Ellsworth American speaks with Yarborough about blueberry crop, rain
David Yarborough, a blueberry specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and professor in the School of Food and Agriculture, was quoted in an Ellsworth American article, “Area blueberry growers hoping for rain.” Without more rain, this year’s blueberry crop — a $250 million industry in Maine — will be average, according to the article. “If we continue to get adequate moisture for the remainder of the summer, the crop in Maine could be about average at 90 million pounds,” Yarborough said. Last year’s crop totaled 104.42 million pounds, the article states. Yarborough said the harvest will start along the midcoast on July 27 and about one week later Down East.
WLBZ (Channel 2) also reported on the expected average crop, stating that according to wild blueberry experts at UMaine Extension, the porous soil in which the blueberries grow does not hold water well, and the small berries need an inch of water per week to thrive.