Blueberry industry challenged by drought, heat and higher costs

The unusual weather cycle of the past year – which saw ample early rain in the spring followed by drought and high heat in the summer – has had a disastrous effect on the wild blueberry crops across Washington County, with some growers reporting around 50% lower harvests. Beyond the changing weather patterns farmers are seeing, the industry is contending with higher costs, a decreased labor supply and a new invasive species.

"This is one of the worst years we've ever had for yield," says Dell Emerson, who with his wife Marie manages 40 acres of wild blueberries in Addison. He estimates that his harvest is down by half, with many berries being smaller or dried up. At 90 years old, Emerson has been in the business his whole life, including more than 50 years working with the University of Maine on its wild blueberry research farm in Jonesboro. He says there have been several bad years over the course of that time, but not recently, and "this year was really brutal."

The heat in particular was devastating for the berries, Emerson says. "Having several days over 90 degrees in Maine, particularly in Washington County, is really unusual."

"A lot of days of extreme heat really stressed the plants out," says Brian Altvater, president of the Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company (PWBC), which grows blueberries on 2,000 acres just north of Columbia Falls. Like Emerson, they started harvesting their berries in late July. "I don't think I remember a July harvest, even growing up."

Darren Paul, general manager at PWBC, notes that this year's extreme weather is just one window into a broader pattern. "Spring is coming on earlier, and the falls are staying longer. It's not cooling down as quick."

With the winters not being as severe or bringing as much snow, the plants are even more vulnerable. "You want the snow cover for March winds when it gets windy and bad, because if you don't have any, they call it winter kill -- it kills the tips of the plants," Paul says.

This past year also brought early rain in the spring, which came with its own problems. Along part of their fields, the rain pooled in the valley, unable to seep into the frozen ground -- drowning the plants as it did so. "It didn't kill them, but they didn't bud," Paul says. "They're just green vegetation because they were underwater for so long."

The spring was also cold, which mean that the pollinators didn't fly. In May, it barely got above 45 degrees, Paul says, and bees generally need a temperature of 55 degrees to fly comfortably.

It culminated in the worst year for harvesting ever seen by Paul, who has been with PWBC since 2008. There have been late frosts that have affected the crop before, including one in May and one in June, but nothing to this extent. He estimates their yield to be down 30% and says it would be even lower if they didn't have irrigation on 65% of their fields.

On top of the losses this year, Paul says there will be a "ripple effect" on next year's crops as the plants that were exposed to the intense heat and drought without irrigation are in poor shape.

The problem isn't unique to Washington County. "Across the state, this year's weather events have impacted everybody who is in the business," says Eric Venturini, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. The state counts 512 total blueberry farms on 46,370 acres, about half of which are in Washington County. Venturini couldn't offer an estimate on statewide yields as the data won't be announced publicly until January, but he indicates that the problem is severe. "Our industry is looking at emergency support to get through this. We're looking at all avenues of potential support."

"It's not just blueberries. For the past three years, the cost of being a farmer have climbed steadily while the market has remained flat," Venturini says. "Margins are getting thinner and thinner."

"It all depends on what you're putting on your fields, whether you fertilize them, spraying for weeds, fungicide, pesticide, it all adds up," says Paul. One new threat is the spotted wing drosophila, an Asian fly that targets soft‑skinned fruit. It started making an appearance in Maine in 2011 and has since been expanding its range in the state.

The cost of labor is also increasing, as is the cost of beehives, which have doubled to $130 since Paul started 17 years ago. At PWBC, they require 3,000 hives a year to pollinate their fields.

"What we've tried to do in the past is to buy in bulk when it comes to fertilizer or whatever it might be. That does help," says Altvater.

While some costs can be managed, others are harder to work around. When it comes to labor, it isn't just the higher minimum wage, it's also a lack of workers. "Rakers are getting older. It's hard labor and they can't do it," Paul says. "The younger generation is not very interested." Truck drivers are also hard to find.

At the Emersons' farm, they usually hire 12 to 14 workers a season to handle their hand‑processing and packing; this year they had to rely on family to get through the necessary work. "Everybody's hiring everywhere," Emerson says. "We couldn't find anybody."

With the various challenges facing growers, "We have heard of producers every year for the past several years making the decision to leave the business," Venturini says.

From Altvater's perspective, that means that while there were over 100 small growers in Washington County just 20 years ago, there are barely a handful now. "A lot of them were bought or aged out."

Subcontracting the work out to others is one option, but it costs more, to the point that some local operations were receiving bills after their berries were harvested and sold. "It doesn't take too many times with that happening before somebody says, 'I can't afford this,'" says Paul.

Looking ahead, Paul says, "People with irrigation will be OK. People with no irrigation, they're going to be at the mercy of the weather, so maybe some people will invest in it. But irrigation is still expensive, and you need a good water source."

Venturini agrees that irrigation is key and says that the industry as a whole needs to work to support farmers who are looking to irrigate their fields and incorporate other solutions as a means to manage the inconsistent supply. "That's paramount to the future of the industry."

There is significant focus on innovating new products, and that has been successful, Venturini says, but having no berries "gets in the way" of that development and rollout.

"Despite the challenges, the Maine wild blueberry industry remains the most unique agroecosystem and the most unique agriculture product out there," Venturini says. "We need to capitalize on that value for our industry."