A.D. Makepeace Company in Massachusetts: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
A.D. Makepeace Company of Wareham is described by the company as the largest cranberry grower in North America and the largest private property owner in eastern Massachusetts. Founded in 1854 by Abel D. Makepeace, known in his day as the Cranberry King, it farms bogs across southeastern Massachusetts and helped found the Ocean Spray cooperative in 1930.
| Location | Wareham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts (bogs also in Carver, Middleborough, Plymouth and Rochester) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1854, by Abel Denison Makepeace |
| Sectors | cranberries; land stewardship; commercial and residential real estate development |
| Scale | About 1,750 acres of bog per the company's own materials, with roughly three times that acreage held as uplands, wetlands and woodlands |
| Why it is elite | Described as North America's largest cranberry grower and the largest grower-owner of Ocean Spray |
| Ownership | Privately held company with a long Makepeace family history; professional management listed on its site |
| Official website | A.D. Makepeace Company official site |
History of A.D. Makepeace Company
Abel Denison Makepeace began growing cranberries in 1854, in the years when cranberry culture was moving from wild bogs to managed, sanded and flooded beds in southeastern Massachusetts. His reputation earned him the title Cranberry King, and the company that carries his initials has grown cranberries in the region ever since, which the company describes as more than 160 years of experience.
In 1930 the company was among the founders of Ocean Spray, the grower cooperative that turned fresh and processed cranberries into a national brand. Makepeace remains the largest grower-owner of that cooperative. Over time the company also became a major landholder, and it now pairs farming with a conservation record: published company materials report conservation restrictions recorded or being recorded on more than 3,100 acres in Plymouth and Wareham, and more than 5,000 acres of permanent conservation land when earlier efforts are counted.
What A.D. Makepeace Company Grows and Raises
The company farms about 1,750 acres of bog in Carver, Middleborough, Plymouth, Rochester and Wareham, according to its own materials, and keeps roughly three times that acreage in uplands, wetlands and woodlands. All of its cranberries are wet harvested, meaning the bogs are flooded so the berries float for collection. Bogs are renovated on an ongoing program, and the company has approval to build a new 140-acre rectangular bog in Frogfoot, Plymouth.
Production practices described by the company include applying sand to the bogs, renting bees for pollination and using non-chemical pest controls where possible, with certified and licensed pesticide applicators. The bogs themselves are open to the public as a place to walk and watch birds, which the company presents as part of its community role. Cranberries are a perennial vine crop that thrives on acidic, sandy, wet soils, which is why the industry concentrates in southeastern Massachusetts.
How A.D. Makepeace Company Makes Money
Cranberry growing and cooperative sales
The core business is growing cranberries and delivering them through the Ocean Spray cooperative, in which Makepeace is the largest grower-owner. Cooperative membership gives a grower a processing and brand channel that a single farm could not build alone.
Real estate development
The company also develops commercial and residential property, including the Rosebrook business park at the I-495 and I-195 interchange, apartments and the planned Redbrook village in South Plymouth. Land that is not needed for bogs is put to planned, higher-value uses while large areas are protected.
Farm market and tours
Company pages describe an on-farm country market selling baked goods, sandwiches, cranberry products and other local goods, and a tours-and-events program on the property. These are small compared with the core business but keep the brand visible to neighbors and visitors.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from A.D. Makepeace Company
Makepeace shows how a single-crop operation can reduce its exposure by owning land with more than one use. Cranberry bogs need large areas of surrounding upland and water, and the company has turned that land base into a source of development income and a record of conservation that supports its standing with towns and regulators.
A second lesson is the value of cooperative marketing. Rather than competing with other growers for shelf space, Makepeace is a founder and leading member of the cooperative that markets the crop. Operators in other crops can look at whether a cooperative, marketing order or shared processor gives them reach they cannot buy alone.
A cranberry bog in October is one of the great sights in American farming, a red blanket that looks like the berries are staging a sit-in. At farm.FM we file that kind of farm satire under harmless wonder, and our farm humor staff cannot decide whether the Cranberry King needed a crown or just a good pair of waders. Ranch humor is hard to find in a bog, but farm jokes about floating produce write themselves, and we promise to keep them affectionate.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact A.D. Makepeace Company
Website: https://admakepeace.com/
Contact details are limited to what the operation publishes on its own website, as checked in November 2026. Confirm hours, tours and sales before traveling or ordering. Use the contact page on the company's site for business inquiries.
A.D. Makepeace Company Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- A.D. Makepeace Company - The company's official website
- NEREJ company profile - Independent profile of the company's history, land and development work
- Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association listing - Industry association page on the company
- Massachusetts Cranberry Month - State announcement with cranberry acreage and economic impact figures
- UMass cranberry best management practices - University Extension guidance for cranberry growers
A.D. Makepeace Company FAQ
Where is A.D. Makepeace Company based?
It is based in Wareham, Massachusetts, with bogs in several southeastern Massachusetts towns including Carver, Middleborough, Plymouth and Rochester.
When was the company founded?
Company materials date it to 1854, when Abel D. Makepeace began growing cranberries.
How large are its cranberry holdings?
The company's own materials describe about 1,750 acres of bog, and a separate company profile cites about 1,600 acres of bogs and associated uplands, so figures vary by source and date.
What is the company's link to Ocean Spray?
It helped found the Ocean Spray cooperative in 1930 and is described as the cooperative's largest grower-owner.
A.D. Makepeace Company shows how 170 years of cranberry growing can be combined with cooperative marketing, land stewardship and development. To compare it with other leading producers, see the Massachusetts farms guide and the other profiled operations on this site.