Just nuts~
We were totally unprepared for it. Just moseying along US Route #1 in Maine, taking in the countryside on our way to the Maritimes on a dreary kinda day in the late fall. Then up pops this whole world out of nowhere in fluorescent blue paint: the Wild Blueberry Land near Columbia Falls, Maine. It was insane.
Located at the corner of U.S. Route 1 and Hwy 187 just east of Columbia Falls, it doesn’t beckon you to pull over, it’s more like a voice in your head is yelling “Stop the Carrrrrrrrr!!!!” It took a while for it all to register: that there is this strange almost UFO looking building standing in the middle of something that looks like Candy Land. Then you notice the mini golf, an absolute delight for the kid in all of us, and that’s when it really sinks in: this place is a labour of love.
Although it was off season and closed while we were passing through, here’s what we found out later:
Started in 2001 and the creation of Dell and Marie Emerson, Wild Blueberry Land is the imaginative and creative outlet for a beautiful wild blueberry farm just down the road known as Wild Wescogus Berries (wescogus is a Passamaquoddy name translated to “above the water”). Theirs is a great story– Dell is a farmer who worked for 53 years at the University of Maine’s wild blueberry research farm (only one in the U.S.), Marie is a certified and award-winning chef who taught in the Maine Community College System for 30 years.
A worthwhile story~
Their experiment is one worth noting, as it illustrates a path forward in the future of sustainable small family farming–and having some fun while doing it. The concept of “value added products” is illustrated here in full–where a farm doesn’t just have a roadside stand, but has yummy things made with those products as well.
It doesn’t stop with just the bakery and products they sell–they have sought to educate and teach. Wild low-bush blueberries are one of the few fruits native to North America–cranberries are another–and thrive in glacial soils typical in Maine and New Brunswick. Wild blueberries are known to have a more potent and superior taste compared to high-bush varieties you might plant in the garden. The potency of flavour is also matched by the amount of antioxidants and other nutritional benefits.
Low-bush blueberries grow on a two year cycle and are one of the last wild species to be grown commercially. Interestingly enough, the fields are often burned in the fall–this kills the weeds and sterilizes the soil–leaving the plants unharmed as 70% of the plant is underground. This technique was learned from the Indigenous tribes and taught to settlers. The plants are harvested every two years. Some people also mow them down to 1 inch, experiments are ongoing.
Wild Blueberry Land is open seasonally starting June 24, check the website. I want some, especially some of that blueberry/cranberry jelly.
A rugged landscape~
A typical landscape of eastern Maine including New Brunswick. You can see the edge of the blueberry fields [as seen below] and where someone had been clearing rocks over the decades, probably with horses when it started.
Blueberry Fields Forever~
Wild low-bush blueberry fields by the side of the road east of Columbia Falls, Maine. Below is a stitch of 10 images.
Links & Sources~
Wild Blueberry Land~ Website.
Trip Advisor for Wild Blueberry Land~ Spoiler alert: everybody had a good time.
Atlas Obscura for Wild Blueberry Land~ More spoiler alert: pull over, get a pic!
Wild Wescogus Berries~ The Farm where the blueberries are harvested. Good website, great story.
Wild Blueberry Heritage Centre~ A museum and learning centre founded by Marie Emerson. Good website.
Blueberry Hill Farm~ Research farm for low-bush wild blueberries for the University of Maine.
Columbia Falls, Maine~ Wiki page.
Worcester Wreath Co.~ Nearby company with a national profile.
Ruggles House in Columbia Falls~ a historic home, now a museum.
Nearby~
Town of Machias, Maine~ Wiki page on this historic town located on the Machias River.
Harrington, Maine~ Town website.
US #1 in Maine~ Wiki page summary.