Hopcott Farms is celebrating harvest season by hosting its annual cranberry tours and introducing a new event: an immersive longtable lunch. Guests are invited to take a tractor trailer ride over to the bogs to watch the live harvest and learn all about cranberry farming. The tour culminates with the iconic plunge, as guests, outfitted in waders, step into the bogs themselves.
“When we heard that Ocean Spray was looking for cranberry farmers back in the 1990s, we converted acreage to diversify farm operations. Initially, it was a practical decision, but we started receiving inquiries from our customers about tours. Only a few years ago, we decided to include the public in this experience, and we have loved watching their connection to the process. We are expecting another high-yield crop, estimating 1.5 million pounds of cranberries. For context, that’s about 450 million berries and approximately 45 million gallons of juice,” says Travis Hopcott, Cranberry Farmer and 2023 Co-Award Recipient of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer’s Program (OYFP).
With Hopcott’s farming philosophy rooted in sustainability and transparency, the cranberry tours give customers insight into how their operations minimize environmental impact, while offering a behind-the-scenes look. Central to their farm-to-plate philosophy is the new bog-to-longtable lunch, where guests will dine amidst the vibrant cranberry harvest.
“Cranberry harvest is so beautiful to see, and we’ve always loved putting on our summer longtable dinner. So I thought, let’s combine these two things and give people a unique experience while also learning about where their food comes from. As this is our first year, there’s only going to be one longtable lunch, but we’re hoping to expand in the future,” says Jenn Hopcott, General Manager of Hopcott Meats.
The cranberry plunge tours will take place on Saturday, October 12th; Sunday, October 13th; Saturday, October 19th; and Sunday, October 20th. The cranberry longtable lunch will be held on Friday, October 18th.
For more information, visit hopcottfarms.ca.
