Learn the Story of Maine's Native Berry‏

Camden/Rockport, Maine - Blueberry specialist Dr. David Yarbrough will lead a presentation on wild blueberry production in Maine at Merryspring Nature Center in Camden on Tuesday, July 10 at noon.

Ask anybody what fruit they most associate with the state of Maine and the answer you’re most likely to get will be “blueberries.”  These wonderful native fruits are extolled for their nutritional value and anti-oxidant properties.  Yet the wild blueberries grown in Maine differ from the cultivated varieties often seen in supermarkets.  Dr. Yarbrough’s presentation will explore the differences between wild blueberries and cultivated crops, as well as cover the history and culture surrounding blueberry production in Maine.  Dr. Yarbrough will also discuss new strategies, including bee pollination, leveling of fields, and integrated pest management, that have allowed blueberry farmers to increase yields from 20 million pounds per year to 80 million pounds of berries per year in the state of Maine in the last 20 years. He will end his presentation with an outline of processing, utilization, and the nutritive value of the blueberry.

Dr. Yarbrough is the Cooperative Extension’s wild blueberry specialist and a Professor of Horticulture at the University of Maine, where he has spent the last 33 years. His research efforts include developing strategies to control weeds and wild blueberry management strategies. Dr. Yarbrough educates wild blueberry growers in Maine and Canada on practices to maximize efficiency, productivity, and profitability. In 1975 he received a BS degree in Wildlife Management at the University of Maine, followed by an MS in Resource Utilization in 1978. He received his PhD in Plant and Soil Science from the University of Massachusetts in 1991.  He has published over 200 research and Cooperative Extension publications on the subject of blueberries and weeds.  In 2006 he received the Meritorious Service Award from the IR-4 program, as well as earning a 30-year service award from the University of Maine in 2009.

This presentation is part of the Summer Talk Series at Merryspring, which is being co-sponsored by Camden National Bank and Jaret & Cohn Real Estate.

Admission to the Tuesday Talks is free to Merryspring members and children, with a nominal $5 fee for non-members.

Merryspring is a member-supported, non-profit nature education center and park located at the end of Conway Road just off Rt. 1 by the Hannaford shopping plaza in Camden. For more information, call Merryspring at 236-2239