Downstown's agricultural operations include various aerial application operations in the cranberry bogs. They started fertilizer applications about about two to three weeks ago not long after Bravo-1 finished her service for the NJ Forest Fire Service on May 9. My friends at Downstown tell me that they may apply as many as seven rounds of fertilizer, only dry fertilizer is applied, during the season. The cranberry season ends after the harvest in October/November. Downstown applies the last round of fertilizer after the end of the harvest, usually by Election Day (first Tuesday in November). Four rounds of fungicide are applied during June and July. There is not a lot of insect activity in the cranberry bogs, Downstown only applies insecticide two times (this differs from other crops such as corn where insecticide spraying is dominant).
I understand that Downstown has two to three Ag-Cats working the bogs six days a week, and the AT-602's work the bogs once or twice a week during the busy season. The busy season lasts from mid-May through July. Aerial applications are either dry fertilizer applications or liquid applications.
I know that I have driven by cranberry bogs during day trips to the Pine Barrens. I have no idea if I drove by the cranberry bog you see in the photos below.
The body of water in the photo below is one of the reservoirs used to flood the cranberries for harvest.
In the photos below you get a good idea of the flat terrain of the Pine Barrens.
Downstown uses the small, private air strip you see in the photo below.
And here are some more photos of cranberry bogs.
I took the last photo as we were leaving the bogs, here again is long shot of the Pine Barrens.
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