Today, most growers flood their marshes for picking, but rakes have been replaced by mechanical harvesters or water reels. Mechanical harvesters, which were developed by Wisconsin growers, have teeth that lift the berries from the vines. The berries then travel by conveyor onto flat bottom boats. Once a boat is filled, it is left near the shore for later pickup. Water reels are a relatively new method of cranberry picking.
Reels agitate the water, causing the berries to dislodge from their vines.
Berries are then corralled to a corner and moved by conveyor belt into waiting trucks. Today Today, cranberries are big business in Wisconsin. Gross annual grower returns from the crop exceed 64 million dollars on an annual cranberry harvest of a million barrels. Plants in Kenosha, Babcock, Eagle River, Warrens, Tomah and Cranmoor process and package the berries. Fresh fruit, canned sauce, bottled juice, frozen concentrate, jams, sauces, relishes, and special low-calorie products are just a few of the many ways cranberries are now processed.