wild blueberry harvest Archives

Fields Fields Blueberries: A Labor of Love in Maine’s Wild Blueberry Community

Known for its breathtaking natural beauty and abundance of charming small towns, Maine is a wondrous place that offers many bountiful gifts to its seasonal visitors – like the place-based superfood, wild blueberries, that grow and spread naturally in the Midcoast and Downeast regions of Maine. Fields Fields Blueberries, a family-owned organic wild blueberry farm, has operated on the hills of Dresden, Maine, since the early 1970s, and became certified organic in 2000. Over the last few years, Ashley Field has transformed this grower-only farm into a thriving commercial business.

We sat down with Ashley to learn more about her journey and the unique aspects and offerings of Fields Fields Blueberries.

A Surprising Path to Wild Fruit Farming

Ashley’s connection to agriculture runs deep, having grown up on an organic dairy farm in western Maine for the majority of her life. However, it was her husband Jesse’s family’s wild blueberry farm that captured her interest and imagination. Initially, the farm was managed as a hobby by Jesse’s father, with occasional harvests being sold to bigger processors. Sensing an opportunity, Ashley approached her husband’s family seven years ago with the idea of turning the farm into a commercial venture. With their blessing, she took the reins of Fields Fields Blueberries and turned the project into a true passion, fueled by her creative drive and the supportive wild blueberry community in Maine.

A Fields Family Affair

In any family business, everyone plays a role, and Fields Fields Blueberries is no exception. Since transforming the business, Ashley has handled the day-to-day operations including business management, value-added product creation, and marketing. During the seven-week harvest season, the entire family steps in to lend a helping hand. Ashley’s mother-in-law contributes by weeding the fields by hand, while her husband assists with more labor-intensive field tasks. Their children, especially her youngest son, Alakai, enjoys picking and savoring the wild blues every chance they get. Her oldest daughter, Stella, plays an active role in their food truck, which sells a delicious wild blueberry crisp, a specialty recipe created by Ashley’s mother-in-law.

A Perfect Fit for Ashley’s Lifestyle

While the business can be hard work, Ashley’s wild blueberry venture ticks all the boxes for her dream lifestyle. The great outdoors, hard physical activity, and the chance to channel her creative and social sides—all come together harmoniously on the farm. With the flexibility of intense work periods followed by blissful downtime, Ashley has found the ideal balance.

What surprised Ashley the most about her new venture? The size of the industry! Wild blueberries are a unique crop, thriving in only a few places, which has created an exclusively tight-knit community of farmers who know and support each other.

“The Maine industry is relatively small (only a total of 485 growers), which allows you to get to know everybody in the industry. I’m from a small town, so it’s wonderful to have that backbone of support in our community,” Ashley explained. “Every farming community has its share of characters, and getting to know them has been one of my favorite parts, and has made Maine truly feel like a big small town.”

Harvest Yield & Value-Added Products

Fields Fields Blueberries owns 10 acres and leases an additional 15 acres close to their property. On average, they harvest around 10,000 pounds of wild blueberries each year. For the industry as a whole, annual harvest yields vary from year to year but can be as high as 100 million pounds.

Despite dealing with recent challenges like drought and frost, Ashley remains resilient and compensates for any yield losses by purchasing from other organic wild blueberry farmers. With a new field in the works, their goal is to eventually double their harvest yield to 20,000 pounds annually.

Within 24 hours of harvest, Ashley flash freezes 100% of her harvest; 10% of that frozen crop is sold to various local businesses and customers through the farm’s website, while the other 90% is utilized as an ingredient throughout the year to make Ashley’s assortment of value-added wild blueberry products.

“For value-added products, we do the wild blueberry crisp chips and powder, and then we also harvest the blueberry leaves. We have a whole wild blueberry leaf tea line, and we also make a tincture with the tea. That part of our business is growing really fast, so that’s exciting,” Ashley shared. “The tea stuff is really starting to take off. It benefits us because it just gives us another source of income, and we’re taking from the same field, so it’s the same amount of work.”

Their dedication to sustainability is evident as the Fields use every part of the blueberry plant to create their roster of products.

Future Farm Goals

Through her unwavering commitment to organic farming and value-added products, Ashley has turned her family’s farm into a thriving business. Her vision and five-year plan is to introduce the farm’s wild blueberry crisp to grocery stores as a frozen dessert so that consumers can bring a taste of the farm home.

Fields Fields Blueberries continues to foster connections with its community while looking towards future growth and success. Ashley dreams of passing the torch to the younger generation one day, but for now the farm waits patiently, ready to embrace the kids whenever the time is right.

Fields Fields Blueberries Celebrates Wild Blueberry Weekend

Fields Fields Blueberries is committed to engaging with its local community, and plans to open its doors to the public for Maine’s third annual Wild Blueberry Weekend. Last year, the farm had over 1,000 visitors and Ashley’s goal is to double that visitor rate in 2024. To do that, she’s added a pancake breakfast each day of the weekend that will go from 9 to 11 AM.

Wild Blueberry Weekend is set for the weekend of August 3 – 4, 2024, and will take place across the state at a variety of wild blueberry farms, breweries, restaurants, and more. In addition to the pancake breakfast, Fields Fields Blueberries has a wonderful weekend planned for visitors to the farm, including live music, farm and apiary tours, and dozens of local vendors selling their creations. Here’s what you’ll find at Fields Fields Blueberries for the third annual Wild Blueberry Weekend:

Wild blueberries for purchase (fresh or frozen)
Food trucks
Value-added wild blueberry products
Live music
Hikes through the property
Storytime for kids – Blueberries for Sal
A premiere showing of the documentary film ‘Growing Wild’

To learn more about Fields Fields Blueberries and the Maine wild blueberry industry, make sure to pay them a visit on Wild Blueberry Weekend. If Dresden isn’t located in your neck of the woods, you can explore 15 other farms located throughout the state.

Maine’s Fourth Annual Wild Blueberry Weekend Set for August 3-4, 2024

Ah, summer in Maine . . . that incredible time of year we all wait for is just around the corner! With summer comes the opportunity to enjoy fun outings and excursions with family and friends. If you’re looking for a new event to add to your summer fun list, we’ve got something wild to share with you: The fourth annual Wild Blueberry Weekend is set for August 3-4, 2024. The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine has organized this two-day, multi-location event to engage locals and visitors in celebrating Maine’s native berry and the local farms and businesses that propel this iconic Maine industry forward.

Attendees will be able to explore 18 different wild blueberry farms located in Lincoln, Kennebec, Knox, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington Counties for free. Some farms plan to open their doors to the public simply to sell delicious fresh wild blueberries directly to consumers, while others will host a wide range of farm activities and tours.

Additionally, dozens of Maine businesses are gearing up to serve special food and beverages made with wild blueberries throughout the weekend.

Everyone can find a wild activity they’re sure to enjoy. Rake fresh wild blues by hand in a brilliantly blue field, sip thirst-quenching cocktails by the water at sunset, or sink your teeth into mouth watering dishes crafted by Maine-based bakers and chefs. Whatever you choose to do is entirely up to you, but make sure to squeeze every wild blueberry-related activity into your itinerary! For a full list of the participating local wild blueberry farms and businesses (and the incredible activities they have planned), visit www.wildblueberryweekend.com.

Explore the Best of Maine’s Wild Places

“Maine’s wild blueberry farms are family traditions that often go back six, seven, or even eight generations…” said Eric Venturini, Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, “…and Wild Blueberry Weekend is the opportunity to celebrate this tradition with the dedicated, hard-working farmers who harvest this special Maine berry. The weekend provides a unique opportunity for the public to learn more about the industry that is so important to our state and nation.” This year, Governor Janet Mills even honored the event by officially proclaiming the first weekend of August 2024, as the fourth annual Wild Blueberry Weekend.

Native to our Northeastern state, wild blueberries have been prospering in the barrens of Maine for over 10,000 years, and unlike ordinary blueberries, wild blueberries are completely untouched and unaltered by man. They are one of three native North American fruits, and for over a hundred years, Maine’s multigenerational family-owned farms have passed their land down through the years, giving each generation the opportunity to sustainably steward their portion of the crop. In total, Maine’s 512 wild blueberry farmers produce 100% of all wild blueberries grown in the United States. Maine is the only state in the U.S. with significant commercial production of this wild crop.

Plan Your Family’s Wild Blueberry Weekend Itinerary

If you’re planning on heading to Maine this August or are lucky to live in our neck of the woods, make sure to map out your family’s weekend itinerary. You can do so by browsing through the Wild Blueberry Weekend map which highlights the many participating businesses, as well as the 18 participating wild blueberry farms located throughout the state.

If you decide to join the fun and participate in Wild Blueberry Weekend, make sure to tag us using #WildBlueberryWeekend, and follow along with @wildblueberries on Instagram and Facebook.

To learn more about Wild Blueberry Weekend, visit www.wildblueberryweekend.com. If you’re curious about the health benefits, origin, and ways to enjoy wild blueberries, visit www.wildblueberries.com for research, recipes, and more.

Meet Abby Sennett, Third Generation Wild Blueberry Farmer

Stewarding, harvesting, and processing wild blueberries is part of Maine’s heritage and state culture – especially for the families that have been doing it for generations. Here in Maine you’ll find that many wild blueberry farms are owned and operated by the same family, passed down from generation to generation to ensure this unique tradition of protecting these wild blue gems is alive for years to come.

Meet Abby, Third Generation Wild Blueberry Farmer

Since the day she picked up her first wild blueberry rake, Abby Sennett knew that one day, she would have the honor and responsibility of owning and operating her family’s wild blueberry farm. Located in Albion (Downeast Maine), Sennett’s Wild Blueberries has been a family-run operation for over 50 years. Currently owned by her parents, Lincoln and Karen Sennett, Abby and her husband will soon inherit the business. What makes this inheritance even more special is that they met as teenagers while raking in the wild blueberry fields. Abby is currently working through the ownership succession process with her parents, and once all is said and done, Abby will become the third generation of Sennetts to own and care for the wild blueberry fields.

Looking Back at Sennett Harvesting Practices

Even though 50-or-so years have passed since Abby’s great-grandfather originally started the business, not much has changed in terms of how these tiny berries are harvested.

“It has been pretty much the same format for harvesting since then,” Abby explained.

She went on to share that Sennett’s Wild Blueberries cares for 158 acres of wild blueberry fields and harvests around 300,000 pounds of fresh wild blueberries each year. Wild blueberries are grown on a two-year cropping cycle and each year the Sennetts harvest half of their fields while the other half is pruned to help the plants regrow and improve yield year-over-year. Of the 79 acres that are harvested every other year, 60% are handraked. Handraking is a traditional method of harvesting Maine’s iconic fruit and tends to produce a higher yield of fruit in pristine condition.

If you want to enjoy some Sennett’s Wild Blueberries this summer, they sell frozen and fresh wild blueberry packs out of their processing facility in Albion, as well as various grocery stores and farm stands throughout New England.

Diversifying the Sennett’s Wild Blueberries Farm Business Model

Maine’s wild blueberry industry is very similar to a lot of other agricultural businesses in the state – full of hardworking people who are incredibly dedicated to their craft. But what makes the Sennett’s Wild Blueberries business model diverse? Not only do they steward and harvest wild blueberries, but they also produce Swan’s Honey.

“We are able to carry it through from the beginning by pollinating the wild blueberry plants with our bees, all the way through to the end product of harvesting in mid-to-late summer. We have been able to vertically integrate our bees into wild blueberries, so much so that we now have the largest apiary in the state of Maine. We do the pollination for many wild blueberry growers across the state. My dad originally got into it because he needed better pollination for the wild blueberries, and then it just became a hobby that got really out of hand – but it definitely paid off!”

What’s Next for Abby?

She would like to expand into more value-added wild blueberry products, as well as sell more fresh pack wild blueberries – but as for everything else, it will stay the same as it has, at least while she owns the farm.

“I’d like to have a family and raise my kids like my parents raised us. They got us involved on the farm at an early age so we really learned what makes wild blueberries so special – I’d like to do the same for my family so they grow a love for this industry too.”

To learn more about the Sennett family, their wild blueberry farm, and their apiary, you can visit their Facebook page.

Fresh Wild Blueberry Season is Officially Here–Celebrate with Us in Maine

If you’ve grown up in Maine or spent a lot of time in Vacationland, then you know that summer means one thing: fresh, wild blueberry season! For a lot of us, wild blueberry season certainly brings back fond memories of raking wild blueberries, filling buckets and eating them before you get home, making tasty pies, or buying fresh wild blueberries at a local farm stand. During this time of year, we also like to recognize the farmers and all the hard work that goes into harvesting these naturally occurring, wild berries that Mother Nature put there more than 10,000 years ago.

As one of North America’s three native fruits, wild blueberries have never been planted, and are only commercially harvested in Maine and parts of Eastern Canada during late summer. Many of the 485 Maine farmers who carefully steward and harvest these wild blueberries have been doing so for generations and have created a unique heritage. To celebrate this wild, native-to-Maine berry, let’s dive into more information about where they come from, their health benefits, and more.

Why Wild Blues are Different Than Ordinary Blueberries

Maine currently has more than 38 thousand acres of wild blueberries, primarily in the Midcoast and Downeast regions of the state, and each field contains thousands of different varieties of wild blueberry plants. Looking at a field is a site to behold. You’ll see a tight-knit, ankle high carpet of color waves ranging from purple to blue, and it’s this variety that translates into a distinct taste ranging from sweet to somewhat tangy that when combined is often described as the “blueberriest” blueberry flavor.

Did you know that wild blueberries provide you with a higher skin-to-pulp ratio than ordinary, larger blueberries? Since wild blueberries are much smaller, they contain less water (making them great for baking), and possess more antioxidant-rich pigments, more fiber, and a more intense tangy, sweet flavor than ordinary blueberries. These wonderous wild berries are also loaded with 33% more brain-healthy anthocyanins than normal blueberries. Anthocyanins are the plant compounds found in the skin of the Wild Blueberry that give them their pretty purply-blue hue.

Each summer, farmers all over Maine collectively harvest millions of pounds of wild blueberries. While 99% of the harvested crop is frozen at peak ripeness to lock in nutrition and taste, a small amount is sold fresh at local markets, roadside farm stands, fairs and festivals, or used in value-added products like jam, syrup, wine, beer, and more. If you can’t make it to Maine during fresh season, you can purchase frozen wild blueberries in the freezer aisle of your local grocery store–just make sure it says “wild” on the packaging!

Celebrate Our Native Berry During Wild Blueberry Weekend, August 7-8, 2021

This year, we’re celebrating Maine’s native berry and the hardworking farmers that harvest this iconic crop during the first annual Wild Blueberry Weekend. On August 7^th and 8^th, people will have the opportunity to visit 15+ farms participating in the event to rake wild blueberries, learn about harvesting practices, and see where their food comes from. Mainers and visitors will also be able to try wild blueberry-themed menu items at 40+ participating restaurants, inns, bars, and wineries across Maine. The best part? You can plan your weekend to fit your family’s interests. Visit Downeast Maine to pick wild blueberries, or simply check out a local establishment that has wild blues on the menu. Learn more about Wild Blueberry Weekend and plan your Eat, Drink, Experience itinerary today!

5 Things You Can Do to Help the Honey Bee

Honey bees are a very important part of the ecosystem of the Wild Blueberry barrens and the global food supply. Their population is also in decline. While the causes are unclear and the debates are endless, there are a few things you can do right now to help the honey bees in your neighborhood keep on buzzing.

We’ve collected five of our favorite simple things anyone can do to help the local honey bee population thrive. Adapting just one of these things into your routine can have a positive impact on your honey bee ‘hood’:

1. Buy local honey from a local beekeeper. Keeping your local beekeeper in business is good for the garden and the economy. There are also a number of new studies that are exploring the positive benefits of local honey on allergies. The taste of local honey is incredible; you will never be able to go back to commercial honey.

2. Plant less lawn and more bee-friendly flowering plants and herbs in your yard and garden. Vary the blooms so the honey bees can stay well fed all year long! Think crocuses in the spring, cosmos in the summer, and zinnias in the fall – explore more. Don’t have a garden? Container gardening can be just as helpful.

3. Water the honey bees. Fact – honey bees get thirsty too! Leave a shallow dish of water with sticks or pebbles so the bees can land safely and drink. Be sure to keep this stocked with fresh water and in the same place so the honey bees will know you’re a reliable hydration station.

4. Bee-friendly. Honey bees aren’t out to sting you. Their buzzing and flying around can make us nervous, especially those of us allergic to their sting. If you see a honey bee, just take a step back and let ‘em do their job. Wasps, hornets and yellow jackets don’t play as nicely, however, so beware!

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5. Let your plants go to seed. If you have a vegetable garden at home – let your veggies go to seed after harvest. This helps honey bees stock up before the winter. Real bees hibernate over the winter and these late season blooms are essential for their long-term success.

Blog the Barrens: A Trip into the Wild Blueberry Wilderness of Maine

Did you know that Maine is home to more 60,000 acres of Wild Blueberry barrens?Tweet this The tiny berries are native to Maine and Eastern Canada and Quebec and are much different from regular (also known as highbush) blueberries, which are grown commercially all over the world. The Wild ones have twice the antioxidants of their cultivated cousins and have a much more intense blueberry flavor.Tweet this

This past week we invited a group of our favorite health and nutrition bloggers to come with us on a trip to visit the Wild Blueberry barrens of Maine, and to show them just how unique and special these little berries are. We had quite the fun trip full of gorgeous views, delicious dinners and of course hundreds and hundreds of Wild Blueberries! Over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to these fabulous bloggers, but for now, some of our favorite photos from the trip!

The view from the Bar Harbor Inn — The View from the Bar Harbor Inn

Wild Blueberry fields forever — Wild Blueberry Fields Forever

Beautiful Wild Blueberries with Swordfish

Nature's Candy...Wild Blueberries! — Nature’s Candy…Wild Blueberries!

You can see more fun photos including the bloggers’ favorites by following the #blogthebarrens hashtag on Instagram and Twitter.

Double Life as a Maine Wild Blueberry Farmer

NatGeo Traveler Editor Comes Clean About Life in the Fields

Costas Christ, Editor-at-Large at National Geographic Traveler, admits that he may have surprised a few of his friends when he wrote in his Traveler column, “Tales From The Frontier”, that his life is split between his role as an international traveler and his work as a crop tender in a small Down East town. He said the revelation may have surprised a few of his farmer friends as well.

In his recent piece Blueberry Fields Forever, Christ proudly revealed his double life as a Maine wild blueberry farmer on a 40-acre farm in the heart of wild blueberry country. He writes that he bought the farm in the 80s from a farming family that could no longer sustain life working the land, and it’s been a part of his life ever since.

While he is quick to point out that wild blueberry farming is no “get rich quick scheme”, Christ said that for local farmers like him, it’s the summer visitors that allow them to make a living. Intrigued with this centerpiece of the local economy, they come to buy, learn, and take part in processing – a fact of life that those who live here year round already know.

From “Blueberry Fields Forever”:

There is a satisfying, natural cycle. In the fall, I cover the fields—Maine’s indigenous low-bush blueberry plants stand only 6 inches tall when fully grown—in a thick blanket of golden straw. When spring arrives, family and friends come together and we set the fields on fire—a technique originally taught to settlers by Native Americans, who have harvested these berries for centuries. After burning, the plants sprout thick foliage, but no fruit. The following summer, the same plants flower exuberantly, tripling, even quadrupling the yield.

Christ is an expert in sustainable tourism and founding member and former Chairman of the International Ecotourism Society, and he writes for a number of publications, including the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Each August and September he can be found tending his wild blueberry farm and managing a Maine farmers market cooperative which represents local family farms.

You can read more from Costas Christ and other contributors at National Geographic Traveler’s Taste of Travel where the world of food, drink and wanderlust come together in posts that highlight everything from the best BBQ joints to Bangkok food markets.

Did you know that wild blueberries have been a mainstay of the economy in Maine, Quebec and Eastern Canada for well over 100 years? Learn more about the heritage and farming traditions of wild blueberries.

New England Memories Are Incomplete Without Wild Blueberries

Sunny Jennings shares plenty of wonderful dishes on her blog Tantra Cooking. Tantra, a method of cooking that puts the focus on the process of making the meal, allows us to combine our passion for whole, healthy food with the personal relationships that truly sustain us.

Jennings says wild blueberries are her favorite fruit, and calls them “naturally sweet and perfect.” This week, she shares her New England memories of wild blueberry picking and cooking, exclusively with Wild About Health.

I REMEMBER EVERYTHING about living in the hills of New England through a rosy glow of nostalgia, especially summers, my many, wonderful girlfriends and blueberry season.

We all anticipated wild blueberry season and would begin getting together our recipes weeks ahead. Old recipes had been handed down through the families, new ones were usually clipped from Yankee Magazine and many were experimental works in progress. While we ate blueberries every day of the season, one day each August my friends and blueberries came together. It was magic.

Although I lived in the verdant hills far from a city, I was blessed to live in a neighborhood with other houses nearby. Most had women near my age and all were wonderful cooks or bakers. Each year, we would plan a morning hike on our closest mountain. We carried empty bags up the mountain and brought back down bags filled with wild blueberries for an all-afternoon baking event. Often, it rained on those mornings, which only seemed to make the event even more special. Picture us: no make up, hair yanked back under baseball caps, blue teeth and tongues, wet clothes and muddy boots. Yes, these are the girls gone wild for blueberries.

While I routinely used blueberries all kinds of ways, that day was dedicated to deserts and lots of sugar!

We each had several quarts to work with and the six kitchens closest to one another became a communal culinary site. We cooked that way for other large events, however, one Saturday each August, we created the largest wild blueberry test kitchen on the planet. Or, so we told ourselves. We told stories, caught up on our news, laughed, experimented, carefully or casually measured ingredients, shared equipment and gently critiqued each creation as it reached its optimal temperature. We loved our time together, and each of us carried timers hooked to our waists to remind us to race back and check on whatever was in the oven or refrigerator. Amazingly, we never lost a dish to inattention. Hot crumbles and crisps, warm pies, cakes and chilled trifles, came out beautifully as the native girls passed their generations of family knowledge on how to work with wild blueberries. For one day each year, we didn’t worry about whether our jeans would zip the following week and delved into pure yummy.

None of us had secret ingredients or recipes we refused to share. That isn’t the New England way, and we were all about helping one another develop even better recipes.
Now that I no longer live there, I keep my eyes open for wild blueberries, and I’m thrilled to have found them at better produce outlets. Not only do they allow me to feel connected to my wonderful friends in New England, but each is a sweet gift of flavor as it bursts in my mouth. It’s easy to forget how healthful they are! Over the years, I’ve cut back on the mountains of sugar we used during our blueberry baking marathons. Fortunately, blueberries don’t actually need sugar to sweeten them. They are naturally sweet,
naturally perfect.

We all have our favorite pie and crumble recipes, so today, I’ve included an updated recipe that is so healthy, I can enjoy it nearly every day. It’s a Wild Blueberry and Quinoa.

Add spice to your life in the kitchen.

Sunny Jennings, at www.Tantracooking.com.

Wild Blueberry and Quinoa Parfait

Most of my girlfriends from the gym begin their days with Greek yogurt, granola and blueberries. That’s a great start before our workouts. I’ve switched over to this quinoa recipe, which has the added benefit of Omega-3s. Also, the use of honey and walnuts reminds me of wonderful Greek deserts.

By cooking the quinoa the night before, I can assemble the dish, eat and get in half a workout before I wake up!

Downtown Machias Goes Wild in August

The 37th Annual Machias Wild Blueberry Festival is Just a Week Away, and It’s Bringing Pies, Art, Music (and a Wedding!) to Down East Maine.

Nobody knows how to celebrate the wild blueberry harvest like the people of Down East Maine. Get ready to celebrate it with them! In Machias, residents like to say they “roll out the blue carpet” each August and this year is no different. The 37th Annual Machias Wild Blueberry Festival takes place August 17-19, so it’s time to make your vacation plans to head Down East. Here are some of this year’s highlights:

Blueberry Farm Tours – Learn how low bush wild blueberries are harvested, what it means to “rake” blueberries, and how a mechanical harvester works at a working farm. Weekend shuttle service is available from town.

The Blueberry Pie-Eating Contest – Contestants are chosen by lottery for this highlight of the festival that is fun to watch and to try. View these photos from previous years and judge for yourself.

The Blueberry Musical – A musical romp that features a different script every year and lots of local talent. This year’s theme, East Side Story, is certain to deliver with raucous music, choreography and wild antics.

7th Annual Blackfly Ball – This wacky dress-up dance party is as much crazy booty-shaking as it is celebration of a piece of community history. A much-anticipated family event.

Crafts & Artisans – Plenty of crafted wonders are on display this year including pottery, sea-glass, jewelry and smoked salmon.

ALSO: Cooking contests, a flea market, a road race, a parade, and on Sunday two Blueberry Festival Co-Chairs will wed on the steps of the Centre Street Congregational Church! What a way to celebrate!

If you want a taste of the wild blueberry harvest, do it in a town that holds the little blue fruit dear – after all, it put Down East Maine on the map! There is no admission fee, so come and enjoy and stay locally.

Have you entered to win a 5-Day Coastal Adventure? Bar Harbor is just a half an hour away from Machias, and this Sweeps is a chance for you and a friend to go wild in the land of wild blueberries with a 5-day expense-paid getaway at the Bar Harbor Inn. It’s filled with amenities, such as lobster dinner, spa, tours, and more. Enter for a Chance to Win!

Use Your Blues: Bountiful Season = Classic Recipes

Also: Know Wild Blues? Win a Deluxe 5-Day Bar Harbor Trip!

Wild blueberry growers are expecting a bountiful harvest this season, and the race is on to make this abundance of blues work in our favor. Switching out frozen for fresh can mix up our blueberry repertoire and help us get a little closer to the origins of a favorite fruit. Chefs, bakers and home cooks all around the region are busy taking advantage of this fresh product while the getting is very, very good.

Don’t know where to start? Help is everywhere this season. First, every week in August, the Portland Press Herald will share fantastic ways to use your blues while they’re fresh. (And, you can take the recipes into the winter season by replacing fresh with the just-as-nutritious frozen.) Get a start this week with the Azure Café’s Campside Wild Maine Blueberry Upside Down Cake.

Also, The Montreal Gazette reminds us that Quebec places second to Maine in wild blueberry production and offers up Classic Blueberry Crisps and Blueberry Meringues to help get the season started. Down East, publisher of The Wild Blueberry Book, weighs in as well, reminding us of an award-winning recipe, Cinnamon Nut Coffee Cake, that is destined to be a classic.

Know Your Wild Blues? Take the Quiz, Win a Trip!

What can knowing about wild blueberries do for you?

Well, a lot. Integrating just a half a cup of wild blueberries into your diet (health researchers indicate the more the better) can help you age better, provide protection against cancer and diabetes, and coat our bodies with an armor against disease.

What’s more, it can help you win a fabulous expense-paid 5-day trip to the heart of blueberry harvest country – Bar Harbor, Maine – that is packed with amenities.

The Wild Blueberry Association is holding the ultimate wild blueberry sweepstakes. The winner receives a 5-day, 4-night getaway in Bar Harbor, Maine, including round-trip travel and accommodations at the deluxe Bar Harbor Inn & Spa for two. Included in this special getaway is Acadia National Park passes, a windjammer cruise, and dinner for two. Add to your stay a full wild blueberry breakfast each morning, two 50-minute Swedish massages and a Go Wild Tour of the wild blueberry barrens to see first hand the origin of these nutritious, antioxidant-rich berries that make life better and bluer all year long. In short, it’s the Ultimate Wild Blueberry Getaway.

Just enter to win—it’s easy. You’ll watch a video to bone up on why wild blueberries are nature’s antioxidant fruit. Then, you’ll take a short, fun quiz to test your Wild IQ. Provide your info, and you’ll automatically be entered to win.

Did You Know?

Wild blueberries aren’t planted?

Wild blueberries have natural protectors so they can handle the stress of their wild environment?
A quart of wild blueberries includes several different varieties?
Chefs use wild because their flavor is more intense than cultivated berries?

It’s true—and it’s all part of the reason we celebrate wild blueberries everyday, every season, fresh and frozen.

See what a little knowledge can do. Enter Now for a Chance to Win and enjoy a luxurious stay in the place where it all begins – Wild Blueberry Country!