Weathering the cold

One of our core values at Pine Island Cranberry has always been doing what we need to do when it’s time to do it. Unfortunately, the weather does not always cooperate. For the past couple of weeks, the cold has made our winter tasks much more difficult, and in some instances, we’ve had to alter plans temporarily.

“Our guys dress for the weather, but we really can’t keep our team exposed to the elements when the temperature is this low,” explains COO Bryan vonHahmann. “And when it’s this cold, it’s hard to dig, so we’ve had to slow down on that.” A lot of the outdoor bog reno work has been postponed for the moment, as well as the sanding operation. (While we have tried ice sanding in the past, the weather has been actually too cold to even attempt it; low temperatures not only affect the team, but the equipment as well.)

To that end, our team has kept busy by working indoors as much as possible. Some have been building signs for our property borders, some are working on box repairs, and still others have been assembling sprinklers for the new renovation as well as repairing old sprinklers: replacing worn out nozzles, springs, and sprinkler heads.

Depending on the day to day forecast, though, some outdoor work has been possible. “When the wind’s not blowing and the sun is out, we’re able to send a team out to work on the survey lines,” says Bryan. “They’re protected a bit by the trees, so they’re able to go out and post the signs that have been built already.” And when it’s warm enough to run equipment, the team has kept busy disassembling the old wooden gates we’ve recently replaced.

Our team is still doing whatever it takes…but they’re making sure to keep safe and keep warm at the same time!