Mechanical Blueberry Harvest pics

dave1949 · Sep 2, 2014

Interesting machinery harvesting wild blueberries on the barrens in Downeast Maine.

Hand rakers, migrants being replaced by mechanization in Down East Maine

OldMcDonald · Sep 2, 2014

Very interesting photos and article. Getting the right people for any hand harvesting (or other casual work) is a paperwork and insurance nightmare in most "developed" countries. I expect to manage my own olive harvest OK this year, but might need help next as the young trees increase productivity.

oosik · Sep 2, 2014

When we lived in Alaska we harvested high bush cranberries and blueberries. Bend the bush into a cardboard box and beat on the bush with a short stick. The ripe berries/leaves/sticks fall in the box. This method allowed us to easily harvest, at least, one gallon per hour. Take the harvested berries and pour them down a stretched out, angled wool blanket and the leaves & sticks remain on the blanket - the berries roll on past and into a clean box at the bottom. We made high bush cranberry liquor - berries crushed, soaked for 24 hours in Everclear and then strained. Knock your socks off!!

2LaneCruzer · Sep 2, 2014

oosik said:
When we lived in Alaska we harvested high bush cranberries and blueberries. Bend the bush into a cardboard box and beat on the bush with a short stick. The ripe berries/leaves/sticks fall in the box. This method allowed us to easily harvest, at least, one gallon per hour. Take the harvested berries and pour them down a stretched out, angled wool blanket and the leaves & sticks remain on the blanket - the berries roll on past and into a clean box at the bottom. We made high bush cranberry liquor - berries crushed, soaked for 24 hours in Everclear and then strained. Knock your socks off!!

OMG! Ever had Cranberry wine? A few years back we visited the Amana Village in Amana Iowa and bought some Cranberry wine. It was wonderful...not to mention the great beer from the brewery and the great German meats they had there.

BTW, we like to make cherry hooch from fresh cherries...only we add a little sugar, a little vodka and let it sit from like June until Thanksgiving.

oosik · Sep 2, 2014

Never had Cranberry wine. An old farmer, about 40 miles down the road, makes dandelion wine. Makes my back ache, just the thought of picking all those blooms. Sure is good, though!!! I don't remember the exact recipe for the Cranberry liquor but I know the gals added some sugar - otherwise, it was kind of like pink paint stripper - -

2LaneCruzer · Sep 2, 2014

oosik said:
Never had Cranberry wine. An old farmer, about 40 miles down the road, makes dandelion wine. Makes my back ache, just the thought of picking all those blooms. Sure is good, though!!! I don't remember the exact recipe for the Cranberry liquor but I know the gals added some sugar - otherwise,

it was kind of like pink paint stripper

Click to expand...

- -

That's consistent with what I know about Everclear and the physical effects of 190 proof Ethanol!

Bird · Sep 2, 2014

I do like blueberry pie, blueberry muffins, and such, but have never seen the blueberries growing or being harvested. Never even heard of "raking" blueberries. Interesting article. And I've heard of dandelion wine, but never seen any. And I don't think I've even heard of cranberry wine. A small amount of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas is about the limit of my intake of cranberries. I have tried cranberry juice, but wouldn't want to pay money for it.

OldMcDonald · Sep 2, 2014

This talk of wine reminded me that my son bought some blueberry wine whilst in the US. It might have been 2012 when he was giving talks at Cornell, Harvard and NASA Baltimore and Washington; or Cornell again last year. I will be seeing him fairly soon and must try it if he has any left. I do not know where he bought it or how much, but it was commercially made and bottled. Should be interesting.

Jstpssng · Sep 2, 2014

They put a lot of work into the fields digging rocks and filling in holes so that they can use the machines. Also a lot of growers are getting away from burning the fields, and mowing them with flail mowers.
Here is the walk-behind harvester; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_fuN3yVIrU

And for Bird...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD5OkSLpw4M (My back hurts just watching this.)