In the news industry, you learn to rein in your excitement when you first hear exciting stories that seem too good to be true. It’s less of a defense mechanism and more of a litmus test for our coverage.
But I have to admit that this week, when reports emerged of a promising new development on the blueberry front, it was pretty hard to keep my enthusiasm in check.
So what’s got me so excited? The possibility of a fall blueberry season here in Florida.
Currently, Florida blueberries are harvested in the spring for what is typically a four- to six-week window. Outside of that, the blueberries you get from the supermarket are typically from somewhere other than the Sunshine State.
Now, UF/IFAS Scientists may have found the genes to develop a berry that would be ready for harvest in the fall. On my farm, we always had a very small amount of berries of the emerald variety in the fall, but honestly they tasted awful. I wouldn’t use those berries at christmas dinner that’s for sure.
A viable fall crop could help Florida growers quite a bit because it would enable them to harvest during a time when prices tend to be higher. In addition, it could even mean that some growers could have two harvests per year instead of just one. It’s certainly a bit of news that is loaded with possibility and, of course, questions. As a former blueberry grower, I know this could be a positive thing to the hardworking folks in the industry… if it pans out.
(Read more about the research.)
We’ll keep an eye out for updates and keep you looped in, but we couldn’t help but share this bit of news. As we close out the year, we want to thank you all for reading Central Florida Ag News. God bless, and have a Merry Christmas.