Armstrong quoted in Press Herald article on Maine cranberries
Charles Armstrong, a cranberry specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with the Portland Press Herald for an article about Maine cranberries and using them as a pie filling. Armstrong, who tracks cranberry growth in the state, said the crop looks good for growers who brought the berries to fruition, but not for those who flooded their fields early in the season to prevent flowering. He said another factor contributing to the berry boom is that since many of the vines did not produce last year, they are ready to do so this year, according to the article. The report also cited information from UMaine’s website on the history of cranberries. Cranberries, native to North America and foraged by Native Americans for food and medicine, were not cultivated in any measurable amount in the Northeast until the 1840s, the article states. By 1860, Maine had more than 600 acres of producing bogs, according to the cranberry timeline posted on UMaine’s website.