Local ag group supported Detlefsen’s cranberries story

MARY ANN INMAN PHOTOS The Clinton Topper
Adults, from left in back – Sheila Everhart, Vaughn Johnson, Lisl Detlefsen, Archie Morton Jr., Jacob Boboltz, and Kirk Leach were surrounded by curious 4th graders in the CES library.

By Mary Ann Inman
REPORTER
Are you smarter than a fourth grader? They listened, learned, and left knowing more about cranberry harvesting, nutrition, and writing books. Author Lisl Detlefsen showed the students a letter she wrote when she was in 4th grade to her teacher that said she wanted to be an author.
She was stumped by one question, “How do you start a cranberry marsh?”
The Detlefsen’s cranberry marsh was started 140 years ago, so she didn’t know. Her husband’s family owned agriculture business has been harvested by five generations. However, when Lisl asked the fourth graders, they already knew that cranberries float because they have four air pockets.
The marshes are sectioned off and flooded separately by a water filled surrounding ditch. Flooding and floating brings the berries to the top and today’s modern equipment harvests them.
One student asked, “How do you know when they are moldy?”
Detlefsen said by color and spots. The sorting process pulls out the bad ones. Hail can be especially damaging. A hail storm in 2000, lasting about 2 minutes, caused the family to lose half of their crop. Animals don’t like to eat them but may trample them.
Her book, Time for Cranberries, was illustrated by Jed Henry who lives in Utah so he used photographs to complete the drawings of the marshes and modern harvest equipment. The author showed the

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