What to do with .... blueberries

Sweet Melissa · 01-26-2008, 03:08 PM

Thought maybe posting here would help clear my head. I've been mulling this over so much, that my brain is feeling fuzzy. My research project for the day has been trying to figure out what to do with about 3 dozen blueberry bushes. Or more precisely, the blueberries that said bushes will be producing.

My first thought was that I would like to sell them at a farmer's market. After some research, though, it seems that just having one product isn't really worth it. Even selling value-added products, like syrup and jelly, would most likely not amount to much.

So, here's the options I've come up with:
1) Forget trying to sell the berries, and just let friends and family pick what they want. Give the rest to the local food bank.

2) Expand the garden, and sell other produce besides just berries. We have a little over 4 acres, so this is doable.

3) Plant even more berries, and maybe different types of berries, and open it up as a u-pick patch. This is my least favorite option, as it requires having insurance to cover any accidents or injuries sustained on our property.

What do ya' think? I've got a few months to figure it out, although cane berries would need to be planted soon, if we go that route.

ORhunter · 01-26-2008, 04:53 PM

I'd plant a bunch of stuff and make a lot of money if I had four acres just sitting there.... Or I'd make a place for field dog training.....

adobe wall · 01-26-2008, 05:07 PM

especially with the internet, there's opportunity in having one product. I'd go with the value added option if you are good at it.

I'd say try jams and jellies and the farmers market for the fresh berries. If you add in some other stuff you may want to check on growing fresh flowers. There are a number of flower wholesalers on Swan Island, a former employee made enough money growing flowers on a few acres to quit his day job.

regards, aw

Sweet Melissa · 01-26-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adobe wall

especially with the internet, there's opportunity in having one product. I'd go with the value added option if you are good at it.

I'd say try jams and jellies and the farmers market for the fresh berries. If you add in some other stuff you may want to check on growing fresh flowers. There are a number of flower wholesalers on Swan Island, a former employee made enough money growing flowers on a few acres to quit his day job.

regards, aw

Cut flowers is actually what I really want to do. It seems like there is an open niche for it in most farmer's markets, and the few who do it seem to do really well.

Still doing lots of research on it, and I've learned a lot already. We might not get it all together this year, but we are trying to plan ahead as part of the area where we are planting is our future home site. We're trying to make sure things like the fruit trees and blueberry bushes won't have to be moved when we are ready to build.

DirectDrive · 01-26-2008, 05:31 PM

Be the next Clif Bar.
See Blueberry Breakfast Bar:
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archive...lueberries.php

Fish_N_Russ · 01-27-2008, 01:06 AM

Where are you located at?

Jennie@ifish · 01-27-2008, 07:39 AM

I'd just set them out on the road with a self pay bank and let people drive by and buy them.

Jen

skein · 01-27-2008, 08:05 AM

Freeze them, and then put them in pancakes, scones, and, as a midnight snack, make 'Poor Man's Ice Cream.' Need a recipe? PM me and I'll give you my wife's scone recipe -- the one she got from a fellow Salty Dog.

As for Poor Man's Ice Cream, it's easy. Get some half-and-half, even the fat-free kind, and put some frozen berries in a cereal bowl, brush about a teaspoon of sugar on top, and pour the half-n-half over it 'til the berries are covered. The berries will freeze together so take your spoon and break them apart. Mix them around and let the coldness of the berries begin to freeze the mixture. Pretty soon it's like soft blueberry ice cream, and surprisingly good. It's low-calorie too.

Mmmmmmmm

Skein

Clyde · 01-27-2008, 09:02 AM

How about allowing only non-profit groups (Boy Scout, Girl Scouts, local schools) to u-pick and then perhaps give a small class on blue berries and how they grow, their benefits to the body...sounds like a great tax write-off! Plus you could then have a liability disclaimer for insurance purposes to be signed off by the groups. You could also hand out easy recipes for the kids to make when they take their berries home!

ajfishfinder · 01-27-2008, 11:27 AM

Bake some pies and give me a ring.

I would love to come out and dig up 2 or 3 mature plants if you want to part with some. Could trade cash or maybe even some halibut.

When I had this same problem I let all my neighbors take advantage. One neighbor even insisted on baking me a pie once or twice a year. Of course I think she had me under some sort of spell

since I would often pick them myself and deliver them to her once our freezer was full. We had to keep them pretty well picked or the dog (lab) would help herself, and you don't want to know what this does to a yard

JustCallMeDave · 01-27-2008, 11:34 AM

I'd opt for option #1 with the blueberries and plant those flowers like your heart wants you to do.

Salmon Chaser · 01-27-2008, 11:37 AM

plant those flowers .

Sweet Melissa · 01-27-2008, 11:48 AM

Thanks for all the ideas!

Gosh, skein, you're making me wish it was July already. We'll have to give the blueberry ice cream a try, and I'd like to get that scone recipe from you.

We live just outside Willamina, in the coastal foothills. The road we live on is only busy two times a day- before daylight when everybody is headed to work, and about 6pm when everybody is headed home. I've thought about putting a little stand out, but berries don't have a great shelf life, especially when it's like 85 or 90 deg. outside.

We may have to give the berries away for a few years, until all our kids are walking and talking. I am really looking forward to the day when they are old enough to help, and can maybe make a few bucks of their own by helping with the picking.

Salmon Chaser · 01-27-2008, 11:49 AM

drying them is another option, they are so good and they last along time.Kirkland does them and they are a big hit at Costco. Try some before you do it to see if you like them we do and they are in our boat almost every time we go fishing....

Sweet Melissa · 01-27-2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JustCallMeDave

I'd opt for option #1 with the blueberries and plant those flowers like your heart wants you to do.

Yeah, I think you're right.

Fish_N_Russ · 01-28-2008, 02:46 AM

Ah yes Willamina, got relatives there and in Sheridan also

If you're road doesnt get very busy, id opt just to give them to friends and use em yourself.

IF you want to make some $ off your land, and you have good soil, try salad greens. I cant remember what all is in Mac for fancy restaurants, but if you can get some regular customers, you can grow them almost all year round and they take very little effort-just good soil. I was in agriculture for about 15 years before I moved here to Florence and thats one of the things 'ma and pa' produce stands always did real good on. Especially if you dont use and pesticides or processed fertilizers. Good luck.

Jennie@ifish · 01-28-2008, 06:26 AM

Speaking of your little ones... We had a wood pile and sold it one year. My kids were little, and we were afraid that people would steal the self pay bank.

We took a picture of our kids, then small and framed it and put it out on the wood pile and called it "Andrew and David's wood pile". No one took one cent from that self pay bank!

In order to keep the karma up, though, we did put that money in their college account!

pdxkevin · 01-28-2008, 11:37 AM

You could also let the gleaning group out your way know and they will pick them for the needy, too.