Our Story

Iroquois Cranberry Growers is owned and operated by the Wahta Mohawks, an indigenous peoples community in Central Ontario. We started the project in the 1960's as an economic development venture with just one-half acre of cranberries and has grown to the current 68 acres. It has provided employment for community members and has helped to support an economic base for community government.

We moved here in 1881 from Oka, Quebec, and traditionally picked and sold cranberries from a bog just north of the Musquash river. That same spot had all the requirements for a commercial cranberry operation. A good supply of water, impermeable peat soils, and an abundant supply of sand comes together at the site. Most people see the bog in the fall during the harvest.

Cranberries are picked by knocking the berries off the vine. alternatetext

Cranberries starting to color up in mid-August (left). Cranberries are picked then pumped off the field.

The vine is a terrestrial plant, but we flood the fields or beds where the vine grows in order to pick the berries. We pick using two methods. Most of the bog is picked by flooding the beds with about 24 inches of water and knocking the berries off the vine with a water reel picker We also pick with Getsinger picker that rakes the berries off the vine.

The berries are then pumped off the field. The berries are taken to the packing plant where they are washed, air cleaned, have water blown off their surface, and are graded by an optical sorter to ensure top quality. Iroquois Cranberry growers sells fresh berries during harvest, along with a variety of cranberry products. The rest of the crop is packaged to customer specifications usually in 40-pound boxes or one thousand-pound boxes. The product is sold in Canada and also export to the United States and Europe.

The Fruip Pump (left) pumps the berries off the fiels does an initial cleaning to remove leaves and grass. The berries then go to the Receiving Plant where they are washed, dried, graded, inspected and then packed.

There are many activities that take place year-round at the bog. In the winter, we flood the bog to protect the vine under a layer of ice. We re-dig ditches and sand. Sanding involves putting a layer of sand on the ice. In spring, sand falls to the bog floor and covers trash and allows the vines' long runners to set roots. Continued on Next Page We re-flood in the spring until we can protect the tender buds from the cold with the irrigation system. When we de-flood, we install all 10 miles of irrigation pipe to protect the bud, and in the fall the berry from frost. in the summer we cut grass and hand pull weeds. We re-flood in the spring until we can protect the tender buds from the cold with the irrigation system. When we de-flood, we install all 10 miles of irrigation pipe to protect the bud, and in the fall the berry from frost. in the summer we cut grass and hand pull weeds.

We welcome visitors through out the spring, summer and fall. We have walking trails and information to make visits interesting and enjoyable. Our gift shop is open year round at the bog, just off hwy 400. We also welcome bus tours during harvest.
Call 705-762-5725 for more information.