Some Kind of Blueberry Seasons

A warm spring, cool summer and an increase in production acreage has led to a booming bounty of blueberries in Washington this year. Officials estimate that Washington’s blueberry producers will harvest about 115 million pounds of the delectable fruit this year. That total would equal 12 million more pounds than in 2015, and almost double the production of 2010.

Increased worldwide market demand has propelled sales of blueberries, and producers have been dedicating more and more acreage to their production over recent years in order to keep up.

Alan Schreiber, Washington Blueberry Commission executive director, credits the dramatic increase in demand to consumer awareness about the health benefits of blueberries, which are an excellent source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and antioxidants that protect against cancer, heart disease and other age related maladies.

“It is remarkable that growers have been able to keep up with consumer demand,” said Schreiber in a press release. “Supplies of processed Washington blueberries have been exhausted for months, making this season’s large harvest essential to meet consumer demand.”

In the release, Schreiber noted that growers have increased both organic and conventional production. Washington is one of the largest blueberry producers in the nation, with about 13,000 acres dedicated to a conventional crop and another 2,500 acres of organic blueberries.

“Large plantings in Washington have contributed to the increase, and all the new plantings are of high-yielding varieties planted in higher densities, with highly efficient drip irrigation,” said Schreiber.

In 2006, Washington farmers produced just 18.4 million pounds of blueberries. That production increased to 60 million pounds in 2010, 96 million pounds in 2014 and 103 million pounds in 2015. There are 225 known blueberry growers in Washington, with an extra dense collection of producers in Lewis, Thurston, Clark, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom, Chelan, Yakima, Franklin, Walla Walla and Grant counties.

Out at Aldrich Berry Farms, Mossyrock proprietor and dedicated producer Glenn Aldrich says the blue rush has hit his bushes as well. He says that the berries have been bulging early and often since late spring.

“This cool stable temperature thing is producing some nice quality,” said Aldrich. “It’s across the board with all kinds of fruit. Everything bloomed just gorgeously. That’s what the bumper crop of berries is all about — that great bloom season.”

Aldrich Berry Farms sells direct off of the farm and supplies three or four fruit stands each season. The rest of their roughly 26 acres of blueberries are sent to a processing plant in Woodland.

Aldrich said that this year’s weather has not been all that special however, noting that, “Last year was the unusual weather,” although, he added that, “The cool weather has been an advantage to us this year because it’s slowed the fruit from ripening.”

Aldrich pointed out that while his farm is experiencing a banner season, he has been running short on harvesting help.

“We’re short on crew,” said Aldrich, who said that the farm worker shortage seems to be an “epidemic across the country.”

The booming crop of blueberries had only made it harder to keep up with the produce process.

“The big crop coming out of Washington is greatly influenced by the number of acres coming into production,” said Aldrich. He explained that once new acreage is devoted to blueberries there is a lull for a few years before the new bushes begin bearing fruit. Then, the harvest numbers start to trend upward all at once.

“We’re just in that huge increase curve in the state of Washington,” said Aldrich. However, his farm, where his father planted the first blueberry bushes in 1944, has not been a part of that massive acreage expansion as of late.

“We’ve been pretty stable for a number of years,” said Aldrich.

With the massive wave of blueberries hitting the market now there has been some concern among farmers that the price may wind up falling as a consequence. Aldrich says so far that has not been a problem.

“Actually the prices has been very competitive,” said Aldrich. “The industry has been working very hard to increase demand. It’s a matter of keeping us alive.”

Aldrich Berry Farms is located at 190 Aldrich Road, Mossyrock, about a half mile west of downtown. They are open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. every day for direct sales off the farm.

In South Thurston County, the Black River Blues Blueberry Farm opened up for farm fresh sales on June 20. They are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.

Back in East Lewis County, the 10th-annual Mossyrock Blueberry Festival will take place August 5-7.

To find other blueberry producers in the region look online at www.superblues.net.