As I lowered my foot into the water, I waited for my inevitable faux pas.

But instead, a warm calm swept over me.

But the cranberries called him back.

Large bog of cranberries being harvested

Credit: Rachel Chang

“I missed my first cranberry harvest and learned that this was in my blood,” he said.

“I decided it was the last time I wanted to miss a harvest.”

Though the Ocean Spray cooperative was formed in 1930, Lee Brothers joined during its third generation in 1952.

Harvesting cranberries in a bog

Rachel Chang

“The cranberries don’t read the newspaper,” he joked.

“They’re still coming, so I’ve got to be ready.”

In fact, the berries don’t even grow in water.

Close up of wet cranberries

Rachel Chang

The bogs are then flooded as part of the wet harvesting method, most common in New Jersey.

And most importantly, the bogs actually renew the surrounding wetlands, netting a positive impact on its surroundings.

While harvesting always sounded like hard physical labor, this couldn’t be further from that reality.

“And what’s really exciting for us is that people are now understanding the health component.

Cranberries are good for you it’s rich in antioxidants, and cleanses and purifies the body.

We’ve known that for a long time that’s why we look as good as we do!”