MONROE CO., Wis. (WMTV) -Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson has traded political office for cranberry bogs, spending his retirement knee-deep in the state’s signature agricultural industry.
Thompson, Wisconsin’s longest-serving governor from 1987 to 2001, now works alongside LCO Cranberries LLC on 15 bogs in Oakdale.
The former politician, who also served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005 under President George W. Bush, embraced cranberry farming five years ago.
“Cranberry growing is just plain exciting,” Thompson said. “The greatest part is just being out here in the fresh air, Wisconsin weather, seeing things grow and blossom.”
From politics to produce
Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state, with roughly 250 growers contributing to the billion-dollar industry.
Thompson’s family farming roots trace back to Elroy, but he now spends most fall mornings on the Oakdale marsh during harvest season.
“It’s part of Wisconsin, like football, like baseball, like the University of Wisconsin,” Thompson said, explaining his attraction to the crop.
Mary Maze of LCO Cranberries LLC said Thompson brings enthusiasm to the operation.
“Tommy is a blast, he likes to be involved and there are a lot of days he shows up at the crack of dawn with the rest of the crew,” Maze said. “He loves being involved.”
Expanding the operation
Thompson has ambitious plans for growth, though his business partners urge patience.
“He’d like to expand another 20 acres, and we’re like Tommy, this is a slow process,” Maze joked.
The former governor now champions Wisconsin’s cranberry industry beyond his own farming operation.
“We are harvesting cranberries and of course in Wisconsin cranberries — we’re the biggest growing state in America for cranberries,” Thompson said. “It’s a healthy food, it’s a food that everybody should enjoy not only at Thanksgiving but year round.”
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