With holiday meals featuring New Jersey-grown cranberries around the corner, Assemblyman Alex Sauickie (R-Ocean), a member of the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee, toured Lee Brothers cranberry farm in Tabernacle to find out how this amazing crop gets to family tables.

Putting on hip waders and venturing into the bog, Sauickie assisted fellow members of the committee and the farm’s workers in harvesting the red jewel of the Pinelands.

“You learn best by doing, and I’ve learned a lot about the hard jobs of New Jersey agriculture workers,” Sauickie said. “But one thing I already knew is that our state has the best produce in the country.”

The Pinelands is one of the few places where cranberries grow naturally. Cranberries grow on vines that are very close to the ground. They need sandy, acidic soil which has a high-water table.

Cranberries are usually cooked into a compote or jelly known as cranberry sauce. They are also used in baking muffins, scones, cakes and breads.  

New Jersey is the number three producer of cranberries in the nation.  

# # #