Wild Blueberry Farms Across Maine Suffer as Climate Change Upends Growing Seasons

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By Sydney Cromwell, Inside Climate News. 

Excerpt: Maine’s farms contribute almost the entirety of the United States’ commercially sold wild blueberries. The industry harvested nearly 88 million pounds of fruit in 2023, bringing $361 million in revenue to the state, according to the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. ...Maine’s wild blueberry populations are caught in a climate hotspot, driven partially by rapid warming in the Gulf of Maine.... According to 2021 research, the state’s blueberry barrens are warming faster than the rest of the state, especially in locations closer to the coast. In response, the berries are ripening sooner, and farmers can miss part of their harvest if they’re caught unaware. [Lily] Calderwood [a wild blueberry specialist at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension] said the crop was traditionally harvested in early or mid-August, but now most fruits are ready by late July. High heat also makes the harvest window shorter, she said, meaning farmers need additional labor and equipment to finish in time.... 

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