Why Massachusetts Lawmakers Are Selling Out Family-Owned Cranberry Farms to Big Ag
Massachusetts’ iconic cranberry industry shouldn’t be dictated by corporate interests
Massachusetts is home to one of the most iconic crops in American history—the cranberry. For generations, small family farms have cultivated these bogs, producing some of the finest cranberries in the world. But today, these same farmers are being driven out of business, not just by market forces or environmental challenges, but by the very lawmakers who should be fighting for them.
Why Massachusetts Lawmakers Are Selling Out Family-Owned Cranberry Farms to Big Ag
Massachusetts Lawmakers: In Bed with Big Ag, Ignoring Their Constituents
Let’s not sugarcoat it—Massachusetts lawmakers have abandoned small cranberry farmers in favor of corporate agricultural giants. They ignore their constituents, refuse to enact policies that protect small farms, and take campaign contributions from Big Ag while watching family-owned bogs disappear.
Massachusetts residents overwhelmingly support preserving the state's cranberry bogs. They want their local farms protected, the environment preserved, and their culinary heritage intact. But what do they get? A legislature that won’t even return their calls, let alone introduce meaningful legislation to protect these farms.
Meanwhile, Big Ag lobbyists—who have deep pockets and even deeper influence—pour money into political campaigns, ensuring that regulations, subsidies, and policies favor massive agricultural corporations. Small farmers? They get left with rising costs, increased regulations that only benefit large-scale operations, and zero financial support from the state.
What’s Happening to Family-Owned Cranberry Bogs?
Skyrocketing Costs – Small farmers are drowning in debt due to increasing land taxes, equipment costs, and labor shortages. Without state assistance or grants, many are forced to sell or abandon their bogs.
Overregulation Designed for Big Ag – Lawmakers have implemented water and land-use regulations that disproportionately burden small farmers while leaving corporate-owned bogs untouched.
State Subsidies Favor Large Corporations – Government funding that could be used to restore abandoned bogs and support small farmers is instead handed to massive agricultural conglomerates.
No Financial Safety Net – Unlike dairy farmers or large industrial crops, cranberry growers receive little to no state-level financial relief when disaster strikes.
Ignored by the State Government – Farmers who reach out to their legislators for help get silence in return, while Big Ag lobbyists get a seat at the table.
How Massachusetts Residents Are Fighting to Reclaim Their Cranberry Heritage
The people of Massachusetts care deeply about their cranberry bogs. They don’t want to see them turned into housing developments or overrun by corporate farming operations that destroy local ecosystems. They want to see abandoned bogs restored, small farmers given the support they need, and the state’s cranberry legacy protected for future generations.
The problem? Their lawmakers don’t seem to care. Petitions, community meetings, and outreach campaigns have been largely ignored. Residents are demanding action, but legislators remain silent. Why? Because Big Ag’s money talks louder than the voices of Massachusetts citizens.
The Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation Steps In
Since the state refuses to act, The Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation is stepping up. We provide direct grants, volunteer support, and research funding to help small cranberry farms survive in a hostile legislative environment. Through our Gift-A-Bog Initiative, we’re actively reclaiming abandoned bogs, restoring them to working farmland, and preventing them from being lost to development forever.
We’re not waiting for the government to do the right thing—because it’s clear they won’t. Instead, we’re building a grassroots movement to save Massachusetts' cranberry industry one farm at a time.
Take Action: Save the Cranberry Legacy
Massachusetts lawmakers may have turned their backs on small farmers, but the people of this state haven’t. If you care about protecting local farms, preserving New England’s culinary heritage, and keeping Massachusetts’ cranberry bogs alive, it’s time to take action.
Support small cranberry farms by buying local.
Donate to the Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation to help fund restoration projects and direct grants.
Call out your legislators and demand they support policies that help family farmers, not just Big Ag.
The future of Massachusetts’ cranberry industry shouldn’t be dictated by corporate interests. It belongs to the people, the farmers, and the communities that have sustained this legacy for generations. Let’s fight to keep it that way.
Until they take action, Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation will continue fighting for the farmers who have been left behind. And if you care about keeping Massachusetts’ cranberry industry alive, now is the time to act. Donate today and help small cranberry farmers survive against the odds. If the government won’t protect our cranberry heritage, we have to do it ourselves.
Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation: Donate today to help preserve the future of New England’s culinary heritage.