Welcome to Pittsville - the geographical center of Wisconsin and the heart of
cranberry country. I'm here today to go on a splash of red cranberry tour led by
students who are part of the only cranberry science class in the country.
Let's go check it out!
Cranberry science is the course that the students can enroll in when they're
juniors or seniors at Pittsville School District.
Part of the cranberry science course is that they do what we call the splash of red cranberry tours.
So two to three days a week our students are going out and actually giving the tours.
We go to an actual marsh where our tour guests are able to see the harvesting process.
We go to a receiving station where they're able to see the berries dumped
and then the binning freezing and lab process of the berries as well.
And then we bring the tour gets back to the school district we feed a light lunch
that is actually prepared by a local grocery store in town here.
So it's again that community collaborative effort which I think makes the program really unique.
There are students in cranberry science that also take local foods which
is where people donate foods from the area a big one is squash and cranberries.
They actually made the topping that one on the ice cream.
Most of the kids on work in the cranberry industry while they're in high school and I think
that's an important concept to point out is that they do have opportunities to be employed.
I already had a little bit of background knowledge with my grandpa
and dad. My grandpa still runs a marsh.
Me and my family have lived on a cranberry marsh my entire life so it just made a lot of sense to take this class and
maybe further my knowledge and share with other people.
My dad and my uncle own a Badger State Fruit Processing.
I remember when I was younger just being on the cranberry bed and helping with my dad's business or go help my uncle.
I just love being out there and I just like telling the background of my family.
This is right up there with dairy being such an important industry in the
largest industry for central Wisconsin.
Wisconsin produces three fifths of the entire nation's cranberries and Wood County has the largest acreage in the
state so it's really important to our local community and the state.
To get the kids to understand that how big of an impact that this one particular
commodity has not only on our County but our entire nation in the world is pretty
eye-opening to them.
There's people that come from across the world. Actually we have a couple people from Australia I think scheduled.
We have a lot of people from southern states Tennessee is a big one, Arizona.
I tell the kids this is a very intense class and you're gonna be having to public speak and a level that
you probably have in public spoken and all up until this point in your life so
again I try to make sure that they're comfortable at that.
I've really grown to love talking to people and meeting people from different parts of the country and even other countries
and I just think it's a great experience to learn a little bit more about the world.
My favorite part would be the actual growth of the students they get so used
to always being with their peers during the school day and that whole
interaction with adults and prepping them for this real world that they're
gonna enter into in the next nine months of their life is really a growth that I
enjoy seeing and each one of them.
I think cranberries taste pretty awful.
I try them at least once a tour and every time I try them it's just still bad.
I've grown cranberries my whole life and I do not like them unless they're in something baked or a juice or maybe a craisins.
I eat a lot of cranberries. When I go trucking with my brothers and my dad normally when we pick up a trailer
I always climb in the back and I'll get a handful of cranberries. Fresh off the
vine - that's probably my favorite.
I think we just need to continue that big agro-tourism and advocacy of agricultural products and really support local.
You always want to give back to the community that helped raise and mold to
who you are and I think the students in this course have that opportunity.
In the future I plan on going to be a diesel technician and then pursuing my career
in heavy equipment operating.
I just hope people come out and enjoy the tours and like what we're doing.
The most important part of class I think is knowing where you're from and what your community is all about
and just getting out there and being a part of your community.
Quick plug - drink cranberry juice [laughter] That's all I got.
How cool is it to see a school incorporating such a defining part of its community into the curriculum? I hope
you enjoyed your tour of the Pittsville cranberry bogs and that you learned
something new - I know I did! Thanks for joining me on the road.