“Fresh Picked Cranberries,” read the hand-lettered sign. The arrow pointed down a wooded lane leading toward the shore. Who could resist?

We had seen the sign the day before on a drive from Orleans to Chatham and resolved to investigate on our way out of town. I’ve had lots of farm-stand produce and fresh-picked fruit, but I don’t think I’ve ever had any cranberries right from the bog.

The day before we had seen a cranberry bog along Rt. 28 closer to Chatham and stopped to take a picture. It was pinkish red with berries, but not the picture-postcard look of bright berries floating on a flooded bog.

Now we were headed down the lane looking for the berries. Distracted by a fleet of Cape Cod catboats swinging at their moorings on Arey’s Pond, we almost missed the cranberry stand – actually a table under a tree partially hidden by a pickup truck.

Cranberries for sale“Three pounds for $6.00,” said the sign next to the honor-system cash box. Three pounds is a lot – a gallon zip-lock bag filled with pink and red berries. With only a ten in my pocket, I was glad when the proprietor came out of his house. “You can have two bags for $10,” was his generous offer. “Can’t use that many,” I replied, so he was happy to dig out four dollars.

“Are they from around here?” I asked. “Just up the dirt road – they’re picking today.” he said. Off we headed through the boat yard parking lot, passing a few vacation homes. Sure enough, there was the bog with two men harvesting. One steered a gas-powered wagon (likely as old as me), which was loaded with time-honored sturdy wood cranberry boxes. He was setting them out around the field to be filled. The other ran a machine that seemed to be a cross between a lawn mower and a miniature combine harvester, which both knocked the berries loose and gathered them up.

Dry Harvesting Cranberries

Dry Harvesting Cranberries

Dry harvested cranberries, like these, are most often packaged as fresh berries for cooking and baking. For more picturesque wet harvesting, the bogs are flooded, the berries are agitated to knock them off the bush and then rounded up as they float on the surface. Wet harvested berries, about 90% of the crop, are used for juice, dried fruit, canning and other processed products. Cranberries, a fruit native to North America, are the second largest crop grown in Massachusetts.

We were delighted to see this venerable bog, a glimpse of Cape Cod history, tucked in among summer homes, and doubly lucky to see the picking in progress: a traditional farming activity side by side with vacation properties and pleasure boats – a picture of unexpected diversity.

Sunbird Kitchen Menu

Sunbird Kitchen Menu

On our three day visit to see friends, it was clear that farm-to-table was alive and well on Cape Cod. Breakfast at the Sunbird Kitchen in Orleans the first morning included local bacon and fresh-picked arugula from their menu of organic and locally-sourced foods. While we were eating, a farmer pulled up in his pickup and brought in a couple boxes of assorted produce. We could see the cooks in the open kitchen gather to look at what he had brought and discuss how they would use it.

Dinner at Blackfish in Truro that night featured local supplies throughout the menu. Farmers and fishermen were named as their ingredients appeared. A recited special of sautéed scallops came with mushrooms, pork belly, and pickled tomato. Our waitress explained that she had seen the forager bring the mushrooms to the kitchen door just the day before.

Dock-to-dinner is expected on Cape Cod. Local fish and shellfish is abundant and the centerpiece of almost every menu. But there is a resurgence of farming. Our friends, year round residents, explained that fields dormant for many years are being revitalized by young farmers who see a market for their crops, a way to make a living off the land, and a productive use for fallow ground inland from the busy shore.

The farm-to-table movement is here to stay. Well-established in restaurants and spreading to food stores and home kitchens, it’s entering the mainstream and changing the way we think about food. Along the way, it has enticed a new generation to the land and sea to grow and harvest with pride, sustainability, and an eye on the health of our environment. And the food tastes great, too.

Now for the fun of finding recipes and cooking with all those pretty cranberries! If you have any ideas or favorite recipes, let me know!