Blog anniversary – 2020

Eight years ago today, Pine Island Cranberry launched this website and started a weekly blog about the ins and outs of the New Jersey cranberry harvest, and it’s been another busy year!

Not long after our last blog anniversary post, there was a fire in the area that you might have heard about. The local community, of course, turned out in force, as they always do. We remain proud of our team and our neighbors!

Speaking of neighbors, we also launched a new occasional feature where you can meet some of our fellow New Jersey growers! So far we’ve profiled our immediate neighbors in the north (the Lees) and the south (the Sooys, and most recently, had a chance to speak with the Cutts family! This feature is now second only to harvest as a reader (and blogger) favorite, and you can look forward to more in the coming year.

The ACGA also continues to be a source of information and community for New Jersey growers as well; our team members attended meetings (along with researchers from the Marucci Center at Rutgers) in both winter and summer, as usual. In addition, this year it was Pine Island’s turn to host the annual twilight meeting.

In farming, you do what you have to do when you have to do it, and our team continued to make sure that all necessary task were completed as necssary, from prescribed burning to this year’s bog renovation plan. Winter work like sanding, installing swan string, and putting on the winter flood went smoothly, though a bit warmer than they’d like. Last spring and summer they handled taking off the water, frost, and planting, and bees, as well as getting our usual visits from Dr. Joan Davenport and taking her suggestions for plant nutrition. They also spent a considerable amount of time getting everything ready for our biggest season of all.

The annual harvest is everyone’s favorite time of year, from start to finish. Our team did some experimenting with picking methods,a nd had to make some temperature based changes. And of course, we were able to show around some supermarket buyers on the annual Ocean Spray Bog to Bottle tour!

There were also some changes at Ocean Spray that will have a big effect for New Jersey: Dan Schiffhauer retired! Fortunately, he was able to help choose his successor, and our team was very pleased to welcome Lindsay Wells-Hansen back to the area and are looking forward to getting her input during the growing season.

The Pine Island team hit some personal milestones since last March! Jorge Morales retired, while Wilfredo Pagan and Emmanuel Colon had significant work anniversaries. Our team has also gone out into the community with a presentation at Lakeside Garden Club, welcomed back Moorestown Friends for another visit, and even saw former CFO Holly Haines receive some service recognition.

Our team also continued to be good sports about the annual Thanksgiving post. (Thank you all.)

We also managed to have a little fun this year. Another new occasional feature is an addition to our Pine Island history tag: some backstory to some of our more colorful bog names!

Last but not least, Pine Island (and the NJ cranberry industry) appeared in several media articles toward the end of the year. Of course, there were some lovely photos by the Burlington County Times, and a fun feature about the weather from Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City. Many of our friends and neighbors were interviewed for a piece that appeared on The Pulse. And best of all, a local fourth grade class is trying to make cranberry juice the New Jersey state beverage!

It’s been an eventful year for Pine Island Cranberry! And we’re going to keep doing what we need to do, now and in the future, to keep bringing you the high quality fruit that our industry – and New Jersey – is known for.

#WinThanksgiving – thanks, Ocean Spray!

This entry was originally posted on November 27, 2013 with the title “Happy Thanksgiving!”

It’s almost inevitable that a cranberry blog would do an entry about Thanksgiving! It’s a holiday which really is a chance for us here at Pine Island to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. (Sorry.) Many traditions in the Haines family come from cranberries, both our own and through the Ocean Spray cooperative. And best of all, they’re usually locally sauced! (Really sorry. We’ll stop now.) CEO Bill Haines goes out every year toward the end of harvest and hand scoops several pounds of berries for family use, using a wooden scoop that’s been in the family for generations.

Huge thanks to our friends at Ocean Spray for allowing us to use the following recipes and photographs, as well as posting the information showing us how these recipes are berry good for both you as well as the environment! (We said we were done. We lied. After all, cranberry farming can be a barrel of laughs.)

To start off, of course, you’ll want a cocktail. Vodka and cranberry is a popular combination, but did you know it actually has a name? To make a Cape Codder, you’ll just need the following:

Ingredients:

6 ounces Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail, chilled
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Makes 1 serving.

Of course, you can’t have a turkey without stuffing. Cape Cod Cornbread Stuffing just fits the bill:

Ingredients:

2 cups cornbread stuffing cubes
1/2 pound sausage meat, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine all ingredients, except chicken broth, in a medium casserole dish. Add chicken broth; mix well. Add more chicken broth for a moister stuffing. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 3 cups.

The following is a classic for a reason; it pairs perfectly with a leftover turkey sandwich! (Or, as some first graders we know have done…mix it with mayo and put it on a hamburger. To each her own.)

Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 2 1/4 cups.

This side dish doesn’t contain any cranberries, but who’s to say you couldn’t add some Craisins? [Ed. note, 11-15-2019: this recipe has been updated since this post was originally published, and the recipe now contains Craisins! We’re leaving the recipe as-is on our site, but please visit the updated link for this recipe and many more!]

Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Trim stems of brussels sprouts; remove any damaged leaves.

Place brussels sprouts in 3-quart saucepan; add water to just cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer until brussels sprouts are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

In the meantime, toast pecans. Place nuts in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° oven 3 to 5 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully.

Melt butter in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in brussels sprouts and pecans; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings.

Last but not least, we have dessert: a longtime family favorite is a cranberry nut pie that Bill’s mother used to make.

SARA’S CRANBERRY NUT PIE

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

Mix the first three ingredients together and spread in the bottom of a greased 10 in pie plate. Mix together the last five ingredients and pour over cranberry mixture. Bake 55-60 minutes in a preheated 325 degree oven. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

No photos of that last one…it usually gets eaten too quickly. Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us to all of you!

Merry Christmas!

Bryan vonHahmann:

I would like Santa to give everybody in the world a cranberry product for Christmas. (We will help Santa source the supply). . .

Louis Cantafio:

Really, I have everything else, so . . .

Louis adds:

I cannot tell if Santa is very late from last year or early for this year, but I see that Vanessa’s Hydrema has received a Christmas upgrade. I think we would all be remiss if you did not get a picture this morning of Vanessa sporting a beautiful set of bright pink wheels on her Hydrema!

Debra Signorelli:

My wish is for everyone to get to where they’re going safely and enjoy what this special day really means. Merry Christmas!

Carlos Baez:

I want a $100 Visa gift card.

CoCo Mercado wants a completed truck.

Ernie Waszkiewicz wants peace and harmony (and bright white shop uniforms).

Larry Wedemeyer wants happiness.

Matt Giberson:

Dear Santa: Please make the rain stop.

Joann Martin:

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and I would still love it if Santa brought a puppy.

Steve Manning wants a healthy, happy family and a good dinner!

Stef Haines wants the Phillies to sign Harper and Machado, since this already happened:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us here at Pine Island Cranberry!

Merry Christmas 2017

Another fun holiday post brought to you by the best in the business: our Pine Island Cranberry team! Once again, we asked our hard-working crew what they wanted Santa to bring them for Christmas, since they’ve all been so good.

(Except for that Louis guy, sometimes.)

Coco Mercado:

I would like more tools!

Larry Wedemeyer:

I want a new tig welder for the shop.

Ernie Waszkiewicz:

I’d like a new front seat for his service truck.

Louis Cantafio:

I have such a rich life that I do not want for anything!

Bryan vonHahmann:

Good health and happiness for my family!

Jonathan Irizarry-Vasquez:

I would like a girlfriend.

Joel DeJesus:

I would like a new car.

Joséan Hernandez-Vargas:

I would like a garage!

Vanessa DeJesus:

I would like more Hydremas…and I’m still waiting for my pink one!

Harry Mick:

I would like a new diesel truck.

Blondie Cruz-Soto:

I would like a Eagles jacket. GO BIRDS!!!

Caesar Colon:

I’d like a new Eagles hoodie and cap.

Scott Mattle:

I would like a new jet ski.

Matthew Giberson:

I have everything I need! However…I’d like Bill to get Nadine a Ford Raptor.

Jeremy Fenstermaker:

I would like a new front drive shaft for my Jeep, and for Tom Brady to retire.

Joann Martin:

I would like to ask that everyone gets to wake up on Christmas morning with the ones they love the most. A box that moves and barks under the tree would be nice too…

Stefanie Haines:

I want Nick Foles to get us a miracle.

Matt Stiles:

For Christmas I would love for everyone to have a great holiday with family and friends and a new GREEN tractor!

Mike Haines:

I want to get my Jeep all set and ready to go so I can go have some fun in it.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We got such a great response to our Thanksgiving blog update that CEO Bill Haines thought it would be fun to do a follow-up for Christmas. So we asked our team members what they wanted Santa to bring them this year!

Admin Debra Signorelli:

I was already given the greatest gift of having both my girlies home for Christmas and we will be spending some quality time together! In keeping true to the magic of Christmas…a keratin hair treatment would be an amazing Santa gift!!!!!

Christen Stroehlein

Manager of Operations Matt Giberson:

1.)I would love to get duck tape for Jorge. 2.)I would also love it if Santa could bring us 42.5 degree days days from now until April 15 and one inch of rain every Friday night.

Water-218

Team member Tim Bourgeois:

I have been very blessed during 2016! I know Santa Claus will be bringing me many gifts soon which will include more blessings in 2017! My favorite holiday gifts include attending Mass, breaking bread and visiting with family and friends, kolacky and pfeffernusse cookies, and Stollen. This Christmas will include several beloved and familiar family traditions, as well as, some new ones. Some traditions have passed away, but there will be new ones to fill this holiday with cherished memories. I work with many wonderful and talented folks here at PICC and I pray everyone has a safe and joyous holiday! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SPRINGTIME-031

Facilities/Equipment Manager Louis Cantafio:

I was hoping Santa would bring me a new pair of boots and a twenty year old bottle of port wine, but then I heard that Bill had recently been in contact with Santa, so now I am expecting an “employee of the month” sign to permanently mount at the head of my parking space!

Louis-and-Caesar

Equipment Supervisor Carlos Baez:

I want peace on earth. And a chainsaw.

Carlos and Fred

Team member Bob Heritage:

I want good health and to meet Mrs. Right!

Bob-Heritage

Team member Vanessa DeJesus:

I want a pink Hydrema.

Hydrema-239

[We would like to ask Santa CFO for this as well, because it sounds amazing. – Ed.]

CFO Joann Martin:

I wish that everyone gets to spend time with the ones they love this Christmas.

Joan-Visit-July-135

Equipment Team member Fred Henschel:

Santa loves me: I’d love a new truck, a new house, a case of Yuengling…

Fred-Henschel-078

Manager of Bog Renovations Steve Manning:

A healthy and happy new year and maybe a bottle of whiskey!!!

Bog-Reno---Spring-758

HR Supervisor Stacey DeLaurentis:

I was going to ask Santa this year for a trip to Disney to stock up on Pixie Dust but found out I was on the Naughty List and getting a lump of coal instead!

FIRE IMG_1499

Webmaster Stefanie Haines:

I want Martha and Snoop to visit us next harvest to film a Thanksgiving episode!

harvest-2016-083

COO Bryan vonHahmann:

Not to have to use the snowblower he got me last year!

Ice-Sanding-066

PIICM Manager Mike Haines:

Cookware! Messing around in the kitchen is my new hobby and I’m having a lot of fun with it.

Joan-Davenport-May-16-113

Team member Matt Stiles:

For Christmas? I just want everyone to have a happy and safe holiday!

Main-Office---Winter

All of us here at Pine Island Cranberry wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This entry was originally posted on November 27, 2013.

It’s almost inevitable that a cranberry blog would do an entry about Thanksgiving! It’s a holiday which really is a chance for us here at Pine Island to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. (Sorry.) Many traditions in the Haines family come from cranberries, both our own and through the Ocean Spray cooperative. And best of all, they’re usually locally sauced! (Really sorry. We’ll stop now.) CEO Bill Haines goes out every year toward the end of harvest and hand scoops several pounds of berries for family use, using a wooden scoop that’s been in the family for generations.

Huge thanks to our friends at Ocean Spray for allowing us to use the following recipes and photographs, as well as posting the information showing us how these recipes are berry good for both you as well as the environment! (We said we were done. We lied. After all, cranberry farming can be a barrel of laughs.)

To start off, of course, you’ll want a cocktail. Vodka and cranberry is a popular combination, but did you know it actually has a name? To make a Cape Codder, you’ll just need the following:

Ingredients:

6 ounces Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail, chilled
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Makes 1 serving.

Of course, you can’t have a turkey without stuffing. Cape Cod Cornbread Stuffing just fits the bill:

Ingredients:

2 cups cornbread stuffing cubes
1/2 pound sausage meat, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine all ingredients, except chicken broth, in a medium casserole dish. Add chicken broth; mix well. Add more chicken broth for a moister stuffing. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 3 cups.

The following is a classic for a reason; it pairs perfectly with a leftover turkey sandwich! (Or, as some first graders we know have done…mix it with mayo and put it on a hamburger. To each her own.)

Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 2 1/4 cups.

This side dish doesn’t contain any cranberries, but who’s to say you couldn’t add some Craisins?

Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Trim stems of brussels sprouts; remove any damaged leaves.

Place brussels sprouts in 3-quart saucepan; add water to just cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer until brussels sprouts are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

In the meantime, toast pecans. Place nuts in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° oven 3 to 5 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully.

Melt butter in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in brussels sprouts and pecans; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings.

Last but not least, we have dessert: a longtime family favorite is a cranberry nut pie that Bill’s mother used to make.

SARA’S CRANBERRY NUT PIE

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted margarine
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

Mix the first three ingredients together and spread in the bottom of a greased 10 in pie plate. Mix together the last five ingredients and pour over cranberry mixture. Bake 55-60 minutes in a preheated 325 degree oven. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

No photos of that last one…it usually gets eaten too quickly. Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us to all of you!

Cranberry Thanksgiving

It’s almost inevitable that a cranberry blog would do an entry about Thanksgiving! It’s a holiday which really is a chance for us here at Pine Island to relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor. (Sorry.) Many traditions in the Haines family come from cranberries, both our own and through the Ocean Spray cooperative. And best of all, they’re usually locally sauced! (Really sorry. We’ll stop now.) CEO Bill Haines goes out every year toward the end of harvest and hand scoops several pounds of berries for family use, using a wooden scoop that’s been in the family for generations.

Huge thanks to our friends at Ocean Spray for allowing us to use the following recipes and photographs, as well as posting the information showing us how these recipes are berry good for both you as well as the environment! (We said we were done. We lied. After all, cranberry farming can be a barrel of laughs.)

To start off, of course, you’ll want a cocktail. Vodka and cranberry is a popular combination, but did you know it actually has a name? To make a Cape Codder, you’ll just need the following:

Ingredients:

6 ounces Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail, chilled
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice. Makes 1 serving.

Of course, you can’t have a turkey without stuffing. Cape Cod Cornbread Stuffing just fits the bill:

Ingredients:

2 cups cornbread stuffing cubes
1/2 pound sausage meat, cooked, drained and crumbled
1 cup Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine all ingredients, except chicken broth, in a medium casserole dish. Add chicken broth; mix well. Add more chicken broth for a moister stuffing. Cover and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 3 cups.

The following is a classic for a reason; it pairs perfectly with a leftover turkey sandwich! (Or, as some first graders we know have done…mix it with mayo and put it on a hamburger. To each her own.)

Homemade Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce package Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil; add cranberries, return to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 2 1/4 cups.

This side dish doesn’t contain any cranberries, but who’s to say you couldn’t add some Craisins?

Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Trim stems of brussels sprouts; remove any damaged leaves.

Place brussels sprouts in 3-quart saucepan; add water to just cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer until brussels sprouts are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain; keep warm.

In the meantime, toast pecans. Place nuts in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in 350° oven 3 to 5 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully.

Melt butter in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in brussels sprouts and pecans; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 servings.

Last but not least, we have dessert: a longtime family favorite is a cranberry nut pie that Bill’s mother used to make.

SARA’S CRANBERRY NUT PIE

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar

Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted margarine
2 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

Mix the first three ingredients together and spread in the bottom of a greased 10 in pie plate. Mix together the last five ingredients and pour over cranberry mixture. Bake 55-60 minutes in a preheated 325 degree oven. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

No photos of that last one…it usually gets eaten too quickly. Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us to all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As you might imagine, the team members at Pine Island Cranberry have some cranberry-related Thanksgiving traditions. Bill spoke with the Philadelphia Daily News last week and shared some of his, particularly his wife Nadine’s delicious homemade whole berry sauce:

boiling cranberries for homemade sauce

Bill and his sister Holly, our CFO, are also very fond of their mother Sara’s cranberry nut pie. Holly says, “I make it all the time; it’s my signature dessert!” She is also adding cranberries to her stuffing this year.

When asked what he traditionally has at his house on Thanksgiving, general manager Fred Torres grins and say, “Cranberry wine!” But he is also fond of his own mother’s homemade cranberry sauce and homemade cranberry juice, as well as cranberry sweet rolls, which Tug’s, Becca’s, and Stefanie’s mother makes for the harvest team every year.

Controller Joann Martin is also a fan of the homemade recipe as well as Ocean Spray’s jellied sauce. Looking a little further ahead, she likes to string popcorn and cranberries for her Christmas tree!

Equipment/Facilities Manager Louis Cantafio says his wife Kathy is going a little crazy this year now that she has access to such a great supply. Another fan of the homemade sauce, she also makes cranberry bread, a cranberry horseradish, and Louis’s favorite, cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Overall the homemade recipe is the big winner with our employees; others who are making it include administrative assistant Debra Signorelli and webmaster Stefanie Haines. Stef also throws Craisins into everything, and they’ll be making an appearance with both her cornbread stuffing as well as with roasted butternut squash.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us to all of you!