Press Herald speaks with Yarborough about lingonberries

David Yarborough, a blueberry specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and professor in the School of Food and Agriculture, was quoted in the Portland Press Herald article, “Hard-to-find lingonberries find a place on one Down East farm.” According to the article, Lamb Cove Farm in Robbinston, which farms wild blueberries on five organic acres, is growing the berries by accident. The berries, which have Scandinavian roots and are closely related to cranberries, grow low to the ground under the blueberries, the article states. Yarborough said lingonberries and blueberries are in the same genus, Vaccinium. “Essentially they have pretty much the same growth requirements as blueberries; acidic, well-drained soil,” he said. “It’s really quite a nice fruit,” Yarborough added. “It’s tart. It’s flavorful. It’s got the taste of a cranberry and the texture of a blueberry.”