Grower Profiles
In supporting these farmers, you are giving them an alternative to selling to the large processors where they have little control over the price. This will help them keep their land in production for the next generations.
Thank you for support!
Owners: Sanford and Bertha Kelley
Farm name: Rockdale Farms
Jonesport, Maine
Our blueberry land has been in the family since the late 1700s, when Thomas Kelley built a log cabin on land that is now Jonesport. The cool ocean breezes and fog provide an ideal site for growing the native wild blueberries. We take a great deal of pride in the quality of our berries. We still hand rake the berries for the fresh market. This process is slow and backbreaking. The "raker" must be careful not to tear the skins and disturb the "bloom". It is the "bloom" that gives the berries their light blue color. They are then carefully cleaned and sorted by an experienced group of ladies. Some of them have been doing it for over 50 years! We hope you enjoy them on your cereal and in your pancakes!
Owners: Dell and Marie Emerson
Farm Name: Wild Wescogus Berries
Addision, Maine
Our land is above the Pleasant River and has been farmed since the 1800's. Haying was done by building dykes in the tidal zone. The salt water straw was used for feed and for spreading on the blueberry fields to carry the fire in the spring, when the fields are burned every other year. This "pruning" the field keeps the weeds and disease in check. The first year after burning, the plant will grow leaves and set fruit buds in the fall. The second year, the buds will bloom and produce fruit. There are thousands of clones of wild blueberries. This kind of diversity is rare and we are proud to be growing this special crop in a sustainable manner for the future generations of our family farm. Dell has grown and studied wild blueberries for over 55 years and Chef Marie teaches food and nutrition at a community college. We make many wild blueberry products for our retail stand (the Big Blue Dome on Rte 1). Eat lots of wild blueberries, because they are so good and ..good for you!
Owners: Danner and Dewey Curtis;
Farm name: Dan-a-Dew Wild Blueberry Farm
Blue Hill, Maine
We have a small 25 acre family farm. Our 4 fields are fairly flat and we've worked many hours at removing rocks so we can use a harvester (powered raking machine) to bring in most of the berries. Some areas of the fields do require hand raking......we sometimes say it takes a strong back and a weak mind to harvest blueberries! Family, friends and some neighbors pitch in to help us with the harvest and packaging of the berries. The berries are sized, picked over by hand put into pint and quart boxes to be sold fresh. We also package them in 5 and 10 pound boxes to freeze. We use no pesticides and are so blessed to have beautiful, healthy wild berries provided to us by nature!
Owners: Greg and Candy Bridges
Farm name: Bridges Wild Blueberries
Calais, Maine
We are the third generation on this farm. My grandfather Cole started the business with his brother in the 1920’s. Currently, we farm about 250 acres of high mountain land, which has been in the family since the 1860’s. We depend on wild blueberries as our sole source of income and work hard to to produce the best berries we can. The majority of our berries go to frozen processors but we are expanding our fresh pack line to offer a more value added product. As the Chairman of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America Marketing Committee, Greg also helps create new markets for many other producers.