Took a ride out back with the mrs and the dogs this afternoon and picked some blueberries. We're so blessed that the farmer let's us treat his land like our own. We're sittin on a few acres but it's always felt like a few hundred.
The area of SJ we live in is known for blueberries. Hammonton, NJ (just a few miles south of me) is known as "the blueberry capitol of the world". They start picking around here in mid to late june. The harvest usually lasts 4-5 weeks.
Mine are just starting to ripen up. I hope the rodents don't get them all. The are some wild ones in a park nearby that can have huge amounts of berries if you get there at the right time. We are going camping there in two weekends, I'm hoping we hit it right.
Saw the first berries on the bush on the mountain the other day, green as can be, will be late July before they are ready around here, all of em wild. The commercial producers Downeast just cultivate the wild bushes, some pretty impressive barrens around. There is one barren with an air strip and a state road through the middle of it, just as wide as you can see. Rode through there on my motorcycle once during active pollination, was very glad I wear a full face helmet. Blueberries are my favorite.
Ooo man those bees can hurt while your riding! I come back with little yellow marks all over my shirt during pollination time
No doubt the climate has something to do with the earlier ripening. My wife likes blueberries but I'm not a big fan of them. Looks like our strawberries are finally beginning to slow down. Still a couple weeks away from raspberry picking, I think.
