ELIZABETHTOWN — Bladen County locals got to see blueberries behind the scenes when the Bladen County Extension Office conducted a tour of Carter’s Farm in White Lake on Tuesday.

“I don’t know enough about blueberries or how they process them,” said Nancy Olsen, an Extension agent for horticulture. “I’ve never been to a processing plant so I wanted to set this tour up.”

During the drive out to Carter’s Farm, Bruce McLean discussed a few blueberry topics, including how the climate this year affected the blueberry season.

“North Carolina was really affected by the weather in March,” he said. “A dormant plant can handle the cold weather, but since there was so much warm weather (early in the season) this year, the blueberry buds bloomed early and the frost killed them.”

McLean added that “a big amount of frost-bitten blueberries will be rejected by the grocery stores.”

He also explained the different types of blueberry plants. Three specific types he mentioned in North Carolina are northern highbush, southern highbush and rabbiteye. According to McLean, northern highbush make up a huge proportion of Bladen County’s blueberry production. This season, only 40 percent of those blueberries will be able to be used. The northern highbushes are most susceptible to cold weather and this year had an unusual type of weather referred to as a blowing cold. McLean said that there was no way to protect the blueberries against this type of weather.

McLean told the group that North Carolina ranks No. 6 in the country for productoin of blueberries. Michigan, Georgia, Washington State and Oregon are in the top four.

According to McLean, blueberries were traditionally handpicked, but now North Carolina is leading the way in machine harvesting. However, McLean said some blueberry bushes will have to be handpicked due to the irrigation pipes the machines can’t go over.

Once at Carter’s Farm, owner Ralph Carter took over the discussion.

“Carter’s Farm started back in 1951,” he explained. “My parents started this farm and I continued it because I enjoyed it. It’s nice to get up and go to work and enjoy what you do. I don’t enjoy it as much because of the paperwork. The fields is where I enjoy being.”

Carter began the tour with the packaging and processing plant, and showed the group the different machinery that the blueberries go through for inspection — including a machine to remove twigs and leaves, as well as one to X-ray the berries. A third machine measures the density of the berries.

“Each year we learn how to properly package the fruit, the quicker you cool the fruit, the longer the shelf life will be,” Carter said.

Along the way, it was explained how the blueberries are inspected for damage, mold and other imperfections.

Carter said there are about 30 blueberry farms in Bladen County and there were about 6,500 registered acres of blueberries in North Carolina. He said that 65 percent of the production of those blueberries comes out of Bladen County.

“I want to give credit to N.C. State,” Carter said. “Dr. Mainland and Bill Cline were the ones who helped other states learn how to grow blueberries.”

“This was awesome, I loved it,” said Olsen.

“I feel like I learned a lot about the machinery and the history was really interesting,” said Allison Morris, an N.C. State sophomore who is studying agricultural education and is an intern at the Extension Office.

At the end of the tour, Carter gave out blueberries to the group.

Brendaly Vega is a summer intern for the Bladen Journal from UNCP.

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Brendaly Vega

Bladen Journal intern