Midcoast With the warmer weather, mummy berry cups have been seen in fields in Waldoboro, West Rockport and Hope. Fields in the midcoast varied from 10 to 40% of the flower buds at F2 (crown stage). If the field had more than 30 to 40% of flower buds at F2, this would have been enough […]
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Plant development Most plants are not ready yet. From the farthest south I have heard from, around Dresden Mills, there are some fields that are close to being ready. The phenology tracker report shows only about 1 to 8% of flower buds at F2 (crown stage and susceptible) which is what I saw in Ellsworth […]
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Dr. Calderwood will be present at Extension Offices across the wild blueberry growing regions of Maine this spring for one-on-one free consultations. Sign up for an hour and a half time slot to discuss anything from field management, business planning, how to get started with a new field, expertise on a particular subject, to sharing […]
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We’ve just released a new fact sheet, Weed Mapping Using Your Smartphone, to help wild blueberry growers improve weed management with simple digital tools. In this bulletin, graduate Research Assistant Patrice Sison explains how to use free smartphone mapping apps to record the location and size of weed patches so producers can plan efficient scouting and […]
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2026 Wild Blueberry Spring Conference Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026Snow Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026Conference Time: 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.Location: Moore Community Center, 125 State Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605Format: In-person with breakout rooms, lunch, etc./Virtual: Available Join us for the 8th Annual Wild Blueberry Spring Conference! There will be coffee and breakfast items in the morning, followed by soups and […]
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Please note the following event on October 22, 2025 has been cancelled. We will discuss topics including field mulching and irrigation during our annual Winter Conference in February, 2026. We look forward to seeing you there! During the 2025 harvest season, wild blueberry growers in Hancock and Washington Counties especially, experienced a flash drought. It […]
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The Hancock County and Washington County Soil & Water Conservation Districts and blueberry farmer Laura Flannery will be presenting the second annual “Better Soil, Better Blueberries” Field Day for wild blueberry growers on October 8th, 2025 in Charlotte, Maine. Dr. Lily Calderwood of UMaine Cooperative Extension will be in attendance sharing research from her program […]
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Black and Blue in the Barrens By Ben Seal, August 17, 2025 (Offrange) In a recent “Offrange” article, author Ben Seals details the mounting economic stressors facing Maine’s wild blueberry growers, from droughts and late frosts impacting yield to market competition from high-bush blueberry competition. University of Maine Extension’s Wild Blueberry Specialist, Dr. Lily Calderwood, weighs […]
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Dr. Lily Calderwood, Wild Blueberry Specialist and Associate Professor of Horticulture with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, was recently featured on the podcast “Maine Farmcast”. In this episode, she joins Dr. Glenda Pereira to discuss the history of wild blueberry management in Maine, shares updates on current research from her lab, and offers practical […]
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This event will highlight the cutting edge innovation and practical application of research-based knowledge conducted at the University of Maine on wild blueberry. This work is shaping the future of wild blueberry production in Maine with you and for you. Farmers and interested members of the public are invited to learn, connect, and contribute! In […]
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