Each year, Pittsville FFA members and agriculture students enrolled in the cranberry science class taught at Pittsville High School host an educational cranberry marsh tour for members of their Wisconsin community. Throughout its 24-year history, the class and tours have grown, reaching around 1,000 people each fall.
“It began as a way to educate the public about the cranberry industry and its importance to our state and county,” says Lindsay Meissner, Pittsville FFA advisor. “The tours are 100% student-led and we give [up to] 17 between mid-September and late October.
As part of the nine-week cranberry science class, students learn about all aspects of cranberry production and prepare scripts for when they’ll lead attendees through the marshes. Before each tour begins, they also share their knowledge through a kickoff presentation.
In addition to hosting community members and individuals from nearby areas in Wisconsin, attendees travel from across the United States as well as Japan, Australia, Canada, Russia and several European countries to learn from the students.
After the presentation, attendees travel by bus to a local cranberry grower’s marsh. Student tour guides explain that cranberry beds are prepared for three years before harvest can begin in the fourth year. This process continues for decades into the future.
During their time at the marsh, attendees can watch growers work the area and pick fresh berries by hand.
Once harvested, the cranberries move to a cleaning station to be washed and transported to a lab for testing. There, the berries will be judged to determine if they meet the premium berry requirement, which is the highest standard of cranberry quality.
Tour attendees also learn about how the binning (a type of cranberry storage) and freezing processes prepare the berries to be shipped and made into delicious treats.
The annual tours are made possible, in part, thanks to partnerships with Pittsville FFA Alumni & Supporters, community supporters and local cranberry growers.
“Without the growers, these tours would not be possible,” Meissner says. “They allow us to come visit their marsh in the middle of their busiest time. When we talk about what it takes to be economically stable in this industry, sometimes [the growers] offer insight to attendees.”
At the end of the experience, attendees enjoy a cranberry-inspired lunch prepared by the students. They can also take home a bottle of cranberry juice as well as sweetened and dried cranberries donated by a local fruit processing company.
“In agricultural education, you have to find what works well in your area,” Meissner says. “We have that kind of flexibility for a class like cranberry science.”
