| Nodji Van Wychen is known as the “Cranberry Lady” by the hundreds of school children who have visited her family’s cranberry marsh east of Warrens. A former teacher, Nodji gives dozens of tours every year to school classes and motorcoach groups, explaining how cranberries are grown and harvested.
Nodji and her husband, Jim, own Wetherby Cranberry Company and are among the few independent cranberry growers who still package their own fresh cranberries.
“We use a combination of new and old technology here,” she tells groups. “We have a couple of the new computerized sorting machines, but we still use the old Bailey Mills that my grandfather used in the 1920s.”
Every year, the Van Wychens host a public harvest day. The free event is always held the first Saturday of October from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, visit their Web site at www.freshcranberries.com.
Along with the fresh cranberries they market themselves, the Van Wychens also sell cranberries to Cliffstar, the nation’s largest private-label juice maker. A few years ago, Jim also began a small winery and makes cranberry wine.
The Wetherby Cranberry Company was founded in 1903. The Van Wychens took over the operation from Nodji's parents in 1973. Their son, Henry, works full-time on the marsh. The couple’s three daughters and sons-in-law help out at various times as well.
“As a cranberry grower, I really have a wonderful life. I’m close to the land that I love and respect, and I can work side by side with my family,” says Nodji.
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