Discover Cranberry Harvest Evolution
We believe students learn best when they can see, touch, and explore. That’s why we’re proud to unveil our Cranberry Harvest Equipment History lesson, created in collaboration with Lorry Erickson of Warrens, Wisconsin, and inspired by the fascinating exhibits at the Discover Cranberries Museum.
This interactive classroom lesson below gives upper elementary through high school students a deep dive into the evolution of cranberry harvesting. Using real photos and detailed descriptions, students build a timeline showing the transformation of cranberry harvest equipment. From hand-picking and raking to early machines like the Case Picker and Getsinger Retracto-Tooth, all the way to today’s modern harrows.
Students will explore:
The labor-intensive days of hand-picking, when families and workers stooped for hours to gather berries.
The innovative leap to mechanical rakes and water-reel "beaters."
How inventions like the Felton picker and Harrow helped revolutionize the cranberry industry in Wisconsin.
Older students are encouraged to dig deeper by analyzing challenges early growers faced and discussing how modern machinery helped solve them. This lesson combines history, engineering, agriculture, and storytelling into one hands-on activity.
Make It a Field Trip
Bring the lesson to life with a visit to the Discover Cranberries Museum in Warrens, Wisconsin. Students can see original hand rakes, one of the first mechanical pickers from the 1940s, a 1920s cranberry sorting mill, and a complete fresh fruit packing line.
The museum offers both self-guided and guided tours, making it a great destination for classrooms, youth groups, and families. Seeing the equipment up close helps students make powerful connections between history and modern innovation in agriculture.
Visitors can also enjoy a stop at the Cranberry Country Café, sample artisan cranberry ice cream at the old-fashioned ice cream parlor, and browse cranberry-themed products and souvenirs in the gift shop. It's a well-rounded learning experience that blends education, history, and fun.
