After a devastating frost destroyed almost their entire cranberry crop last year, Mother Nature has been significantly kinder to the folks at Popp Farm in Dresden.
According to Helen Langdale, David Popp’s “better half,” last year’s crop could be gathered and put into one shopping bag. This time around, she is estimating a harvest of around 30,000 pounds, or 300 barrels from one and a half acres of cranberry bogs.
“I’m amazed at the crop this year, “Langdale said.
Cranberries are harvested using a labor-intensive process that requires herding them to a corner of the cranberry bog and vacuuming them out of the water into a truck. Harvesters funnel the cranberries to the vacuum by wading through waist deep water and pushing them with large brooms.
Despite the hard work, Popp’s workers eagerly help with the harvest.
“I’m retired twice but I still come up here to help,” Glen Smith, Langdale’s brother, said. Smith flew up from his home in Florida to help with this year’s crop.
According to Popp, after the cranberries are taken out of the bog, they will be shipped down to Carver, Mass. and sold to Decas, a producer of cranberry-based products. From there they will be shipped all over the world from Germany and Russia to East Asia.
Popp’s type of cranberries, a sweeter, juicier breed called Stevens, is particularly used for making craisins. “If you like larger and sweeter cranberries, this is the one to get,” Popp said.
While most of Popp’s harvest will be shipped down to Mass., some will be handpicked by Langdale and sold at farmers markets in Bath, Gardiner, and Augusta.
Langdale combs through her cranberry bushes, picking the best for her farm stand.
“If you like sour you can eat them raw. I love it,” Langdale said.
