With the arrival of August, lovers of berries are scrambling to get the last of the juicy treats before they’re all gone.
Thanks to more rain, Ira Gibson of Gibson’s Orchard in Bethel said this year is better than last.
“You can never grow enough raspberries,” said Gibson, whose family orchard has been growing and selling raspberries since the 1970s.
This weekend will likely be the last weekend to pick raspberries at Gibson’s, but the bushes for next year are already underway.
Raspberries are a two-season crop, meaning it takes two seasons for the plant to produce its optimal fruit, Gibson explained. The first summer, the bushes won’t give much for berries, but the second summer, both fruit and “babies,” or little bushes at the base of the original, will shoot up, she said.
Mature raspberry bushes have distinguishing stalks that look “kind of like a pretzel” in color and texture, said Gibson.
Cummings Tree Farm in South Paris, also a family-owned berry business, said that while this year produced a good crop of blueberries, last year was better.
“We missed the drought weather (last year). Mountain showers are hit or miss, and we lucked out,” said owner Steve Cummings.
This year, Cummings said the wet weather had a slightly negative effect on pollination, and the consistent 48- to 50-degree Fahrenheit temperatures during early summer didn’t help.
“But farmers always cry,” said Cummings, who said the business has sold all it has harvested.
Kimberly Moisan of Canton said she buys 10 pounds of blueberries from Cummings every year, while Valerie Weston of Norway said she was excited to make muffins and pies with her 5 pounds.
The Cummings have been in the blueberry business since 1948. After deciding to produce on a commercial scale, blueberries from the farm were sent to B & M Baked Beans in Portland to be canned and frozen.
The new addition to the business, the fresh market, has been running for about 40 years. Cummings said the market came about due to local demand.
With the help of extended family and local teens looking for summer jobs, the blueberries are raked and then sold from a little building using an old-fashioned scale.
Melanie Hamoian, niece of Cummings and his wife Lori, teaches pre-K and helps out in the summer, along with her daughter, who helps rake.
“I’m quite thrilled the next generation wants to be involved,” said Cummings.
