North Carolina growers became a factor in blueberry production over 60 years ago, starting with 100 acres of the bearing bushes. Today that production has grown to over 2900 harvestable acres from the coast to the mountains.
Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium Corymbosum L.) account for 95% of commercial acreage. Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium Ashei) make up the balance of acreage.
Elizabeth "Swift" Pippin, manager of the Carolina blueberry cooperative from 1941 until 1970, recalls the story of the blueberry in the region beginning in 1936 when Harold Huntington of Cooperstown, New York bought 1,000 acres between Atkinson and Ivanhoe, an area some 40 miles from Wilmington, in the southeastern corner of the state. Huntington paid one dollar an acre for the tract. "He got it so cheap because it was considered worthless swamp," Mrs. Pippin says. "Federal Land Bank would not lend money on this boggy soil as it wasn't considered fertile.*" Huntington planted blueberry bushes brought from New Jersey in the low land area.
A second tract was purchased by Gale Harrison from New Jersey and he paid $7 an acre. Along with local farmers, these newcomers set berries and soon a business was born. They affiliated with a distributor in New Jersey and the crop was shipped by railroad from Atkinson.
Mrs. Pippin says New Jersey had long been the blueberry capital, but the expansion to North Carolina brought in an early berry crop in June to supplement what New Jersey produced in August.
*Quoted from Tidewater, June 1984
| Blueberries | |
| Suitable Cooling Methods: | |
| Room Cooling, Forced Air Cooling | |
| Optimum Temperature: | |
| Freezing Temperature: | |
| Optimum Humidity: | |
| Storage Life: | 2 weeks |
5 A DAY FARM
Cynthia Callahan8279 Hillsview Rd
Oakboro, NC 28129
Phone : (704) 485-3329`
Fax : NULL
Email : 5adayfarm@windstream.net
Products : BLB, MUSC GRPS, NEC, PCH, PLUMS
Services : Grow
Memberships :
AMERICAN BLUEBERRIES INC.
3500 NC Hwy 133Rocky Point, NC 28457
Phone : (910) 675-8620
Fax : (910) 602-3106
Email : info@lewisfarms.com
Website : http://www.lewisfarms.com
Products : BKB, BLB
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship
Memberships :
AUGUSTINE FARMS
William Augustine213 Wilbur Pridgen rd
Harrells, NC 28444
Phone : (910) 532-4973
Fax : (910) 532-4746
Email : blues@intrstar.net
Website : NULL
Products : BLB
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship
B&B PRODUCE INC.
Debbie Johnson2778 NC 50 South
Benson, NC 27504
Phone : (919) 894-2527
Fax : (919) 894-2127
Email : bbproduce@hotmail.com
Website : NULL
Products : BLB, VEG, SWP
Services : Ship, Brok, Repack
Memberships :
BARNES FOOD COMPANY
PO Box 1558Elizabethtown, NC 28337
Phone : (910) 862-8801
Fax : (910) 862-8338
Email : barnesfood@intrstar.com
Products : BLB
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship
BLACK RIVER BLUEBERRIES
18957 NC 210 EastIvanhoe, NC 28447
Phone : (831) 443-2374
Fax : (831) 443-2375
Email : NULL
Website : NULL
Products : BLB
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship, Sales
Memberships :
CAROLINA BLUEBERRY ASSOCIATION
PO Box 368Garland, NC 28441
Phone : (910) 588-4220
Fax : (910) 588-4296
Email : rbangert@carolinablueberry.com
Website : http://www.carolinablueberry.com
Products : BLB
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship
Memberships :
COTTLE STRAWBERRY NURSERY, INC
2488 W. NC 403 HwyFaison, NC 28341
Phone : (910) 267-4531
Fax : (910) 267-0156
Email : teresa@cottlefarms.com
Website : http://www.cottlefarms.com
Products : BANPEP, BKB, BLB, CANT, CUX, EGP, GRAPETOM, JAL, MUSC GRPS, TOM, PEP, SQS, STR, ZUCC
Services : Grow, Ship
Memberships :
FAUCETTE FARMS
7566 Friendship Church rdBrowns Summit, NC 27214
Phone : (336) 669-5262
Fax : (336) 656-5396
Email : mike@faucettefarms.com
Website : http://www.faucettefarms.com
Products : BASIL, EGP, BLB, CUX, SWP, SQS, STR, POT, TUR, TOM, ZUCC
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship
Memberships :
Happy Dirt
2210 East Pettigrew StDurham, NC 27703
Phone : (919) 542-3264
Fax : (919) 545-0059
Email : hannah@happydirt.com
Website : http://www.happydirt.com
Products : BEETS, ASP, BCC, CAB, BLB, BKCHOY, CUX, CAR, COLL, GRHS VEG, GRNS, JAL, EDAMAME, EGP, GRN ONS, GAR, LET, KALE, MGR, MEXVEG, MEL, MXV, TUR, TOM, TOMLLO, SWIS CHRD, SQS, BNS, SPN, SNOPEA, STR, SPRITE, CORN, SWP, OKRA, ORG, ORNVEG, PEP, SLD MIX, RAD, PKN, ZUCC
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship, Brok
Memberships :
IVANHOE BLUEBERRY FARM
3550 Ivanhoe RoadIvanhoe, NC 28447
Phone : 9105322880
Fax : 9105322826
Email : ivanhoefarms@intrstar.net
Products : BLB
Services : Grow, Pack
Memberships :
KAREFREE PRODUCE
Karen Frye4680 Hwy 15-501 South
Carthage, NC 28327
Phone : (910) 690-6722
Fax : NULL
Email : karefreefarms.karen@yahoo.com
Website : http://www.karefreeproduce.com
Products : BLB, COLL, MEL, MUSC GRPS, PEAS, GRNS, EGP, TOM, PKN, POT, PEP, ONS, BNS, SPN, STR, SQS, CORN, ZUCC
Services : Grow
Memberships :
LYON FARMS
1544 Munns RdCreedmoor, NC 27522
Phone : (919) 528-3263
Fax : (919) 528-8611
Email : info@lyon-farms.com
Website : http://www.lyon-farms.com
Products : LET, GRAPETOM, CANT, CHRTOM, BLB, TOM, STR, OKRA, PCH, YELL TOM
Services : Grow, Pack, DSD
Memberships :
MOORE'S PRODUCE INC.
PO Box 226 533 Faison RoadTurkey, NC 28393
Phone : (910) 592-6782
Fax : (910) 592-6378
Email : movethemelons@gmail.com
Website : NULL
Products : BLB, WAT
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship, Brok
NATURE'S WAY FARMS INC.
Mark Crawford7795 Suttontown Road
Faison, NC 28341
Phone : (910) 594-0096
Fax : (910) 594-0419
Email : mark@nwfarms.net
Website : http://www.nwfarms.net
Products : BKB, BLB, CAB, TUR, ONS, POT, RASP, SWP
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship, Brok
SOLO FOODS LLC
PO Box 990 West Progress Drive ExtensionBurgaw, NC 28425
Phone : (910) 259-9407
Fax : (910) 259-9437
Email : virginia@solofoods-nc.com
Website : NULL
Products : BLB
TRACTOR FOOD AND FARMS
54 Ferguson Hill Rd, PO BOX 1507Burnsville , NC 28714
Phone : 828-536-0126
Fax : 828-536-0127
Email : robin.smith@tractorfoodandfarms.com
Website : http://www.tractorfoodandfarms.com
Products : APL, BASIL, BLB, BCC, COLL, CAB, JAL, GAR, EGP, CUX, LET, KALE, MUSH, CORN, SQS, BNS, SNOPEA, ROM, POT, PKN, SERRAN, ONS, OKRA, SWIS CHRD, ZUCC, SWP, TOM, TUR
Services : Pack
UNCLE HENRY'S ORGANICS
Owen Rouse, Tanya Rouse1533 W Charity Road
Rose Hill, NC 28458
Phone : (910) 376-0621
Email : rousebrothersproduce@gmail.com
Website : http://www.rousebrothersproduce.com
Products : BEETS, BLB, MUSC GRPS, PEAS, SPN, SQS, STR, RAD, POT, SWP, TUR
Services : Grow, Pack, Ship
Memberships :
VOLLMER FARM
Russell Vollmer6777 NC Hwy 98 East
Bunn, NC 27508
Phone : (919) 496-3076
Fax : (919) 496-1762
Email : fun@vollmerfarm.com
Website : http://www.vollmerfarm.com
Products : BKB, BLB, STR, ORG
Services : Grow
Memberships :