The UMass Cranberry Station

05/29/2026

Cranberries were featured in this episode of GBH's "Under the Radar with Callie Crossley", including an interview with CCCGA's Executive director Brian Wick and Katie Ghantous from our UMass Cranberry Station! Check out the podcast. Massachusetts Cranberries

Under the Radar speaks with two local cranberry experts about the history of the cranberry industry in Massachusetts and its importance to New England as part of GBH News’ celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

04/30/2026

We hosted a workshop yesterday for growers planning to apply fertilizers using drones this coming growing season. Many thanks to NexGen Drone and AD Makepeace Company for making the event possible. We plan to hold another drone workshop for growers in August and will be sending out registration details via email.

04/08/2026

Worker Protection Training this morning from 8:00-9:00

Zoom link here

https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/s/91695662700

04/07/2026

Massachusetts cranberry farming combines generations of tradition with advanced technology to produce millions of pounds of fruit annually

01/21/2026

UMass Amherst earns “Community Engagement University” designation, and one of the major community partnerships reviewed by the commission was our relationship with the Cape Cod Community Growers’ Association! We are proud of our strong ties to our stakeholder group, spanning over a century and still going strong.

The yearlong documentation and application effort involved members of the Faculty Senate Council on Public Engagement and Outreach and the office of Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, along with members of the faculty, leaders of major campus engagement initiatives, deans and associate deans.

01/16/2026

There are 4 spaces remaining for the FAA Remote Pilot Certification Training session taking place on January 22 and 23, 2026.

The training will be held here at the Cranberry Station.

If you are interested in attending, the registration site is https://www.umasstransportationcenter.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=7065

As a grower, you can use the public sector registration option and enter a discount code to receive $150 off the $250 registration fee.

( This discount is only intended for cranberry growers, so you will need to send a private message to receive the discount code.)

To clarify, this is training to prepare for the FAA exam. At the end of the training, you can schedule your exam at an FAA-approved test center.

You can find a test center on https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login

The exam option is Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG).

If you have any questions regarding registration, contact Aldo Villani [email protected].

If you need information on drone licensing requirements, contact Giverson Mupambi [email protected].

UMTC/Baystate Roads

01/16/2026

Overview of Regulations for Using Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UASs) for Aerial Application of Fertilizer and Pesticides in Massachusetts (2025)

IntroductionThis publication is aimed at providing guidance on what is needed to legally fly an unoccupied aircraft system (UAS) for the purpose of aerial application of fertilizer or pesticides in Massachusetts. There are federal and state legal requirements that apply for conducting aerial pesticd...

01/16/2026

A well deserved honor!

2026 has been declared as the International Year of the Woman Farmer by the United Nations. To celebrate this designation locally, we’re planning a year-long series to spotlight some of the many impactful women farmers and growers who make up the vibrant farming community in Massachusetts!

Our first featured farmer is Dawn Gates-Allen of Freetown. Dawn is a fourth-generation cranberry grower who currently is the owner of Freetown Farm, where she works alongside her husband, Fred (married for nearly 40 years), their two daughters Nicole and Mariah, two sons-in-law and two brothers.

Dawn has been an active member of the cranberry-growing industry, serving on the Cranberry Marketing Committee as well as working at the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association. Additionally, she serves on the Massachusetts Board of Agriculture. She is passionate about farming, especially agricultural education. In her own words, “My core belief is that you farm for the next generation, educate, share your knowledge and build new foundations to allow them to have a hand and a voice in their future.”

With her husband, they are nearing the completion of constructing an Amish Barn on their farm that will house an education center where they envision working with local vocational and Aggie schools to network and provide workforce development training as a resource for students who are looking to work in the agricultural sector. They hope to launch this initiative by next year.

01/15/2026

The flood that protects the vines from low temps also provides a good opportunity to remove “trash” (dropped leaves, w**d seeds, and other organic debris) from the bed. We did not see a lot of trash in the harvest flood, so we are not surprised to see it in the winter flood.

11/05/2025

Check out the quotes from our very own Marty Sylvia!

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Viral videos and memes depict cranberry bogs as an arachnophobe’s nightmare.