The little berry that could

The humble yet hardy cranberry is playing its part in the economic diversification of Central Newfoundland – a region hit hard by the downturn in Canadian forestry.

The provincial government started investigating the potential for cranberry farming back in 1999. Drawing upon expertise from New England’s long-established cranberry industry, it concluded that the small red fruit would grow well in Newfoundland. Since then, four farms, including an experimental research farm in Deadman’s Bay, have been established through the province's Cranberry Industry Development Program.

In the latest development, 11 new farms are being established in the Exploits area around Grand Falls-Windsor. The project is being funded by $ 2.2 million from the provincial government, along with an additional $ 3 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), $580,000 in personal investment from the prospective farmers themselves.

They hope to plant their first beds in the spring of 2010 and to harvest their first crop in 2011. They will start by cultivating 11 acres, with a view to expanding in the coming years. A viable cranberry farm requires a minimum of 30 acres.

Sources:
Interview with Mr Lloyd Warford, Project Administrator of Cranberry Initiative, Town of Grand Falls-Windsor; Cranberry Industry Development Program, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2009