Wisconsin – the Birthplace of the Modern Weed Harvesters

Wisconsin is the birthplace of modern aquatic plant harvesters. The industry has grown in response to what most Americans consider a problem: Too many plants interfering with the recreational use of our lakes and waterways.

The first machine was built in response to fussy Chicago housewives! Around the turn of the century, ice was harvested from Wisconsin lakes destined for Chicago iceboxes. The housewives there didn’t like cleaning out the weeds when the ice melted. This boat was designed to cut down the weeds in the fall so that clean ice could be harvested in the winter.