Most of Maine’s wild-blueberry harvesting is done by large, commercial operations such as Wyman’s of Maine. But there are a few farms that’ll let you swing a rake and pick your own. The season generally runs from late July into August and early September.
Where can I pick wild blueberries in Maine?
Where you can pick blueberries in Maine
- ACTON. Blueberry Hill Farm. 231 Blueberry Hill Road.
- ALBION. Bessey Ridge Farm. 359 Bessey Ridge Road.
- ARUNDEL. Dragonfly Meadow Blueberry Farm. 1 West Lane.
- ATHENS. Sites Farm.
- BOWDOIN. Card’s Fruit Farm.
- BROOKSVILLE. Blue Sky Farm.
- BUXTON. Estes Farm.
- CANAAN. Ray and Nancy Reitze’s.
What month is best to pick blueberries?
Blueberries are typically ready for picking between June and August. Don’t rush to pick the berries as soon as they turn blue. Wait a couple days. When they are ready, they should fall off right into your hand.
Where are the blueberries in Maine?
Cherryfield is home to the world’s largest growers of the Maine blueberry, Jasper Wyman & Sons. While Cherryfield is the epicenter, the entire Downeast region is full of blueberry fields, known as “blueberry barrens.”
What is the biggest blueberry farm in Maine?
The “Blueberry Dome,” and most of the rest of Wild Blueberry Land, was built in 2001 by Dell and Marie Emerson, who are also Maine blueberry farmers and chefs.
What is the blueberry capital of the world?
Hammonton, New Jersey
A farmworker from Guatemala in Hammonton, New Jersey. Hammonton calls itself “the Blueberry Capital of the World,” with 56 farms in a town of 14,000 people.
What is special about Maine blueberries?
Blueberries are best when they’re wild in Maine! It is clear why Maine’s blueberries are so popular—they have a more intense flavor than cultivated blueberries and are one of the best health foods you can eat. They are packed with fiber, minerals and antioxidants.
How long does blueberry season last?
Blueberry harvesting season can be anywhere from late May through mid-August, depending upon the variety and your local climate. For a more bountiful crop, plant two or more varieties.
Why do stores not have blueberries?
The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has created a huge number of challenges for the North American blueberry industry over the past few weeks as it gears up for its domestic harvest season, including severe disruptions on both the supply and demand side which seem unlikely to subside in the short-term.
Why are my blueberries sour?
A common cause of sour blueberry fruit is over-production on a bush. If your bush is newly planted, you’ll get sweeter, bigger berries if you remove all blossoms for the first year or two to allow the root system to establish.
Which state has the most wild blueberries?
Maine is the state that produces the most blueberries, accounting for an estimated 99% of all wild blueberries grown in the US. The state contains around 60,000 acres (24,281 hectares) of native blueberry plants that grow naturally.
Can you pick blueberries in Maine?
Most of Maine’s wild-blueberry harvesting is done by large, commercial operations such as Wyman’s of Maine. But there are a few farms that’ll let you swing a rake and pick your own. The season generally runs from late July into August and early September.
What state produces the most wild blueberries?
Maine was the leading producer of lowbush, or “wild” blueberries, producing and utilizing 101.6 million pounds. Fresh blueberries accounted for 380,000 pounds, and 101.2 million pounds were processed. In total, fresh and processed wild blueberries were valued at $27.7 million. (NASS 2020).
Are Wyman’s wild blueberries sprayed with pesticides?
Sustainability of Blueberries
One of the largest wild blueberry producers, Wyman’s, was threatened with a lawsuit for aerial pesticide spraying as a violation of federal Clean Water Act (they voluntarily ceased spraying, but still continue to use minimal ground spraying as part of integrated pest management practices).
Where are most blueberries grown in Maine?
The wild blueberry is commercially grown on nearly 45,000 acres in Maine, primarily near Penobscot Bay and in the Downeast part of the state.
Where does Maine rank in blueberry production?
In the US, the state of Washington produces the most blueberries, and is followed by Michigan, Georgia, Oregon and then New Jersey. Meanwhile, Maine produced around 10% of all the blueberries grown in the entire continent of North America, in terms of acres harvested.
Where is the largest blueberry farm?
As of today, True Blue Farms is now one of the largest growers in North America, producing and marketing millions of pounds of premium quality blueberries. True Blue Farms is located in Southwest Michigan’s “Blueberry Capital of the World”, just a few miles inland from the shores of Lake Michigan.
Where do blueberries grow best in the US?
Blueberries are grown commercially in 38 states with Michigan leading production of cultivated blueberries in the U.S. Other top producing states include New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, California, Oregon, and Washington (Fig 1).
What country did blueberries originate from?
Blueberry – Origin and production. The blueberry is a very old plant of unknown origin, that grows spontaneously in the N of Europe, Asia and America. Some consider it native to Europe, North Africa, the Caucasus and N Asia. In Spain it is widely spread in the forests of the mountainous areas.
Why are Maine blueberries so small?
Wild blueberries are Maine’s state fruit. Parks says that many cultivated blueberries are pumped with water, while wild berries aren’t. This makes them smaller, sweeter and firmer.
What is the difference between a wild blueberry and a blueberry?
Wild blueberries are smaller in size than regular blueberries, more compact, and have less water content. This means that you get more wild blueberries per pound than regular blueberries. More flavor. Wild blueberries have a more intense, sweet, and tangy flavor compared to regular blueberries.
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