My Story

A family Tradition

William Walker landed on the Cape in 1630, married Sarah Snow daughter of Constance Hopkins who arrived on the Mayflower. Francis Baker arrived in 1635 and settled in the Bass River area on lands granted by King James. Cranberries have been a part of my family's long Cape tradition. It was my grandfather, Benjamin Walker, a Dennis lobster fisherman and cranberry grower, who owned the bog I now work. Ben is documented as the fastest picker in his day using a hand rocker scoop. In 1912, in a six-hour day on the old Luther Hall bog in Nobscussett (formerly belonging to Henry Hall and prior the Nobscussett Indian Tribe), Ben harvested 19 barrels of berries (almost one ton) - that was 238 measures. At six cents a measure he netted $14.28, which was more than many men earned in a week and well worth the tired back. In the 1930's the cranberry industry plummeted. Like many growers of the time, Ben Walker was forced to sell off his bogs, his last in the 1950's.
Watch From Broadway to Cranberry Bogs
Decades passed and in 1994, I decided to change my career as a Broadway production wardrobe supervisor. I wanted to "come home" and try my hand (knees and back) at the tradition of growing cranberries. After an exhaustive search and negotiation, I acquired the Dennis bog formerly owned by my grandfather, Ben. Amazingly the plot plan still had Ben's Bog and Molly's Pasture clearly labeled. As fate would have it, I have a nephew Ben and a niece Molly who have helped plant, weed, fertilize, and pick the bog as well as tend to the many bee hives that make it grow. Perhaps I can nurture a piece of history for future generations to continue.
I wanted to 'come home' and try my hand (knees and back) at the tradition of growing cranberries.
  • 1816
    Birth of the cultivated Cranberry
    Henry Hall discovered cultivated cranberries by accident on land bordering Molly's Pasture (the land of Annie's Crannies). See History for more info.
    Closeup of cranberries growing at Annie's Crannies
  • 1911-1959
    Ben Walker Era
    My Grampa Ben grows cranberries here which his sons Joe (my dad) & Dan also worked in the 1930's plus.
    Circa 1940 at Corporation Beach Harbor
  • January 1995
    I wanna do this
    The search for suitable bog land commences after assisting with future partner Dean Emery on his bogs.
    Extracted from the 1994 Walker Family Labor Day Party photo
  • December 29, 1995
    Landed the land!
    Fittingly, the search concludes with acquiring the very last land my Grampa Ben grew cranberries on.
  • Spring 1996
    Bog planted
    Replanted the South and Ben's bog (seen here, Molly's bog was planted in 1997) with the heirloom Howes variety.
    Annie's all smiles as she plants the South Bog at Annie's Crannies
  • November 1996
    First Farm stand
    After a delicate first hand picking, I open a farm stand in front of my father's home on Nobscussett Road to sell fresh cranberries.
  • Spring 1999
    Bogside Barn/Home Completed
    I'd been living in the pump house for two years.
    Annie's Crannies Bogside Barn completed in Spring 1999.
  • Fall 1999
    Gift Shop Open
    Bogside barn houses gift shop with fresh cranberries for sale
    Annie's Crannies Medium Knotty Pine Gift Box
  • 2000-2010
    Products, Products, Products
    Added 4 lb gift box '00; honey '01; beeswax candles, 2 lb gift boxes '03; Cranberry Recipes Booklets, soaps, floating candles, tee shirts and hats '04; votives '05; jams, note cards, large pillars '06; honey candy '07; small/medium pillars '09/'10.
    Expansion of products at Annie's Crannies
  • 2004
    Annies crannies Online
    Website launched to bring us into 21st century.
    Annies Crannies First Website
  • 2014
    Bye Bye Broadway
    After completing another season of A Christmas Carol at Radio City Music Hall, I retire from Broadway to farm full time.
    Radio City Entertainment originally at Radio City Music Hall then The Theatre at Madison Square Garden
  • 2016
    Bincentenial Celebration...
    of the Cultivated Cranberry at its Origin in Dennis, Massachusetts.
    1816 U.S. flag edited to show the years events for the Bicentennial Celebration of the Cultivated Cranberry, Dennis, Massachusetts.
  • 2024
    Local Fresh Fruit Market Dries Up
    With no Massachusetts wholesaler for fresh fruit, I'm forced to harvest the majority of my crop via wet pick. I only dry pick what I can sell in the gift shop and to Wholefoods.
    Wet pick harvesting due to local wholesaler discontinuing fresh fruit