Beech Hill Organic Blueberries

Thanks for your interest in our Beech Hill organic blueberries. Blueberry Order details for the 2012 season will be posted soon! Members, watch for pre-order forms in your Spring newsletter coming in March.

HOW DO I GET BEECH HILL BLUEBERRIES?

Quarts for Sale! - Fresh quarts of Beech Hill blueberries will be available daily (weather permitting) at our on-site farmstand during the harvest season (late July through August) at the Beech Hill Road parking lot. For availability during the harvest season, check in with us at the blueberry barn at (207) 975-6981. We hope to see you this summer!

10-lb. Box Pre-Order Program - Our 2012 blueberry pre-order program for members is not yet underway. As always, if you become a member of Coastal Mountains Land Trust you will receive information about the pre-order in your Spring newsletter which comes out in March each year. Thank you for your support !

bblogolg Each year, we offer ten-pound boxes of fresh, clean, organic blueberries through our pre-order program. Orders are normally available for pick up from mid-July through August, depending on the vagaries of nature.

All funds raised from these sales support our efforts to maintain Beech Hill Preserve for grassland birds, scenic views, and its unique historic landscape.

Enjoy picking your own berries? For the past eight summers we have also opened designated fields to the public for a day for a free blueberry pick. This year's pick will take place Sunday, August 5.

Our Farm at Beech Hill

Coastal Mountains Land Trust has been managing Beech Hill Preserve's blueberry fields since 2003. Currently, there are 20 acres of MOFGA-certified organic blueberries in production on Beech Hill.

From The Herald Gazette: Article on local commercial blueberry harvesting features our crew at the Beech Hill Preserve (7/29/10)

For more information about Beech Hill Preserve.

Our Berries

In 2008, we launched a pre-order program for Beech Hill blueberries in which individuals and businesses can order 10-pound boxes of raked, sorted, and packed berries directly from us. See above for more details. Orders are filled in the order they are received, with priority given to members.

Beech Hill Blueberries - Frequently Asked Questions

• Where do the proceeds go? The proceeds from the Land Trust's sales of all Beech Hill blueberries go directly to managing Beech Hill Preserve.

• Who does all the raking, winnowing, and packing to fill the pre-orders? Our Stewardship Project Manager Joe Zipparo, assisted by a paid summer intern, oversees a team of seasonal workers who help him hand rake, winnow, sort, and pack thousands of pounds of blueberries. We are currently hiring this summer's team, who will work from mid July through August. Hours are irregular and dependent on weather and berries, but it's a beautiful place to work and offers a true hands-on experience with sustainable agriculture. If you're interested in joining Joe's team, please e-mail him at joez@coastalmountains.org or call him at (207) 236-7091.

• How do I become a Land Trust member? Click on the "Support Conservation" button above. Being a member provides you with several blueberry-related benefits: Members will be be able to place blueberry pre-orders earlier than non-members, will be given priority in the filling of blueberry orders, and will be able to attend a special Members Only free blueberry pick on Saturday, August 4, before the annual Public Free Pick.

• How many quarts of blueberries are in 10 pounds? Each quart is roughly 1.5 pounds. So, there are around 6.5 quarts in 10 pounds of blueberries.

• What kind of facility do you have? A renovated sugarhouse was moved to the Preserve in 2009 and has been outfitted with a new Fresh-pack winnower.

• Are the blueberries clean? Yes! Our winnower has a four-stage cleaning process, leaving ripe blueberries with a very low rate of twigs and leaves.

• Can I pick blueberries on Beech Hill? When? Each summer we open designated fields to the public for one day of free blueberry picking. In addition, we also offer a special Members Only free pick. Check our Events Calendar for dates. Because the fields are primarily managed by the Land Trust as a commercial farm to support the Preserve, we ask that visitors please stay off the fields and not pick the berries except in designated fields during these scheduled free-pick times. Also, no raking is allowed during the free pick, and for health and safety reasons, please leave dogs at home. Thank you for your understanding and support!