August 18, 2018
Blueberry Harvest Vortex Comes to a Close!
As some of you may know, three years ago we started harvesting blueberries here at Crystal Spring Farm, in the blueberry barrens that lie between our fields and Brunswick High School. Since we began we've had poor to mediocre harvest numbers. This year has proven to be a welcome increase! Seth began putting the blueberry harvester together the week of July 23rd and began harvesting berries on July 30th. He has been sitting on the tractor all day, every day since then, and today marks the 16th and final day of the job. Its a two person job - one to drive (Seth) and the other to manage the bins, stacking the full ones and moving the empty ones as the berries come in off the moving belt. Our two kids, along with a few neighborhood kids have done the bulk of the work. 35,000 pounds of berries have been harvested here and sent up to Ellsworth to be flash frozen and placed on the commodity wholesale market. We will buy back several thousand pounds to sell locally. Being in the organic market, we'll be somewhat protected from the significant blueberry price drops you may have been hearing about in the news lately.
While the blueberry harvest has been all encompassing for Seth for the past three weeks, the rest of the farm demands have kept coming (August!!) and our steady, competent, knock out crew has been harvesting, washing, packing, sorting, cultivating, seeding, watering...etc etc. The experienced dedicated women of this farm have allowed Seth to essentially be "off the farm" while bringing food to your kitchen & keeping everything alive and flourishing. Gratitude to them abounds.
