inches of precipitation, and winters are now two weeks shorter than in the last century. All of these changes can be detrimental to cranberry growing.