Alumni In New England, Two Sisters Grow Cranberries for Your Holiday Table Stories You May Like Paws Up for Science! Student’s Service Dog Gets His Own PPE Laundry Putting You Through the Wringer? Apparel Expert Has Tips MD Keeps Adventure Travelers Healthy on the High Seas Sixth-generation farmers, the alums are part of the co-op producing fruit for Ocean Spray products, from sauce to juice By Melissa Newcomb Sisters Alison Gilmore Carr ’01 and Abigail Gilmore Anderson ’04 grew up helping out on their family’s eastern Massachusetts cranberry farm. During fall breaks on the Hill, they’d return to pitch in with the annual harvest. Now the pair, who both majored in agricultural business management in CALS, are running the enterprise along with their mom. Located not far from Cape Cod, the Gilmore Cranberry Company is a family business whose fruit is featured in some of the most popular products on the market—during the holidays and year round. Carr (left) and Anderson at harvest time. Their 100-acre farm harvests berries that are used in Ocean Spray juices, sauces, craisins (dried cranberries), and more. Says Carr: “It’s such an honor and so heartwarming to know we get to be a part of people having special moments with their family in this little way.” Ripe berries on the vine. Ocean Spray is a cooperative comprising more than 700 growers. It was founded in 1930—with the sisters’ extended family as one of the three original members. The two Dyson School alums plan to continue the tradition of passing the land on to the next generation—and they’ve even welcomed fellow Cornellians through visits organized by the Cornell Club of Boston. It’s such an honor and so heartwarming to know we get to be a part of people having special moments with their family in this little way. Alison Gilmore Carr ’01 As they explain, the crop is typically harvested in October: the bogs in which they grow are flooded, and the water is agitated so the berries fall off the vines and float to the top for collection. The sisters have been running the farm for about a decade. Happily bogged down: The Gilmore family. Stories You May Like Paws Up for Science! Student’s Service Dog Gets His Own PPE Laundry Putting You Through the Wringer? Apparel Expert Has Tips Both still love the growing process—and the fruit of their labors—and use cranberries to make everything from sorbets to baked goods. And of course, they also make cranberry sauce for the holiday season: each family member brings their own version and a winner is chosen based on which is eaten the most. A (literal) truckload of cranberries en route to become sauce and more. “Our parents told us that if we love it, we’ll come back to it,” Anderson says of working in the family business. “That’s exactly what we both did: we took off our corporate hats to put our agricultural hats back on.” After graduation, the sisters lived together in NYC; Carr worked in food product marketing and Anderson had jobs at law and architecture firms. Our parents told us that if we love it, we'll come back to it. That's exactly what we both did. Abigail Gilmore Anderson ’04 “Cranberry farming is a part of the fabric of who I am,” says Carr. “I had some other professional passions—but I always knew that at some point, I’d return to the farm.” Top: A flooded bog during harvest at the Gilmore farm. (All photos provided) Published November 15, 2024 Comments Beth Corwin, Class of 1968 19 Nov, 2024 A wonderful family. Cornell Club of Boston tour last summer was fascinating! Thank you Gilmore family! Reply Michelle 26 Nov, 2024 what a nice article, thank you! Reply Cynthia Wilson Massarsky, Class of 1981 26 Nov, 2024 Bravo! And related, see Randy Papadellis – fellow Cornell Johnson B-School alum. Look him up to see how he transformed Ocean Spray. Reply David Pefley, Class of 1981 26 Nov, 2024 Special mention to ‘81 MBA Randy Papadellis, CEO of Ocean Spray from 2002-2018 for all the great strategic achievements he made at Ocean Spray! Reply Richard Poznysz, Class of 1969 26 Nov, 2024 I am proud to say that I was a Cornell class of 1969 graduate, majoring in government. However, I chose to grow cranberries in Massachusetts full time for about 35 years. I was elected to the Board of Directors by the growers of Ocean Spray Cranberries and served on The Ocean Spray Board for many years, being re-elected by the growers every three years. I left the Board when I retired from farming. My daughter, Christine Poznysz, now Christine Wilk, graduated from Cornell in 1990. In the same Cornell class as Christine was Matt Beaton, whose family have been very well known cranberry growers in Massachusetts for decades. Matt also has served on the Board, keeping Massachusetts members active in the Ocean Spray Cooperative. Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni Reunion ’24 in Photos: Big Red Spirit Filled a Festive Weekend Alumni ‘Sheer Awe’: Recalling the Legendary Grateful Dead Concert of May ’77 Quizzes & Puzzles What Cornell Building Are You?