Ironwood second graders tour cranberry marsh

MANITOWISH WATERS, Wis. - The cranberry harvest is now in full swing and Ironwood's second graders got a first-hand look into what exactly goes into wrangling the tart berries. They took an adventure Monday as they travelled down U.S. 51 to visit the Vilas Cranberry Marsh in Manitowish Waters.

The students took a tour of the marsh and received a demonstration on the process of harvesting the berries.

The day was led by Bob Winters, owner of the marsh, who taught the students about the life cycle of the plants, the role pollinators play in the process and other aspects of the production.

As a cooperative effort with Ocean Spray, the company ships 85 trucks of berries to Ocean Spray's central manufacturing plant in Tomah, Wis., according to teacher Michelle Trier.

Given the connection with Ocean Spray, the students also got an opportunity to sample several flavors of cranberry juice, Trier said.