Cape Cod Cranberry Growers

What Cape Cod Cranberry Growers does

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association (CCCGA), operating under the consumer-facing brand Massachusetts Cranberries, is a 501(c)(5) nonprofit agricultural trade association founded in 1888 and headquartered in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The association represents hundreds of commercial cranberry growers farming more than 11,500 acres of bogs across southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Nantucket. Its mission centers on ensuring the survival of Massachusetts cranberry farming in the face of urbanization pressures, preservation of open space and clean water, and promotion of cranberries as the Commonwealth's No. 1 food crop. The industry it represents contributes $1.7 billion annually to the Massachusetts economy and supports nearly 6,400 jobs.

CCCGA's core technology consists of two platforms: (1) the BOGS Online Grower System, a proprietary web-based management and record-keeping platform that members use to track acreage, pesticide applications, crop records, and regulatory compliance — developed with support from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) — and (2) the Member Compass portal, a member-only interface for profile management, event registration, invoice viewing, and payment. The association also runs the Bogside Newsletter, Frost Advisory, Grower Advisories, and a suite of committees (Environmental and Government Affairs, Research, Technology, Marketing and Promotion Outreach).

The business model is membership-based, funded primarily through recurring annual member dues paid by cranberry growers (dues amounts are not publicly disclosed), supplemented by donations, grant funding (notably Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement), and event/program revenue. Membership applications must be approved by the Board of Directors, and all acreage must have applicable dues paid in full for continued system access. Public-facing go-to-market includes the Massachusetts Cranberries consumer website promoting cranberry health benefits, recipes, agritourism (public bog tours, October harvest tours), and media outreach — including an annual Massachusetts Cranberry Month proclamation by the Governor.

Name

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers

Legal name

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association

Website

https://cranberries.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association is a 501(c)(5) nonprofit trade association founded in 1888 that represents hundreds of commercial cranberry growers farming 11,500+ acres across southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Nantucket. It provides compliance tools, research coordination, advocacy, and marketing under the Massachusetts Cranberries brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Trade Association

NAICS

Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

Keywords

• Cranberry grower association
• Agricultural trade association
• Cranberry industry advocacy
• Bog management services
• Cranberry marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: CCCGA is a membership-based trade association funded primarily through annual dues paid by cranberry growers. Dues compliance requires all acreage to have applicable CCCGA dues paid in full. The association has been operating since 1888.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association (CCCGA), also known as Massachusetts Cranberries, is one of the oldest farmer organizations in the United States, founded in 1888 to represent hundreds of cranberry growers farming 11,500+ acres in southeastern Massachusetts. The association delivers industry advocacy, regulatory compliance support, research coordination, grower education, grant program administration, and public marketing of Massachusetts cranberries, including the BOGS Online Grower System, Member Compass portal, bog restoration programs, leadership development, and consumer-facing agritourism.

Product overview

Massachusetts Cranberries (formerly Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association), established in 1888, is a trade association representing cranberry growers in southeastern Massachusetts. The organization's offerings consist primarily of informational resources, member services, and agritourism experiences rather than commercial products. Core offerings include: public bog tours and harvest experiences (Fresh Fruit & Bog Tours), a directory of farms selling fresh cranberries, educational content about cranberry growing, sustainability practices, health benefits, and recipes. For members, the association provides the BOGS Online Grower System for acreage tracking and record keeping, Member Compass for account management, a Bogside Newsletter, and access to various programs including Bog Restoration, SMART Solar Program, Leadership Development, and Nutrient Management Planning. The association also promotes Massachusetts cranberries through marketing initiatives, participation in events like The Big E, and outreach to residents near cranberry growing regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BOGS Online Grower System A proprietary web-based grower management and record-keeping platform for CCCGA members in good standing to track acreage, pesticide applications, crop records, and regulatory compliance. Developed with support from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources 'Massachusetts grown...and fresher!' program.
• Member Compass Portal Member-only portal providing profile management, event registration, invoice viewing and payment, and access to member-only content and communications for cranberry growers enrolled in CCCGA.
• Fresh Fruit & Bog Tours Consumer-facing agritourism offering with public bog tours and harvest tours (including Saturday tours in October) operated through member farms, providing direct access to fresh cranberry sales and the cranberry growing experience.
• Leadership Development Program A 5-part leadership development program for CCCGA grower members, supported by a Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement grant, running from November 2025 through March 2026.
• Bog Restoration Program Program providing CCCGA members with access to state funding (including the MDAR Cranberry Bog Renovation Enhancement Grant Program, which has awarded over $6.5 million to 104 growers since 2020) for renovation of cranberry bogs, plus restoration success stories and conservation funding guidance.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cranberry InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA not-for-profit organization founded in 1951 to further cranberry grower success through health, agricultural, and environmental stewardship research, as well as cranberry promotion. CCCGA works closely with the Cranberry Institute, which secured $1 million in USDA RAPP funding for export market development.
• UMass Cranberry StationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA research institution in Wareham, MA providing horticultural expertise and research to the Massachusetts cranberry industry. The station conducts pest management research, growing season advisories, and climate resilience guidance. CCCGA's Research Committee works directly with UMass researchers to set research priorities.
• Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDAR administers the Cranberry Bog Renovation Enhancement Grant Program, which has awarded over $6.5 million to 104 growers since 2020 for renovating 479 acres of growing space. MDAR also oversees pesticide licensing, food safety programs, and climate-smart agriculture initiatives benefiting CCCGA members.
• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)minorOthersUSDA NASS publishes the annual U.S. cranberry crop forecast, which CCCGA references and reports to its members and the public. The forecast provides critical supply-demand data for the industry.
• Xerces SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn conjunction with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the UMass Cranberry Station, Xerces Society has collaborated with cranberry farmers to identify and plant native pollinator-friendly plants and shrubs on land adjacent to cranberry bogs to support native pollinators.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRCS partners with cranberry farmers and the UMass Cranberry Station on conservation practices including pollinator habitat establishment, water management, and climate resilience. NRCS recognizes sanding as a Best Management Practice.
• Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced in research studies (e.g., 2016 Boston University study on cranberry juice and UTIs conducted in conjunction with Ocean Spray). Ocean Spray is a major cranberry cooperative and key industry stakeholder.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: The largest U.S. general farm advocacy organization. As a broad incumbent for grower advocacy and policy representation, it sets the wider context in which a single-crop association like CCCGA operates.
• Ocean Spray Cranberries: A large grower-owned cooperative that markets cranberry products nationally and globally. As the dominant downstream buyer for many CCCGA growers, it is a critical industry counterpart and the most relevant direct cranberry-industry peer.

Others

• Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR): The state agency that administers the Cranberry Bog Renovation Enhancement Grant Program and pesticide/food-safety oversight. MDAR is a key counterpart rather than competitor, but functions as an ecosystem-level peer in shaping grower outcomes.
• UMass Cranberry Station: The UMass Amherst research station in Wareham, MA that delivers pest management, growing-season, and climate-resilience research to cranberry growers. CCCGA's Research Committee works directly with the station, making it an enabling research peer.

Regional players

• Decas Cranberry Products: A Massachusetts-based cranberry processor and supplier of dried cranberries and ingredients. As a downstream value-chain participant in the same Massachusetts cranberry economy, it is a regionally relevant peer for CCCGA's grower members.
• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce: The regional chamber promoting Cape Cod-area businesses and tourism. While not a crop association, it is a relevant peer in driving agritourism and consumer-facing demand in the same geography that CCCGA serves.
• New England Apple Association: A regional grower/promotion organization for New England apples. It is a structurally comparable regional crop trade and promotion association, serving as a model peer for membership-based grower marketing.

Direct peers

• Cranberry Institute: A national nonprofit that funds cranberry health, agricultural, and environmental research and promotion. CCCGA partners closely with Cranberry Institute, which has secured USDA RAPP export funding — making it a closely allied peer in the cranberry advocacy ecosystem.
• Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association: A state-level trade association representing Wisconsin cranberry growers. It is the most direct functional peer to CCCGA — same crop, similar membership-based advocacy and grower services model, just operating in Wisconsin, the largest U.S. cranberry-producing state.

Emerging players

• North American Blueberry Council: An industry body representing highbush and lowbush blueberry growers across North America. As a closely related berry-category association, it shares analogous grower-advocacy and promotion challenges relevant to the cranberry industry.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MassCranberries
• Xx.com/masscranberries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cape Cod Cranberry Growers