Feeling Blue

摘要

Saddled with low prices last year for the first time, California blueberry growers are battling back by joining together. IT WASN'T that long ago, not even a decade, that blueberries weie largely unheard of as a commercial crop in California. But plant breeders got busy, and were able to develop varieties that could withstand hotter climes. "God didn't put blueberries in California originally, so growing them required some manipulation," says Jon Marthedal, who was one of the first to plant a commercial crop, eight years ago. Because it takes five years for a block to reach full production, the state's growers didn't really know what the total output would be until these past two years, and they're facing a mountain of blueberries. "If nobody planted another plant," says Marthedal, "it will take four years to find out where the industry stands." Faced with such huge crops — 5 million pounds in 2004 and nearly double that much this year, says Mark Villata, executive director of the North American Blueberry Council — growers decided to band together. A couple months ago most of the state's commercial growers met at Marthedal's packingshed in Fresno to discuss the formation of the California Blueberry Association (CBA) Marthedal, chairman of Sun-Maid Growers of California, was named to the board of directors of the CBA. Bill Steed, a blueberry and avocado grower from San Diego, was named secretary.