Why Aren’t Massachusetts Lawmakers Helping Small, Family-Owned Cranberry Bogs?
Is Massachusetts In Bed with Big Ag?
Massachusetts is home to some of the most historic and fertile cranberry bogs in the world, yet its small, family-owned cranberry farms are disappearing at an alarming rate. Once the backbone of local agriculture and a source of pride for New England, these small farms are now struggling under the weight of rising costs, climate challenges, and unfair market competition.
Despite these issues, Massachusetts lawmakers have done little to nothing to help these small farmers survive. Unlike states such as California or Florida, which provide significant agricultural subsidies and support programs, Massachusetts has turned a blind eye to one of its most iconic culinary legacies.
Why Do Massachusetts Lawmakers Refuse to Help Small, Family-Owned Cranberry Bogs?
This raises the question: Why are lawmakers refusing to act? Is it incompetence? A lack of understanding? Or is it something worse—a deliberate decision to prioritize corporate interests over the survival of small, independent farmers?
If you're a small, family-owned cranberry grower in Massachusetts or greater New England, the Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation is your first stop for financial aid and resources. Unlike government agencies bogged down in red tape, our foundation focuses on getting direct funding into the hands of struggling farmers quickly and efficiently.
The Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation provides grants to small cranberry farmers, conducts research, and our volunteers work to preserve, restore, and protect Massachusetts cranberry bogs, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the fruit that has been cultivated here for centuries. Our mission is clear: save the bogs, save the legend.
The Systematic Neglect of Small Massachusetts Cranberry Farmers
1. Zero Financial Support for Small Farmers
Unlike major agricultural states, Massachusetts does not offer meaningful financial relief to its small cranberry growers. While other industries and Big Ag receive grants, tax breaks, and subsidies, cranberry farmers—who are essential to the state’s agricultural identity—are left to fend for themselves.
No targeted grants exist to help small cranberry farmers modernize equipment, improve irrigation, or combat climate challenges.
No emergency relief funding is available for farmers who suffer from extreme weather, crop diseases, or market downturns.
No marketing assistance is provided to promote Massachusetts-grown cranberries over out-of-state competitors.
In contrast, Wisconsin, the top cranberry-producing state, has invested millions in its farmers through state-sponsored research, financial aid, and cooperative marketing programs. Massachusetts lawmakers, on the other hand, have refused to create a state-backed initiative to support local cranberry growers, despite repeated calls from industry experts.
2. Land Use Policies Favor Developers Over Farmers
One of the most significant threats to cranberry farming is land loss. Many small cranberry farmers are being forced to sell their bogs because they can’t afford rising property taxes and upkeep costs. Instead of stepping in with tax relief programs or conservation incentives, Massachusetts lawmakers have allowed developers to buy up and pave over farmland. Donate your unused or abandoned cranberry bog to Gift-A-Bog.
Developers are offered more incentives than farmers, making it more profitable to sell bogs for real estate projects rather than keep them in agricultural production.
No major state-level conservation programs exist to protect cranberry bogs from destruction, despite their environmental and economic value.
Farmers receive no assistance in transitioning to sustainable practices, which could make cranberry farming more viable in the long term.
This pattern of favoring development over agriculture mirrors what happened to New England’s apple orchards and dairy farms, both of which have seen a dramatic decline due to a lack of state intervention.
3. The “Big Ag” Influence: Are Lawmakers Selling Out to Corporate Interests?
A major reason why small Massachusetts cranberry farmers are struggling is corporate consolidation in agriculture. Large corporate cranberry processors and agribusiness giants dominate the industry, leaving independent farmers with little bargaining power and unfairly low prices for their crops.
Several troubling trends suggest that Massachusetts lawmakers may be influenced by these corporate giants:
Massive processors like Ocean Spray control the cranberry market, leaving small farmers with few selling options.
Lawmakers refuse to intervene in pricing disputes, even when large processors offer below-cost prices that drive small farms out of business.
Corporate-backed lobbying groups push legislation that benefits large-scale agribusiness, not small farmers.
Massachusetts legislators could implement policies that ensure fair pricing for independent growers, but instead, they allow large corporations to dictate market terms. Is it because politicians receive donations and lobbying pressure from corporate agricultural interests?
While no one in the statehouse will admit to being “in bed with Big Ag,” the lack of action—despite overwhelming evidence that small farms are being crushed—raises serious concerns.
Save Massachusetts Cranberry Bogs Foundation: Donate today to help preserve the future of New England’s culinary heritage.