Bartling's Manitowish Cranberry Co

04/28/2026

1940s & 1950s - The early days of cranberries in Manitowish Waters.

Learn more - www.manitowishcranberry.com/history

03/31/2026

Learning how to grow cranberries with Grandpa! 🚜

Mike (3rd generation) with Ford (5th generation)

03/12/2026

It’s National Bubblegum Week — and cranberry innovation is popping in Wisconsin!

While there is now a national goal of artificial food dyes being phased out by 2027, researchers at UW–Madison have been developing natural alternatives using cranberries. Professor Bradley Bolling and his team have created a patented process to extract vibrant red pigments.

The goal? Not just vibrant natural color, but the possibility of delivering health-promoting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of cranberries in new formats. They have added it to chewing gum and are investigating how cranberry compounds are released and absorbed in a human study.

It’s a great reminder of the versatility of Wisconsin cranberries — from the marsh to cutting-edge food innovation.

Learn more and view the full story in the comments!

12/04/2025

Research-grade instruments are taking measurements of air and soil temp, humidity, precipitation, wind and more right on our farm, thanks to University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wisconet. Wisconet is a statewide network of high-quality weather stations providing valuable, local data to farmers.

Read the article to learn more about farming for the future. 🚜

UW‘s statewide network of hyper-local weather stations gives Wisconsin growers a powerful tool to reduce costs and improve yields.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

09/05/2025

09/05/2025

Harvest is just around the corner, beginning in late September when the cranberries turn a crimson red color! Learn how we collect, clean, and bin Wisconsin's state fruit on our website.

🔗www.manitowishcranberry.com/farm

04/30/2025

As the growing season begins, we protect our potential crop from freezing by continuously running our irrigation system during cold nights, creating a layer of ice around the fruit bud and vine. 19 degrees last night made for a pretty morning 🥶 🚜

03/07/2025

cranberries come in different varieties, each with its own unique traits? There are more than 25 named cultivars of cranberries in wide-spread commercial use today!

From Ben Lear, an early-ripening deep-red berry, to Stevens, a high-yield favorite, every cultivar has a name that tells a story!

Some honor history or scientists (like Searles or Demoranville), while others highlight traits like color (Ruby Star) or harvest timing (Early Blacks). These differences help growers plan harvests, rely on desirable traits and hardiness, and determine the best berries for juice, dried fruit, or fresh markets.

So next time you enjoy cranberries, remember—they’re more than just a berry; they have a name and a purpose!

02/26/2025

A common question is “What do you do all winter?”. The answer is lots, actually! This week we’re busying sanding.

Winter sanding is when 3/4” of sand is applied on ice that has formed over a flooded bed. When the ice melts in the spring, the sand sinks down to the soil surface to rejuvenate the vines and naturally prevent w**d seeds from germinating and pest eggs from hatching. We sand approximately 1/3 of our farm annually.

Learn more about cranberry farming on our website - manitowishcranberry.com/farm

01/15/2025

Winter is still a busy time of year on the farm.