On the final day of our journeys through the Pine Barrens, our group visited the Pine Island Cranberry Company in Washington, NJ. Once there, we learned about the history of cranberry farming in New Jersey.
We were welcomed by employees of the company, including Stefanie and Mike Haines, and learned about the beginning of the company over 125 years ago and the current state of their operation. After hearing some history of the company and a typical year in the life of a cranberry farmer, we ventured out to explore some of the bogs. We got to see some of the oldest bogs, originally used over 100 years ago, though these are just a small portion of the numerous bogs used by Pine Island. They are still in the process of building newer bogs, which will be used to grow some of the newer types of cranberries being grown by the company.
After visiting Batsto Village on Monday and learning about some of the former industries in the Pine Barrens, it was great to visit current companies thriving in this amazing area of the country.
At the end of the week, our group spent time reflecting on our experiences, and some highlights from the group included:
- “The trip through the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. I thoroughly enjoyed that trip to Cedar Run because of the talking birds, story books, and even raking the trails.”
- “The first day where we explored the village.”
- “Going to Cedar Run, because it was interesting seeing all of the animals and learning about them, along with the little hike that we did there as well.”
- “Exploring the town we visited the first day. I thought it was really interesting to see the old villages and houses the people used to live in. It really showed the culture of the Pine Barrens and how the people used to live. My second favorite thing we did was hiking. Although exhausting, it really bonded the group, and it was nice to be in nature. “
- “The wildlife refuge, because we got to see many different kinds of animals. Seeing these animals and helping out the refuge was fun and helped me get to know and become friends with my fellow students.”
- “I liked exploring the village and going on the unguided hike because it felt like I was more connected to the nature.”
- “Hiking to the top of the fire tower on Apple Pie Hill.”