It's peak season for cranberry farmers in southeastern Massachusetts. The Bay State ranks second behind Wisconsin in cranberry production across the U.S.

"Massachusetts has an incredibly robust cranberry industry," says Karen Cahill, deputy executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association. 

She tells FOX that a 2023 economic study showed a $1.7 billion contribution to the state's economy and support of nearly 6,400 jobs in the area.   

But one cranberry farmer in the state says it's becoming harder to grow in Massachusetts. 

FARMAGEDDON: TRUMP'S TRADE WAR AND SHUTDOWN ARE CRUSHING THE HEARTLAND

Jarrod Rhodes, a fourth-generation cranberry farmer in Carver, Massachusetts, produces 50,000 barrels – or 5 million pounds – of cranberries a year on his family farm. His family founded Edgewood Bogs LLC in the early 1940s. The Rhodes launched Cape Cod Select in 2009, where they process a portion of their own fruit for the frozen retail market, he said. 

But rising costs and changing weather patterns are adding pressure. 

"It kind of all adds up, and it becomes a lot more expensive to grow here versus Wisconsin or Canada," Rhodes said. 

Cahill added, "Massachusetts is an expensive place to do business in general, driven by high costs for labor, utilities, and real estate." 

DROUGHT CONDITIONS LEAVE PUMPKIN FARMERS WITH EMPTY FIELDS AND SMALLER CROPS

She also says one key difference is the size of Massachusetts compared to Wisconsin alone. 

"The scale in Wisconsin is significantly larger – more than double the acreage in Massachusetts – and doing anything at scale tends to make it less expensive," she said. 

With these pressures in mind, Rhodes turned to a state program to retire and restore more than 30 acres of older bogs. 

"The property was in distress and it needed to be rebuilt," he says. 

The state's Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) runs a cranberry bog program that converts retired bogs back to native wetlands. 

Over the past decade, DER has restored multiple unprofitable bogs, including the Eel River Headwaters Restoration. DER's website says Atlantic white cedar has rebounded, wetlands now cover former farm surfaces, and river herring have returned upstream. 

Rhodes knew of an unprofitable bog and applied for the program, which is funded by state and federal grants. 

"We decided to not rebuild this but take the money and buy a better property," he said. 

The Rhodes now farm less acreage, but the retired bog will be permanently protected as wetland, and the family is investing the proceeds in higher-yielding fields. 

DER describes the approach as a "green exit strategy," in which families such as the Rhodes are compensated through restoration grants and conversation easements to convert bogs to wetlands. 

SQUEEZED SOYBEAN FARMERS AS COSTS RISE

Krista Haas of DER said land must be legally protected before construction begins. 

"This places a deed restriction on the land, which restricts certain activities such as development," Haas said. "Conservation easements are often done through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) Program." 

As more projects take shape, Rhodes said many growers are considering the same path. Some are nearing retirement, and younger generations are "not as interested," he said. The Rhodes' wetland restoration is scheduled for completion in spring 2026. 

DER's executive director Beth Lambert said the agency's goal is to restore 1,000 acres over the next 10 to 15 years. 

CROSS PLAINS, Tenn. – Many pumpkin patches won’t look the same this year as drought conditions across the United States leave farmers with empty fields.

The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska estimates around 38% of the United States is experiencing a ‘moderate drought,’ which the National Weather Service defines by damaged crops, low water wells and developing water shortages.  

Pumpkin farmers – including those in Cross Plains, Tennessee – are dealing with drought conditions for a second straight year. Stephen Freeland’s pumpkins are growing in 14 acres of bone-dry soil. He said the pumpkins are trying to adapt to dry conditions, but many of them aren’t surviving.

"Because of the drought. I don't know. We probably dropped 15 to 20 percent," Freelanad said. "It's just a roulette of the rain. Who gets the rain and when?"

PUMPKIN BREAD CRUSHES THE COMPETITION AS FALL FAVORITES ARE REVEALED ACROSS AMERICA

Freeland plants pumpkin seeds in June and July. He said the first set of pumpkins harvested received adequate water and came out normal. However, the seeds he planted later endured weeks of heat – but with no rain.

"The thing with pumpkins, when it gets 95, 98 degrees, the pumpkin plant wants to abort the fruit that it just pollinated," Freeland said. 

When it gets too hot, Freeland said pumpkin plants start to wilt and their flowers fall off more easily. On a warm day, the flowers stay open for shorter periods of time, which affects pollination. 

Farmers have found ways to alleviate the stress caused by the drought. Freeland added drip irrigation lines to his pumpkin field by pumping water from his well. A water line then allows smaller amounts of water to drip directly onto a plant's roots.

Agricultural adaptation can be costly and force farmers to raise their prices, although their pumpkins are smaller. 

"The downside is if you need to raise prices, but your size is not there, that makes it a little more difficult," Freeland said. "They're just smaller, less marketable."

COSTCO SHOPPERS RAVE OVER SEASONAL PIE THAT'S NEARLY 4 POUNDS AND LESS THAN $6

Katie Osborne’s family farm includes 20 acres of pumpkins and 70 head of cattle. Osborne doesn’t run an irrigation line through her farm because she said the cows need water from the ponds to stay hydrated. 

"We pray a lot, for rain at those critical times," Osborne said. "We don't want to irrigate the ponds because we don't want to take away the water source from the cattle."

Osbourn said her farm produced about 30% fewer pumpkins than usual this year. She said timing is key to staying on top of next year’s weather, but it’s too late to do anything about this year’s harvest. 

"We also need to be strategic. We know that we will get more rain in late May, early June," Osborne said. "Some of our prize-winners and larger jacks, we need to go ahead and plant them at that time."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Freeland and Osborne said an abundance of rain could do more harm than good, especially as the ground is dry and hard. They're hoping for a gentle rain that the ground can soak up before they begin planting their winter crops.