Mainebiz quotes Armstrong in article on state’s cranberry industry
Charlie Armstrong, a cranberry specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with Mainebiz for an article about the state’s cranberry industry. Bloomberg recently reported the nation’s cranberry processors are awaiting word from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on whether surplus yields can be composted. The national surplus also is affecting Maine’s industry, according to Armstrong. “But the industry is bombarded on all sides from other pressures, too,” he said, adding yields are going down and demand hasn’t gone up. Despite the challenges, Armstrong said he sees positives in Maine. He said the state’s most successful growers are growing other crops as well, and the increasing focus on locally produced food also is helping. “The growers we do have left tell me, ‘I’m in this for good. I’m not going anywhere,’” Armstrong said.