Climate change nearly threatened the fate of this Thanksgiving staple
Cranberries might have been missing from your Thanksgiving table this year, and no, not because of supply chain issues or inflation.
Creation Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIt's been an unusually warm summer, with Earth experiencing its sixth-hottest August on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Rising temperatures continue to pose threats to the planet, and the impact of climate change has jeopardized the fate of cranberry crops as a drought and heat wave swept across Massachusetts, where nearly one-third of all cranberries in the United States are harvested.
When all goes according to plan, the cranberries are grown in floodplains using fresh water, a system that runs into trouble in an unusually dry and hot season.
"The boom or bust scenario that climate change presents for precipitation events - the boom being the large precipitation event, the downturn being long dry spells - is not a good thing,” said Zachary Zobel, a scientist at Woodwell. Climate Research Center in Massachusetts, Grist said in September. Zobel went on to say that the current situation is a direct result of climate change. Of Massachusetts' 14 counties, 10 experienced extreme droughts over the summer, reported the New York Post.
Related: Thanksgiving is going to cost more this year, and it's not just because of inflation
However, this was not the first time that cranberry growers faced the threat of low yields. In recent years, farmers have had to deal with several periods of less than successful harvests due to difficult conditions which have an impact on the fate of the fruits. In 2015 and 2017, cranberry growers faced the opposite problem of that dry summer: floods and storms.
When there is too much water, cranberries are susceptible to a fungus that spoils the fruit. But without enough moisture, the berries do not grow at all. The impact of extreme weather conditions on harvests testifies to the fragility of the fruit.
To further complicate the impending availability of fresh cranberries, only about 3% of berries are sold fresh, according to Modern Farmer. Cranberry growers typically save a small portion of their harvest—usually the best in the lot—to be sold fresh, and the rest ends up in juices, cans, or dried.
Despite the threat of shortages and the obstacles caused by extreme weather conditions, cranberry growers finally managed to harvest successfully. Growers are reporting a strong, high-quality crop, according to the Cranberry Institute. “Fruit quality is expected to be very good for Thanksgiving 2022, with fruit supplies available for the holiday market across the country,” the organization told Entrepreneur.
Related: Ocean Spray Seized Its Viral Marketing Moment Like It Was Juicing: Naturally
Cranberries might have been missing from your Thanksgiving table this year, and no, not because of supply chain issues or inflation.
Creation Bloomberg | Getty ImagesIt's been an unusually warm summer, with Earth experiencing its sixth-hottest August on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.
Rising temperatures continue to pose threats to the planet, and the impact of climate change has jeopardized the fate of cranberry crops as a drought and heat wave swept across Massachusetts, where nearly one-third of all cranberries in the United States are harvested.
When all goes according to plan, the cranberries are grown in floodplains using fresh water, a system that runs into trouble in an unusually dry and hot season.
"The boom or bust scenario that climate change presents for precipitation events - the boom being the large precipitation event, the downturn being long dry spells - is not a good thing,” said Zachary Zobel, a scientist at Woodwell. Climate Research Center in Massachusetts, Grist said in September. Zobel went on to say that the current situation is a direct result of climate change. Of Massachusetts' 14 counties, 10 experienced extreme droughts over the summer, reported the New York Post.
Related: Thanksgiving is going to cost more this year, and it's not just because of inflation
However, this was not the first time that cranberry growers faced the threat of low yields. In recent years, farmers have had to deal with several periods of less than successful harvests due to difficult conditions which have an impact on the fate of the fruits. In 2015 and 2017, cranberry growers faced the opposite problem of that dry summer: floods and storms.
When there is too much water, cranberries are susceptible to a fungus that spoils the fruit. But without enough moisture, the berries do not grow at all. The impact of extreme weather conditions on harvests testifies to the fragility of the fruit.
To further complicate the impending availability of fresh cranberries, only about 3% of berries are sold fresh, according to Modern Farmer. Cranberry growers typically save a small portion of their harvest—usually the best in the lot—to be sold fresh, and the rest ends up in juices, cans, or dried.
Despite the threat of shortages and the obstacles caused by extreme weather conditions, cranberry growers finally managed to harvest successfully. Growers are reporting a strong, high-quality crop, according to the Cranberry Institute. “Fruit quality is expected to be very good for Thanksgiving 2022, with fruit supplies available for the holiday market across the country,” the organization told Entrepreneur.
Related: Ocean Spray Seized Its Viral Marketing Moment Like It Was Juicing: Naturally
What's Your Reaction?
