John McPhee C/D

have only read 'oranges,' but found it very enjoyable.

McPhee is classic all the way. Sometimes his subject matter is not quite as scintillating as it might be, but he has the ability to find and communicate whatever interest there is to be had in it and he always does it with master craftsmanship. I second the admiration for Annals of the Former World, where he escaped the surly bounds of magazine feature writing and tackled an epic subject.

coming into the country is grebt iirc

he inspired my MA thesis (on american creative nonfiction) so classic all the way

I think I read something about cranberries in New Jersey? Seriously, I don't remember what it was off hand. I like McPhee but I read next to nothing these days for literary values, and his topics aren't the ones that interest me currently. But I'm sure most of his books would be enjoyable to read.

Reading Pine Barrens now and it’s lovely. Did he ever write anything about New York State, or is there anything of a similar style worth reading that’s set in NY (sort of semi-narrative placeology, a little ecology, a little history, a little anthropology and political economy all mixed together in fine prose)

Not very much! He's deep New Jersey. "Giving Good Weight" is a nice short piece about the greenmarket. There are some New Yorky bits in In Suspect Terrain.