ONE THING THAT HAS NOT CHANGED, THE CAN-DO ATTITUDE OF THE GROWERS.
AT 80 YEARS OLD, ONE MIGHT EXPECT DICK WARD TO BE SLOWING DOWN.
>> I RETIRED SUPPOSEDLY BUT I AM THE ONE DOING THE WORK.
>> HE AND HIS SON AND GRANDSON FARM A NUMBER OF DOGS IN CARVER.
TODAY, THIS FIELD HAS BEEN FLOODED.
THE RIPENED CRANBERRIES FLOATED AND CORRALLED, LOADED INTO TRUCKS BOUND FOR OCEAN SPRAY, A CO-OP OWNED BY 700 FAMILY FARMS.
>> WE ARE PROUD OF THE HERITAGE.
IT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1930.
>> PROUD, CERTAINLY.
PROFITABLE, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH.
NICK WARD -- HE REMEMBERS THE GLORY DAYS.
>> WE WERE GETTING $70 A BARREL.
>> 20 YEARS AGO, THE MARKET CRASHED.
DRIVEN DOWN BY FOREIGN COMPETITION.
>> THEY DROPPED AS LOW AS $10 A BARREL.
IT IS QUESTIONABLE WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THIS FAMILY IN THE PROPERTY.
>> DARK DAYS IN THE BOGS.
AND THEN, A RAY OF LIGHT.
>> REVENUE FROM THOSE SOLAR PANELS HELPED US STAY IN THE CRANBERRY BUSINESS.
>> THEY LEASED THE BOGS TO A SOLAR POWER COMPANY.
>> I LOVE THAT.
IT IS RENEWABLE.
>> ACROSS TOWN, MIKE PADDOCK HAS SEEN THE LIGHT.
>> THIS WAS THE FIRST AND MAYBE THE ONLY WETLAND CRANBERRY BOG OF THE SOLAR PROJECT.
>> PADDOCK DOUBLED DOWN, GROWING CRANBERRIES AND HARVESTING 1.
MEGAWATTS OF SOLAR POWER.
>> WE DRY PICKED BETWEEN THE PANELS WHERE THE SUN WAS THE BEST.
THE CROP GREW AS GOOD THERE AS IN ANY REGULAR BOG.
>> PADDOCK THINKS SUCH DUAL USE PROJECTS MAY BE A LIFELINE.
>> ANY EDGE THAT CAN KEEP US DOING WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO PRODUCE BERRIES, IT IS A VIABLE OPTION.
>> ANOTHER SURVIVAL TACTIC, EMBRACING DIFFERENCE.
>> TRYING TO DO SOMETHING IN MASSACHUSETTS WE WERE TOLD WE COULD NOT DO.
>> WHEN THE PRICE OF BERRIES PLUNGED, DON FERNANDEZ CAME UP WITH THE NEXT STEP.
>> I WAS LUCKY THE GANNETT MARKETS ARE GROWING.
IT IS THE FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF PARTICULARLY CRANBERRY FRESH FRUIT.
FOX FRESH EADOWS FARM, ONE OF A FEW ORGANIC OPERATIONS IN THE STATE.
MORE THAN HALF OF THE DRY PICKED FRESH FRUIT IS WHOLESALE AND FINDS ITS W INTO WHOLE FOODS AND SHAWS.
THE RUSH -- THE REST IS SOLD TO SMALL MARKETS AND ONLINE.
>> THE NUMBER DOING ORGANIC HAS SHRUNK.
>> HE IS PART OF ANOTHER DWINDLING MINORITY.
>> I DON’T THINK THERE ARE LESS -- MORE THAN 5-6 OF US OUT OF MAYBE 300 PLUS GROWERS IN MASSACHUSETTS.
>> IMMIGRANTS FROM CAPE VERDE PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN THE RISE OF THE BAY STATES INDUSTRY.
THE CRASH SQUEEZED MANY FAMILIES OUT OF THE BUSINESS.
>> THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF US LEFT.
I KNOW HOW BIG A PART I ANCESTORS PLAYED, PARTICULARLY LABOR FORCE AND HELPING TO BUILD THIS INDUSTRY WHEN IT WAS REALLY EMERGING.
>> HE WENT OFF TO MAKE HIS WAY IN THE WIDER WORLD, EARNING AN MBA.
BUT HE CAME BACK TO TAKE ON THE FAMILY FARM.
A THIRD-GENERATION GROWER WITH NO REGRETS.
>> YOU GO FULL CIRCLE.
I FEEL LIKE 40 YEARS LATER, I AM RIGHT WHERE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE.
>> TODAY, FERNANDES IS JOINED BY HIS 11-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON.
HE IS HOPING -- HOPEFUL HIS LINE OF ORGANIC BERRIES TAKES ROOT AND KEEP THE FAMILY TRADITION ALIVE.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FAMILY TRADITION IS GOING TO BRING.
I THINK I WAS THE LEAST LIKELY TO STAY IN THE BUSINESS SO WHO KNOWS.
>> ABOUT 90% OF MAS CRANBERRIES ARE WET HARVESTED.
CORRALLED IN THOSE CRIMSON CIRCLES.
THEY ARE FROZEN AND THEN USED TO MAKE DRIED CRAISINS.
THE DRIED BERRIES ARE SOLD FRESH.
THE TRADE WAR WITH CHINA HAS HURT FARMERS.
CHINA WANTS A HUGE MARKET AND HAS POSED A 40% TARIFF ON U.S.