FAQ: How Do Blueberry Farms Profit?

Do berry farms make money?

How much profit can a berry picking farm make? There are a number of factors that affect your berry farm’s profitability. The average berry farmer reports a loss for the first few years. After that, however, average profits are reported at between $1.3 million and $2.8 million.

How much does a blueberry bush produce?

Blueberry bushes can produce five to seven pints of fresh fruit each summer. Blueberries are one of the easiest, most productive types of fruit you can grow at home, and research indicates they have all kinds of health benefits. North shore soils are often acidic enough for blueberries to thrive.

How many blueberries can you plant per acre?

Typically, you can plan on between 1,300 to 2,000 blueberry plants per acre. It is ideal to create flat-top raised beds in long rows with incorporated organic matter such as sawdust or wood chips (pine or fir) or peat moss.

How do you start a blueberry farm?

Here is how to start your own U-Pick berries farm:

1. Plant, plant, plant. via Rainbow Gardens.
2. Be Prepared to Work. Next, you need to be prepared to work.
3. Call Your Insurance Agent.
4. Create a Welcome Center.
5. Fence Off Your Property.
6. Purchase Supplies.
7. Pick Ahead.
8. See What Else You Can Sell.

How much is an acre of blueberries worth?

The United States Department of Agriculture says that a mature planting of blueberries can return as much as $3,000 per acre with correct marketing, management, and growing. Of course, the best choice for the small-farm grower with a good crop of blueberries is direct sales.

How much is an acre of strawberries worth?

Total variable costs to harvest fresh market strawberries are $9,019 per acre. Table 7 shows the economic returns and costs for processed market strawberries, with a projected yield of 13,000 pounds per acre at a market price of $0.65 per pound.

How many years does it take for a blueberry bush to produce fruit?

It can take three to four years before they will produce fruit. Blueberries also produce better if they are cross pollinated. This means that growing blueberry bushes of different varieties will help with their production.

Do I need 2 blueberry bushes to get fruit?

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) bushes are self-pollinating to an extent, but grow larger fruit through cross-pollination by a second variety. Bees and wind help bushes to cross-pollinate, although the bushes need to be near each other to be productive.

Are blueberries easy to grow?

Blueberries are easy to grow in a home garden and yield abundant sweet, delicious, and colorful berries. Plant blueberries in compost-rich soil that is well-draining. Blueberries like acidic soil with a pH between 4.5 and 4.8.

What is a good price for blueberries?

The average market price for fresh and processed wild blueberries was $0.60 per pound (NASS, 2015).

What is a good companion plant for blueberries?

Plant blueberries near flowers like lilacs and azaleas. Lilacs attract pollinators and provide shade with its fragrant blossoms. Towering, lush rhododendrons and azaleas offer shade and attractive blossoms during particularly hot summers, and thrive best in the same hot, acidic environment as blueberries.

Can a blueberry bush be grown from a blueberry?

Growing blueberries from seeds is possible, but it tends to be restricted to lowbush blueberry plants. Blueberry seeds are tiny, so it’s easiest to separate them from the fruit in large batches. First, freeze the blueberries for 90 days to stratify the seeds.

How many acres do you need to start a blueberry farm?

Also a source of water for irrigation is a requirement to grow blueberries commercially. You can expect to be able to grow enough blueberries on 10 acres on suitable land once the plants have reached maturity make a livelihood.

Is blueberry farming hard?

I have learned from experience, blueberries are hard to grow and harvest. Blueberries are the perfect “super”-food. But they are expensive to buy — usually, $5–6 for a small six-ounce container. Many could easily consume the entire package, standing in the kitchen, without even remembering what we did.

How long do blueberry plants live?

How long do blueberry bushes typically live? With proper care and in the right environment, blueberry bushes live 50 years or more.