For over 10,000 years, wild blueberries have grown in the barrens of Maine. One of the few fruits native to North America, the wild blueberry has been taken care of by stewards—dedicated men and women who work with the berry, using best practices handed down generation to generation. Thanks to their love for wild, we get to enjoy the best blueberry around.

A year round effort

Unforgiving winters. Late Springs. Hot growing seasons. Time to recharge in the fall. Every season plays a role for the Maine wild blueberry.

Winter

Wild blueberries are grown on a two-year cycle—each year, half of a grower’s land is managed to encourage vegetative growth and the other half is prepared for harvest. And it all starts with winter. Short on sunlight, long on bitter cold, the season is not for the faint of heart. It’s these conditions that push the Maine wild blueberry to build up the protective antioxidants and anthocyanins that make this tiny berry a superfood bursting with flavor.

Spring

As winter loosens its grip, bits of green pop up all around the patches of melting snow. Millions of bees begin their work, pollinating the bushes which hug the ground, ready to restart the cycle of growth that’s happened every year for 10,000 years. These bees, including native bumble bees and honey bees, are very important to wild blueberry growers, who take care to preserve wild bees through conservation practices.

Summer

Soaking in the daylight of Maine summer sun, wild blueberry bushes explode in shades of purple and blue. This is when Maine wild blueberries are picked at the peak of freshness, sold at farmers’ markets or flash frozen to lock in all the good that’s been growing all season long. Wild blueberries are sorted, cleaned, and processed within hours of being picked.

Fall

As the coolness in the air returns, it sends a signal to prune the bushes low and prepare for the long winter ahead. Strongly committed to best agricultural practices, wild blueberry growers use sustainable management techniques to ensure healthy crops and to protect wild blueberry lands for future generations.

Nurturing and protecting what mother nature gave us
Nurturing and protecting what mother nature gave us

Wild has a home here. On mountainsides. In open ocean. Throughout the rolling barrens where wild blueberries have taken root. Maine is for the wild.

Wild has a home here. On mountainsides. In open ocean. Throughout the rolling barrens where wild blueberries have taken root. Maine is for the wild.

Meet the Farmers

Farms

The Rich History of Wild Blueberrying at Welch Farm in Downeast Maine

From day one, wild blueberries have held a special place in Lisa Hanscom’s heart. The Welch/Hanscom family has been stewarding their many… Read more
Farms

Wild Blueberries are a Family Affair at Ridgeberry Farm, Midcoast Maine

Tim Davis didn’t choose the wild blueberry life, the wild blueberry life chose Tim Davis. After marrying his wife, Jess, heir to… Read more
Farms

Meet Abby Sennett, Third Generation Wild Blueberry Farmer

Stewarding, harvesting, and processing wild blueberries is part of Maine’s heritage and state culture – especially for the families that have been… Read more

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