BANGOR DAILY NEWS • November 12, 2026
John Harker, of Mt. Vernon, led the introduction of cranberry growing to home gardeners across the country. He was a key player in developing Maine’s small commercial industry and created the first commercially available white cranberry plant from a cutting found on a wild bog on the island of Vinalhaven. His work opened a new agricultural venture to the state for farmers to diversify, brought a new opportunity for home food production across the country and revealed the diversity of one of Maine’s native fruits — even as the state’s commercial market peaked and then declined.