We grow a type of blueberry called the “Rabbit Eye” Blueberry! That’s how we got our name… from this tried and true, consistently good and productive variety. The originators were reminded of the eyes on a white rabbit when the fruit was a beautiful pink color in its early ripening stage. Blueberries go through many color changes before they are ripe. Check out this blog about how to pick blueberries.
We planted in October of 2013 but began work way before that. All the berries are grown on terraces, so there was a tremendous amount of planning involved before the first shovel full of dirt was moved. Many permaculture practices are used here and these terraces are a good example with deep living soil and water retaining features. They also provide a wonderful experience of walking on grassy flat surfaces and picking with ease.
Every berry season is a little different. Some years have more rain than the blueberries prefer. If there is not enough rain, we can always add water through irrigation. When there is too much rain, however, we have a problem because we can’t subtract water.
The year 2019 proved to be the most amazing year to date. All the elements aligned perfectly and the blueberries produced a record crop. It was also the longest season on record.
Berry Season
Expected ripening time for the blueberries is the month of June, but may have a week on either side (last week in May and first week in July) depending on the weather. Blueberries are so good for you. They are delicious and we love to pick and eat them right off the bush. That’s why we planted so many varieties. To extend our picking season as long as possible! We have early, mid and late ripening rows. Come check out the subtle differences between how they look and how they taste.
Here are a few pictures showing different levels of ripeness. You’ll want to pick the very darkest blue berries. The best way to pick is to roll them off into your hand one at a time. Some folks will hold their bucket underneath the berry stem as they pick because the most perfectly-ripe berries tend to fall off.
These berries are easy to pick. Since they are on flat terraces, you can reach the berries from both sides conveniently and easily. You are always standing on flat ground. Picking from the higher terrace means you can reach the top of the plant easily. There are numerous rows of blueberries, so you can pick in solitude if you want, or you can easily have a conversation across the row.
We added picked-to-order berries in 2019, and we started offering private picks in 2020.