Press Releases

Ocean Spray’s “Bogs across America”™ tour will stop at Co-op Festival

(Washington, DC, August 15, 2017) What does it take to turn a tart, little red berry into one of the most successful consumer brands of all time? 700 farm families working together in a cooperative!

As the premier sponsor for NCBA CLUSA’s inaugural Co-op Festival, Ocean Spray will roll out the cranberry red carpet with their fellow cooperatives in a shared mission to educate consumers on the importance of supporting the cooperative business model.

The Co-op Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. will take place from September 30 – October 1, 2017. As part of celebrating what makes each cooperative so unique, Ocean Spray will transform America's backyard into a cranberry bog, filled with a half-ton of fresh cranberries to fully immerse visitors in the taste, health and heritage of this exceptional fruit. Ocean Spray farm owners will also be on hand to share stories about their farms, families and one-of-a-kind cooperative culture.

“We’re extremely proud to join our fellow cooperatives at this truly unique celebration,” said Kellyanne Dignan, Director of Global Cooperative Communications for Ocean Spray. “Most consumers have no idea that when they pick up an Ocean Spray product they are buying straight from 700 family farmers." 

The Co-op Festival will be a stop on Ocean Spray’s 2017 Bogs Across America™ tour to engage U.S. consumers who have never seen a cranberry bog in real life. The traveling display demonstrates the breathtaking beauty of the cranberry harvest and serves as a platform to share with visitors how cranberries are grown and harvested by co-op farmers.

John Torres, Vice President of Public Relations and Communication for NCBA CLUSA, said Ocean Spray is a perfect fit for the Co-op Festival, with its aim to educate consumers about the principles that underpin cooperatives.

"By leveraging public recognition of well-known cooperatives, the Co-op Festival will connect the trust consumers say they have for the co-op business model with the brands they already shop, while introducing them to the full spectrum of co-ops that build a better world in the U.S. and globally," Torres said.

“With its long history and well-established brand, Ocean Spray is an ideal partner at an event designed to celebrate the success, diversity and impact of the co-op business model,” he added.

There’s still time to join Ocean Spray and our other partners and be part of this historic event. To participate, click the Exhibit Registration button on this page. If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area and want to support the festival by volunteering, register at coopfestival.coop/volunteer for one of our three-hour shifts over the weekend.

About NCBA CLUSA

The National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International is the primary voice in the United States for people who use cooperatives to build a better world by strengthening cooperatives, building resilient communities and providing economic opportunities. Through its international development program, NCBA CLUSA works through the cooperative principles in more than 20 countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Since 1916, NCBA CLUSA has shared the cooperative advantage, highlighting the impact cooperatives have in bettering the lives of individuals, families and communities. Through its advocacy program, NCBA CLUSA educates lawmakers and promotes the cooperative business model, working with public and private thought leaders.

About Ocean Spray

Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world’s leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and is the best-selling brand in the North American bottled juice category. The cooperative’s cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 100 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. For more information visit: http://www.oceanspray.coop/.