Having a basic understanding of the way blueberries are grown, harvested, packaged, cooled. Today i found wild blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and black raspberries within a 100 yard stretch in south central michigan, which for some reason, i thought was pretty cool. Combine brown rice and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Four of the top blueberry farms in southwest michigan are supplying their blueberry crop for this event. Rows of bushes at upick farms are swarmed with folks filling their buckets with the tiny blue fruits. Because of all the rain this summer, officials say its already turning out to be a strong harvest. For people who want test that theory for themselves, they have to know what they need. Michigan has one of the best temperate zones for growing fruit. Can anyone let me know how the wild blueberries are doing up in the up. Michigan leads the nation in the production of high bush variety berries. The state of michigan, alone, creates over 100 million pounds of blueberries a year.
In fact, if youre eating blueberries, even if youre not in the mitten state, theres a good chance they came from michigan. Southwest michigan is the blueberry capital of the world. Berries grow in clusters at the end of branches with their characteristic dark blue color. Open daily during berry season that runs from july 15 through september 30.
Blueberry lane plantation farm on blueberry lane in. Aug 15, 2014 in the munising area, and in paradise as well, wild blueberries were shipped to great lakes ports, including chicago and detroit. Garden guides michigan wild berry plant identification. May 12, 2020 michigan state university blueberry breeder awarded usda grant to improve blueberry and cranberry fruit quality published on may 11, 2020. Blueberries are grown, harvested and processed by 600 family farms in the state. Quick drive from zeeland, holland, allendale, standale, hudsonville, grandville, jenison, west olive. Woodland enterprises west michigan blueberries, upick. It looks like the blueberry season will go for another 12 weeks and blackberries are coming into full swing. The state of michigan, alone, creates over 100 million pounds. Wild blueberries, aka lowbush blueberries, are a favorite with berry picking enthusiasts, especially in michigan. Blueberry season also means scarves and steaminghot muffins.
The two primary species of wild blueberries that grow in north america are the lowbush blueberry vaccinium angustifolium and the sour top vaccinium myrtilloides. This wild blueberry commerce benefits from vertical integration of growing, processing, frozen storage, marketing and transportation within relatively small regions of the province. The first week of august is considered to be the beginning of blueberry season. Because wild blueberries grow on their own, they are a lowmaintenance crop. Wild blueberry bushes inhabit bogs and swampland, especially near the edge of a lake or stream. I have a list of homes currently available as of 5172018 in commerce michigan and i can promise you, your going to love them. Fortunately the blackberry crop this year is looking mighty fine. Michigans blueberry harvest usually runs from early july to.
The celebration showcases informative programs of music, nature, and local history lore. Michigan state university schedules prebloom blueberry webinar for may 12. Cooled blueberries are shipped to markets in refrigerated trucks between 34 to 36f. Mayapple podophyllum peltatum is common in rich woods in southern michigan. Keep an eye out for short bushes, up to two feet tall, with light green oval. Jul 30, 2017 blueberries are ripe for picking in michigan, one of the top blueberry producing states. In the early 1950s joe and donna czaika bought land south of tawas city and west of us23. Annual cycle of blueberry growth highbush blueberries are longlived perennial shrubs with an annual cycle of growth. While the majority of the fruit grown in michigan comes from small farm or commercial growers, there are lots of other places to get fruit. Today, paradise is the wild blueberry capital of michigan and the gateway to the tahquamenon falls state parks. It is a magnet for rock hounds, beach walkers, maritime enthusiasts, bikers, hikers, bird watchers, snowmobilers, fourwheelers, fishers, boaters, campers, canoeists, kayakers. Coville is a vigorous grower, perfect for freezing or in homemade jams. Paradise offers something for everyone in every season. Wild blueberries picking wild blueberries there are two main types of berries harvested for market those picked for fresh market and those mechanically picked for processing.
Many wild blueberry crops are still harvested the traditional way, using handheld berry rakes that were first invented in 1910. Market shelves overflow with quarts of fresh, local blueberries. This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested in michigan. Blueberry festival in otter lake, michigan typically held the last saturday in july. Blueberry season means long, hot summer days with icycold lemonade. Blueberry plants for sale buy online at nature hills nursery. Late season berries may be stored for several weeks in. Wild berries grow near woods and streams and have a delicious taste. Blueberries can be found throughout the state, however the. Strawberries usually show up by mid to late june, followed by blueberries in early to midjuly, and a parade of lesserknown.
Jul 22, 2003 god put wild blueberries on earth to be frozen, said john suave, executive director of the wild blueberry association. After clearing some of the land by hand during evenings, weekends, and holidays, joe and his son, joe jr. The genus vaccinium has a mostly circumpolar distribution, with species mainly present in north america, europe, and asia. Peaches, sugar plums, apricots and more are now in stock. They range from 2 to 6 feet high and produce a forest of greenish or reddish zigzag twigs. To prolong blueberry season, freeze them vanlinden said the convention and visitors bureau usually fields several calls, over a few weeks, each year from pickers outside the area. Keep an eye out for short bushes, up to two feet tall, with light green oval leaves. Allegan, berrien, muskegon, ottawa and van buren counties are primary growing regions. Established in 1984, the wild blueberry festival is a celebration that includes an art fair, entertainment, and wonderful local foods. Wild blueberries picking wild blueberries there are two main types of berries. Welcome to james bay wild fruit, supplying you with the best fresh market produce in north america within 24 hours.
Wild blueberry bushes flower in early june and produce fruit from july to september. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, 4550 minutes. In the munising area, and in paradise as well, wild blueberries were shipped to great lakes ports, including chicago and detroit. Blueberry lane plantation farm on blueberry lane in otter lake, michigan. Michigan state university extension and the msue small fruit team are hosting a webinar with updates on issues related to the early portion of the blueberry season. Jun 11, 2012 i cant wait for blueberry season to begin each july. The crisp, clear water of turtle lake is spring fed. Blueberries can be found throughout the state, however the southwest corner of the lower peninsula is covered with blueberry farms, so the upickers have quite a number of options. Whats in season in may 2020, and other timely information.
You just basically need get yourself something to put blueberries in and some bug spray is a good thing, pepin said. To be sure you are using authentic wild blueberries. During this four day event, there is a parade, live music, baked and fresh blueberry items, and so much more. Golden raspberries, wild blackberries, and wild blueberriesberry nice. Jul 12, 2014 finding upper michigans wild blueberries jason asselin. Michigan crop harvest calendar when fruit and vegetables. Michigan is the number one state of highbush blueberry production. Each year during the third weekend in august we celebrate a part of our local. Field owners are handsoff throughout most of the growing season, although they often introduce bees to naturally pollinate the bushes.
Seeing cars pulled off to the side of the road with people poking around along the tree line, is a good sign there are berries near, but without anyone around, the dnr offers some advice on what to look for. For michigan farmers like the bodtkes, this is the blueberry season in every sense of the word. Wild blueberries have a twoyear crop cycle, so owners prune fields every other year with rotary mowers. The national blueberry festival is coming up this weekend. Located in bloomfield hills, michigan, this 40acre lake is 80 feet at its deepest point. Frozen fresh wild blueberries are available in the frozen fruit section of your supermarket yearround.
Although southern lower michigan is famous for its blueberry farms, its wild blueberries rival domestic ones for taste. Jan 16, 2017 wild blueberries, aka lowbush blueberries, are a favorite with berry picking enthusiasts, especially in michigan. Eight facts about michigan blueberries grandpa shorters. The sour top is a larger shrub, reaching heights of 6 to 24 inches tall, while the lowbush blueberry grows 3 to 15 inches high. In those days of the early 20th century, cultivated varieties of. Michigan state university extension and the msue small fruit team are hosting a webinar with updates on issues related to the. The michigan harvest season normally runs from late june through october. Pleasant hill blueberry farm fennville, mi organic. On average, 80% of quebec wild blueberries are harvested on farms 21 million kg, the remaining 20% being harvested from public forests 5 million kg. Sitting at the kitchen table in his farm office one recent afternoon, larry bodtke, 41, acknowledged.
Emerging in early spring, plants resemble small umbrellas on the forest floor. Located five miles from lake michigan, the shoreline provides a microclimate with cool nights and mild days that produce flavorful fruit. The blueberry patch of sawyer, michigan celebrating 41 years 19782019 we are a family owned allready. God put wild blueberries on earth to be frozen, said john suave, executive director of the wild blueberry association.
We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying many fruits and vegetables, such as how to make jam, apple butter. Paradise annual wild blueberry festival august paradise, michigan. Building a better blueberry msutoday michigan state. Michigan state university blueberry breeder awarded usda grant to improve blueberry and cranberry fruit quality published on may 11, 2020. Over 40 years of growing michigan organic blueberries certified organic michigan blueberries since 1977 at pleasant hill farm in 1976, john and joan established pleasant hill farm and began growing michigan organic blueberries. The leaves are ovalshaped on short stalks and have no teeth.
Finding upper michigans wild blueberries jason asselin. Grown in the southeastern united states, rabbiteye varieties are extremely adaptable, productive, and pesttolerant. I will be traveling to marquette in the next few days and would love to pick some wild blueberries prefer over commercial upick. July is often bonanza time for finding wild berries in minnesota. Jul 30, 2017 wild blueberries tend to be smaller than ones bought at the stores, but blueberry connoisseurs say the wild varieties have a bigger flavor. Annual cycle of blueberry growth highbush blueberries are longlived perennial. Have you been checking out homes for sale in commerce twp michigan. Fresh ontario produce is rolling into our stores, with new varieties of fruits coming in almost every day. Blueberry season in southwest michigan castle in the country. I cant wait for blueberry season to begin each july. Blueberry growth stages used to quickly communicate the stage of development of the blueberry bush. I will be traveling to marquette in the next few days and would love to pick some wild blueberries prefer over commercial upick them farms. Whether hand raked or machine harvested, wild blueberries are sorted, cleaned.
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