Burlington County bogs produce a bountiful crop

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
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Maybe the berry is, but the plant itself has to have enemies.


Guy
 

Sue Gremlin

Piney
Sep 13, 2005
1,277
233
61
Vicksburg, Michigan
Yeah, cranberries get several species of worms that eat both berries and plants, including gypsy moths. I think they can also get weevils. I think the most common insect pests are the type that can be contolled with baculovirus, a virus that kills a narrow spectrum of worms (so that it won't kill most beneficial insects). It's something that we should be seeing more of in the future. I did some work with this virus, it's pretty potent.
 

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,111
434
Little Egg Harbor
Yeah, they have a whole host of insect and fungal problems, not to menton weeds that can take over a bog quickly if not treated with herbicide. I've been learning that first hand, unfortunately
 

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,111
434
Little Egg Harbor
Sorry, didn't mean to be cryptic, just posting in a hurry while cooking! The park I work at is involved with managing the Cloverdale Bogs in Barnegat. When they were first acquired by the planning dept. under the Natural Lands Trust Program, the intention was to just preserve the tract from development and let the bogs revert back to nature. But once the parks dept. got involved in their care, we decided to attempt to keep the bogs in production for educational purposes. But since the bogs and water control structures had been neglected for a few years it's been a slow uphill battle, involving both our learning to be cranbery farmers (picture Oliver Douglass without the Hungarian wife) and dealing with tight budgets. We are forced to take baby steps right now, as there are several other priorities in the dept. at this time.
 

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,111
434
Little Egg Harbor
Letting an existing farmer work the bogs has been considered, but the market conditions for cranberries have been pretty poor in recent years, with even the Double Trouble bogs being only sporadically harvested. These bogs are in poorer shape, and much smaller than the Double Trouble ones, which equates to being less efficient for transporting workers and equipment to, so finding a willing farmer isn't likely but it's not out of the question.
 

Ben Ruset

Administrator
Site Administrator
Oct 12, 2004
7,616
1,863
Monmouth County
www.benruset.com
Yeah you'd have to find someone who wants to rehabilitate the bogs, and then who would want to lease them. Probably not an easy task.

I say let them revert to nature. I love abandoned bogs.
 

GermanG

Piney
Apr 2, 2005
1,111
434
Little Egg Harbor
Actually, we plan on letting several of them revert back as a lesson on bog succession anyway. We'd only need a few bogs for class trips and maybe one marked for free public picking.

These bogs were dry harvested, by the way. The farm is truly a snapshot in time, from the era before wet harvest. Not only do we have the farm's Darlington dry pickers, but the Hayden separator (the kind that bounces the berries to sort them, like the ones in the Double Trouble packing house) and its associated conveyor belt still functions. Everything is as Bill Collins left it when he passed away. Everyone who I've let sit in on a session of sorting has left with an ear to ear smile on their face and is sold on the idea of keeping the place functioning. If I can get the county to make the investment in the place I'd like to see, I have no doubt it will be the premier school field trip destination in the county.
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,153
4,258
Pines; Bamber area
Actually, we plan on letting several of them revert back as a lesson on bog succession anyway. We'd only need a few bogs for class trips and maybe one marked for free public picking.

These bogs were dry harvested, by the way. The farm is truly a snapshot in time, from the era before wet harvest. Not only do we have the farm's Darlington dry pickers, but the Hayden separator (the kind that bounces the berries to sort them, like the ones in the Double Trouble packing house) and its associated conveyor belt still functions. Everything is as Bill Collins left it when he passed away. Everyone who I've let sit in on a session of sorting has left with an ear to ear smile on their face and is sold on the idea of keeping the place functioning. If I can get the county to make the investment in the place I'd like to see, I have no doubt it will be the premier school field trip destination in the county.

German, I'd like to see the place some day. How about a little tour?
 

LARGO

Piney
Sep 7, 2005
1,552
132
53
Pestletown
It wouldn't take a whole long time, so I'd think closer to the beginning of the day, so folks could go on to lengthier pursuits. I'm flexible

So far, that sounds good. I shall wait & see what the Sages think.
Thank you by the way for the offer.

g.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,181
So far I can do that. And the early time is not a problem.

Guy
 
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