2007
We planted our first crop in the fall of 2007. Most of our budget for the year went into field preparation and a rather deep well we needed for irrigation. So we only planted 2 acres of berries. We’re planting two varieties of blueberry plant: Bluecrop and Reka. Bluecrop are remarkably fresh tasting and small scarred (small stem footprint); they are the most reliable and most widely planted of any blueberry. Reka, developed in New Zealand in 1985, is one of the fastest growing and most adaptable varieties.
Planted: 2 Acres
2008
We filled out the rest of our available acreage with 10,500 more plants. This makes our farm slightly larger than 10 acres, 13,500 plants. We, again, planted Bluecrop and Reka. The winter of 2008 was unusual for Oregon, with heavy snow, ice and low temperatures in the Willamette Valley. The blueberry bush is very hardy and can withstand much harsher conditions than this, but we didn’t take that for granted. We inspected the field several times during the cold streak, checking on not only the plants, but on our irrigation system as well.
Planted: 8 Acres
2013
Our latest planting was in 2013. We added six acres to the farm. Read our blog post to discover what preparations it takes for a blueberry field to thrive.
Planted: 6 Acres
2014
This year we’re on the hunt for land, having planted all that we currently have available. Hopefully we’ll find some nearby.