The Greater Lovell Land Trust (GLLT) is pleased to offer wild Kezar Cranberries, growing naturally for millennia in the fens and bogs of Kezar Lake. Your cranberries are hand picked on land developed by nature and permanently preserved by the GLLT. These lands are found in a special location nestled at the base of the White mountains of western Maine. It is an area rich and diverse in natural resources that have sustained healthy human and natural communities since time began.
The wild cranberries of Kezar ripen after the summer solstice on short stalks hidden under marsh grass and sedges, with berries resting on blankets of golden sphagnum moss. The cranberries mature in the moist fog drenched mornings of early autumn and are ripened to a tart sweetness by the warmth of the mid-day sun. Volunteers venture into the bogs on crisp October mornings to pick these treasured fruits. Often shrouded by fog and with their footsteps falling silently on the soft sphagnum moss, pickers are treated to encounters with the native “residents” of the bogs. Moose and deer are common as are great blue herons, kestrels, flycatchers and numerous duck species. The cranberries are not relished by these “residents” and thus encounters are of mutual curiosity and cautious acceptance.
Program Goals
The “Cranberries for Conservation™” program is a trademark program of the GLLT with the goal of reconnecting individuals and communities to the life sustaining power of the land. Our land and waters have always provided for our most basic needs: clean water, nourishing food, clothing and wood for shelter, and for our emotional and spiritual needs. Through this program, we hope to instill an appreciation and respect for the giving power of the land and waters, that is solidly embraced for generations to come.
We appreciate your order and participation in the “Cranberries for Conservation ™” program. We are pleased you chose to share our local bounty and welcome your feedback so we may better serve our customers. All proceeds from the sale of the GLLT “Cranberries for Conservation ™” will be used to advance our mission of conservation in the Kezar Lake and surrounding watersheds. Thank you and enjoy!
Click Here to Order Your Cranberries
We welcome volunteers to venture into the fen and pick cranberries. We pick and ship daily, weather permitting, October 1-Oct 14. Contact us at tomgllt@earthlink.net to join the crew! Photo By: Tom Henderson
