ROCHESTER, MASS. (WHDH) – Fall time means cranberry time!
And you can escape to the Hartley Family Farm in Rochester for a “berry” good time.
“They are one of the very few fruits that actually grew only here. This is their native soil right here in the Cape Cod area,” said owner Woody Hartley.
“If you’re going to go to Paris, aren’t you going to go see the Eiffel Tower??? Well, if you’re coming to Massachusetts, come see a cranberry bog! It’s the same thing,” he continued.
Woody and Sharon Hartley let you tour their cranberry bog.
“It’s kind of crazy,” said visitor Keira Harkins.
“Real exciting,” said Paula Meere.
Climb on board, and let this tractor pull you beside the bogs.
“First stop, we’re gonna talk about is the history of cranberries in Massachusetts,” Woody said while giving a group a ride. “Cranberries were growing wild and they were found there by the pilgrims.”
Ever wondered how these blushing berries got their colorful name?
“They called it a ‘crane berry’ and somewhere along the line, maybe dad had too much to drink, and he said, ‘Pass me the cranberries!’ And from then on, it was called cranberries,” Woody said.
Or how many berries a big bog can produce?
“We’ll get between 15- and 18-hundred barrels right now,” Woody said. “I feel it’s always a good crop if we fill up one truck on every bog.”
But don’t get bogged down by the numbers. Remember to soak in the incredible view!
“90 percent of the cranberries are picked in the water,” Woody said.
“Anybody wants to go in, go ahead,” he said. “Here’s your chance to get in there, take a look at the cranberries yourself, get a good look at them, see what it’s like.”
Time to clip in and wade in!
These berries look good enough to eat.
“I would advise against it, because this is a natural setting,” Woody said. “Take them home and wash them, first thing you do. Wash the cranberries, then you can eat all you want.”
It’s a…