This is just the beginning…

More About Cranberry Learning, Inc.

Cranberry Learning, Inc., is a nonprofit education tool and cranberry career pathway guide. Our mission is to share cranberry learning resources that connect students to the cranberry industry. The Cranberry Lesson Plans and Videos are STEAM based and have elements that meet educational standards while including cranberry production and horticultural facts.

Cranberry Learning’s vision is to contribute toward the short and long range plan for agriculture and the cranberry industry’s workforce succession plan. With cranberry lesson plans for traditional and nontraditional K-12 classrooms, we will direct students to cranberry industry careers with lesson plans & videos embedded with a cross over of agriculture and cranberry content focused on academic career planning curriculum.

Cranberry Learning will grow your understanding where and how cranberries are grown, who cultivates cranberries and produces cranberry products; as well as the effects cranberry agriculture has on the economy, environment, technology, lifestyle and its relationship to cranberry growing communities.

Cranberry farming is a trades driven industry with a variety of work environments to choose from and it lends a path toward a balanced lifestyle career.

Two cranberry specialists, Pam Verhulst, Cranberry Consultant, and Heidi Slinkman, multi-generational family grower, founded and spearheaded Cranberry Learning Inc. Both live and work in their Wisconsin cranberry communities.

Meet the Founders

Pam Verhulst

CO-FOUNDER
President for Cranberry Learning, Inc., Pam Verhulst is a horticulturalist that specializes in cranberry production with a passion for education. Pam is a second-generation cranberry consultant with Lady Bug IPM, founded by her mother, Jayne Sojka, in 1991. She is actively involved in the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, contributing to several committees, including Research, Education, and Public Policy. Pam has also been a long-time Technical Service Provider with the NRCS, assisting cranberry growers in securing conservation funding to enhance farm sustainability. She is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Professional Agricultural Consultants (WAPAC) and the National Association of Independent Crop Consultants (NAICC) where she serves on the Government Affairs Committee.
Pam married her husband, Michael, in 2010. They have three sons, Lucas, Gavin and Jayce. After having children, she started volunteering and taking on leadership roles at her children’s school and church. It was then she realized how influential children were and the importance of early education. This realization led to cofounding the Cranberry Learning Inc.

Heidi Slinkman

CO-FOUNDER
Heidi Slinkman is Vice President and Treasurer of Cranberry Learning, Inc. and a generational cranberry grower. She serves as Business Manager for her family operation, Gaynor Cranberry Company, a historic cranberry farm established in 1876, celebrating 150 years of cranberry cultivation. Wisconsin remains the nation’s leading cranberry producer, with cranberries recognized as the state fruit.
Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from the University of St. Thomas (MN) and brings a lifelong commitment to agribusiness, workforce development, and agricultural education. Her work connects farming, business operations, and education—bringing students, communities, and consumers closer to agriculture and meaningful career pathways.
Heidi is a grower-owner with Ocean Spray Cranberries Cooperative and has held multiple leadership roles, including service on the Ocean Spray Grower Council and as a representative on the Board of Directors for the Cranberry Institute. She has represented Ocean Spray at national and international events, as well as in media engagements, helping share the cranberry story on a global stage.
She is an active advocate for agricultural leadership and education, serving as a member of American Agri-Women and as a former board member of the Wood County-Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. As a past Director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, Heidi helped secure funding to advance cranberry research and contributed to the development of industry leadership initiatives. She is also a graduate of the UW–Extension Leadership Wisconsin Program.
Her commitment to agricultural outreach was further demonstrated through her leadership in developing the grower-designed Cranberry Expo for Wisconsin’s 2018 Farm Technology Days, an experience that inspired the creation of the Cranberry Learning Project. In 2022, Heidi co-founded the nonprofit Cranberry Learning, Inc. to expand access to cranberry education and career-connected learning opportunities.
With a foundation in farm human resources and agricultural communications, Heidi is a public speaker who bridges cranberry agriculture with the broader public, strengthening communities while cultivating meaningful connections to the people, practices, and purpose behind our food systems. Through workforce development and engaging education, she champions the future of the cranberry industry while making cranberries both relatable and relevant to everyday life.
Heidi lives in Wisconsin with her husband, Brian, their two children, Luke and Victoria, and their springer spaniel, Scottie.

Where to Start…

EDUCATORS

Lessons have been developed to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). With these resources’ volunteers, teachers, and other agricultural advocates will help our youth better connect where food comes from, teach them about healthy eating and provide fun educational experiences.
JOB SEEKERS

We recognized the value of connecting our community to cranberry farming and saw the need to enhance cranberry agricultural education materials for the classroom. With the right resources, volunteers, teachers, and other agricultural advocates we can educate others about the many fulfilling jobs and careers in cranberry agriculture