It’s been over 15 years since Willie Bevan was exploring his acreage with this family and came across an abundance of wild blueberry plants flourishing in cleared areas. Little did he know that it was the start of something he had never imagined.
Fast forward several years, and the same land has been turned into a successful and sustainable certified organic blueberry farm; Ella’s Forest.
Not only does the farm grow wild blueberries, but Willie also manufactures them into blueberry powder and teas which are shipped worldwide.
Having grown up on a mixed beef farm, Willie says the farming gene took over when his family discovered the blueberries, and he hasn’t looked back.
It takes two years for a wild blueberry to grow. The first year is a vegetative year, with nutrients, moisture, and sunshine culminating to create a plant of about 12 inches. Year two is when the blossoms begin to open.
“The land is abuzz with pollinators, and we walk the fields like impatient to-be parents, anxiously waiting for the small green baby berries to turn purple and then blue.”
Beyond the quality of his berries, powder and teas, Willie’s top priority is the health of the land in which the berries are grown.
The blueberry fields have permanent vegetative cover which significantly reduces soil erosion and sedimentation and also sequesters carbon into the soil from the atmosphere.
To further help minimize damage to the soil, Willie has implemented innovative solutions to save time, improve berry quality, and reduce soil compaction. This reduces overall field disturbance while preserving pollinator zones.
“Every farmer grows for the next generation. By disturbing the soil as little as possible and making changes where we can, we help make sure that their future, my daughter's future, is safeguarded.”
