Talks at the Museum

Susan Playfair – Author, Americas Founding Fruit: Cranberry’s Past, Present and Future.
The cranberry, "Vaccinium macrocarpon" is a perennial vine, one of only three cultivated fruit native to North America. Its story began as the glaciers retreated about 15,000 years ago. Years later, it kept Native Americans and Pilgrims alive through the winter months, served as a diplomatic gesture to King Charles in 1677, protected sailors on board whaling ships from scurvy, fed General Grant's men in 1864, provided over a million pounds of sustenance per year to our World War II doughboys, and today is a powerful tool in the fight against various forms of cancer.
This book looks at the history and legacy of America's super fruit to evaluate the effects of climate change on the cranberry and other fruits as they migrate to colder environments.