Berry growers band together in Barbour orchard

Wyatt Oates of the Wiregrass Blueberry Growers Association says eating blueberries is like eating medicine.
Blueberries help lower cholesterol and have cancer-fighting antioxidants. But the blueberries in Oates’ Barbour County orchard taste more like candy than medicine. Sweet, juicy and plump, the indigo-colored berries grow on chest-high “rabbit-eye” blueberry bushes at Oates’ orchard between Louisville and Clio.
Oates is deep into blueberry harvesting season with his partner, Glenn Dell. They are 2 of approximately 30 blueberry growers in Alabama’s Wiregrass area and the Florida panhandle. The Wiregrass Blueberry Association encompasses 250 acres of land in the Southeast, modeling its association after groups of blueberry farmers in Mississippi and Georgia.
They’ll also pay for good blueberries. Oates says the market for blueberries is huge. In fact, it was a trip to the supermarket that first inspired him to become a blueberry grower. When he spotted a 4.4 ounce carton of blueberries for $4, Oates decided there might be a future in growing the indigenous North American plant.
He says blueberries are one of four edible berries - including huckleberries, Concord grapes and cranberries - native to North America. They are tough, hardy, little plants that can be grown from Florida to Maine. As blueberries are grown further south, the plants are taller. Oates said in Maine, “low bush” blueberries practically grow on the ground.
Though blueberries are grown across the country, they don’t fare well in subtropical climates like in south Florida.
“Below Tampa, you can’t plant a blueberry period,” says Oates.
Blueberries of different breeds need “chill hours.” Oates’ rabbit-eyes require 550 chill hours per season. Oates‘ orchard in Barbour County has approximately 600 plants. The berries must be picked during the evenings or early mornings since blueberries are not tolerant of the heat.
The blueberry harvesting season occurs between late May and mid-July in Southeast Alabama. Oates says there are two markets for blueberries - fresh and processed. Processed blueberries are used commercially in products like pancakes and muffins. When someone digs into a big stack of IHOP pancakes, most likely he is eating processed berries.
Blueberries are grown in neighboring states like Georgia and Mississippi and Oates says the industry is thriving.
“Last year, Georgia had more blueberry dollars than peach dollars,” he says. “Maybe Georgia’s name should be changed from ‘The Peach State’ to ‘The Blueberry State’.”
Though the berries are tasty, Oates says their health benefits are what sells them.
“The main thing driving the market is their health benefits,” says Oates.
But blueberries aren’t just a fad. Native Indians taught Westerners how to use the berries for fresh food, dye and how to dry and preserve them.
The Barbour County orchard Oates and Dell tend was originally planted in 1991. The two berry farmers have been tending the orchard for the past three years.
Oates says that the Wiregrass Blueberry Growers Association is constantly in search of blueberry growers.
“We want people to grow blueberries,” he says. “When a group of growers get together, they have more blueberries to sale.”
To learn more about the Wiregrass Blueberry Growers Association, contact Oates at (334) 726-9008 or wsoates@gmail.com.