Wisconsin remains the No. 1 state for cranberries with 4.8 million barrels produced in 2025, though that’s below forecasted levels and the prior year’s “near-record” harvest of more than 6 million barrels.
The Wisconsin State Cranberries Association yesterday announced the harvest total for last year based on the Wisconsin Cranberry Board’s annual assessment, which included more than 250 growers across 19 counties and 21,000 acres of land.
The state’s total made up more than 60% of the national cranberry crop for 2025, which reached 7.46 million barrels, USDA figures show. Cranberries are Wisconsin’s largest fruit crop, with a $1 billion annual impact and supporting more than 4,000 jobs in the state, according to the association. Wisconsin also provides a third of all U.S. cranberry exports.
In August of last year, cranberry growers in the state had forecasted harvesting 5.3 million barrels in 2025, the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistic Services reported.
Jenna Van Wychen, board president for the WSCGA, said the 2025 season “required a lot of attention and flexibility” from growers.
“Weather always plays a role, and last year’s conditions presented challenges,” she said. “After a banner crop, some adjustment is also expected, but we’re encouraged by the quality of the fruit and how growers managed through the season.”
Last year’s harvest was roughly in line with other recent annual totals, as 5.01 million barrels were harvested in the state in 2023 and 4.8 million were harvested in 2022, an earlier NASS report shows.
Central and northern Wisconsin counties dominate the state’s cranberry production, as Wood County produced more than 1.38 million barrels last year or nearly a third of the state’s total for the year. That was followed by Monroe County with about 990,000 barrels, Jackson County with 766,000 barrels and Juneau County with 630,000 barrels.
Other U.S. states with major cranberry industries include Massachusetts with 1.9 million barrels in 2025, Oregon with 530,000 barrels and New Jersey with 449,000 barrels.
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