Wild Blueberries in Maine

“No one here.” Lorraine says as we stand in front of the  barn. The radiator clinks as it begins to cool down. A low clucking sound comes from the chicken coup. Otherwise silence. I walk around the back of the barn. There’s some people on a hill in the blueberry barrens that are silouhetted against the sky. I watch for a minute. No, it’s not them. These silhouettes amble along, stopping here and there. There is no purpose to their steps. No drive. I walk back to the front of the barn.

“They’ll be along.” I say. “I’ll call Mike while we wait.”

I’m just wrapping up the call when Lorraine says, “Here hey are.” as the dusty blue Toyota pulls into the drive.

“Gotta go. The farmers are here. Talk later.” And press end call.

Wayne and his daughter Lisa get out of the car.

“Sorry folks but we had ta run in ta Machias to grab propane for one o’ the cabins.” Says Wayne

“No problem.” I say

“Lisa’s got a spot for ya up there on the barrens and ya can get up there soon as I move this truck and tractah. Been workin’ on getting’ new tines on it. Lisa ‘ill show ya where while I move this stuff.”

“You been here before right?” Lisa asks.

“Yeah last year.”

“You know where the gravel pit is?”

“Over there?”

“Follow me.” She says.

We were gonna have this set up for RV’s this year but we haven’t got to it yet. I just gotta stop doin’ all these things. I mean outside things. Focus on the farm. I was Selectman. Git rid of that but I’m still Assessor. President of the Historical Society, tutor in digital education and drive school bus. Of course there hasn’t been much of that lately. Still I gotta stop doin’ some these things.”

“What are they doing about school here in the Fall?” I ask.

“They haven’t decided for sure but they’re thinking of going back to regular school. Washington County’s done real well the COVID.  Just 15 cases and only six active … or three. Sometimes they say six and sometimes three. I think it depends on if they count the ones they sent down to Portland. They’re talkin’about openin’ the schools in September.”

“Anyway, anywhere along in here. You come up the dirt road till you get to the gravel pit there and anywhere along this mowed road is good. We won’t be usin’ it to get out here.”

“You harvesting now?”

“Oh, yeah. We’ll have someone out here rakin’ tomorrow.”

As we walk back Lisa explains that the two cabins they built last year to rent out to summer guests have been booked all of July and most of August. They lost June because of the COVID but are pleased with the results otherwise.

As we round the corner to the front of the barn where Lorraine and Wayne are talking she saying “We just had to diversify. Can’t make it on just blueberries anymore.”

Wayne turns “And we got some of the finest blueberries in Maine.”

Wayne says, “You seen those ladies on the sorter conveyor last year. Did you notice how much o’ the white conveyor you could see? That’s so there’s lots o’ space for them to pick out the leaves, sticks and bad ones. And that lady at the end, she’s got the control o’ how fast it runs. She sees any bad ones comin’ through she slows it down so the pickers got time to do their job. Other places that conveyor’s solid blue with berries and it don’t slow down.  It’s all about the volume so the quality goes down.”

“That’s the only way I’ll do it.” Says Lisa. “Top quality product. That’s our reputation.”

Wayne chimes in, “I go down to the dike, just past Helen’s Restaurant in Machias and sell our berries by the side of the road. I got a sign that says Pie Ready Blueberries. Now this was some years ago. Along come the owner o’ Helen’s and he said ‘Wayne, I gotta pay a woman to sort every box of blueberries that comes in before we can put ’em in our pies. Can you do somethin’ to help me out?’ and I says ‘Well here’s what I’ll do. You try my berries for one week. If you don’t think they’re better you pay me just what you’re payin’ those other folks and we’re done. If you like ‘em you pay my price.’ Helen’s been buyin’ our blueberries since that day and that woman doin’ the sortin’. I think she ended up bein’ a waitress.”