Guess what? The fresh blueberries you buy at the store are not wild blueberries. My fascination with wild blueberries began as a child when I stumbled upon them while wandering the woods. Unlike their cultivated cousins, true wild blueberries grow naturally without human intervention, thriving in the harsh climates of northern Maine and parts of Canada. Research shows that they naturally grow in barrens created by glaciers 10,000 years ago. These berries spread underground through rhizomes, forming dense, low bushes. They are smaller and burst with intense, nuanced flavors that make each bite unique as it is delicious. If you’re curious about trying them, you’re in luck! Blueberry season is upon us starting late July.

In the summer of 2022, I was introduced to the wonders of the true wild blueberry— a serendipitous encounter that led me on a journey to northern Maine with the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. There, I had the privilege of hand raking wild blueberries alongside the Passamaquoddy. This experience deepened my appreciation for these resilient berries and the people who have cherished them for generations. I spoke to Holli Francis, the product manager at Passamaquoddy Blueberries to get more insights into their rich cultural heritage and unwavering commitment to sustainability. Here are 5 things to know about wild blueberries and the voices who have been stewarding the land for thousands of years.

Historical and Cultural Significance

For the Passamaquoddy people, wild blueberries are more than just a source of sustenance; they are a cornerstone of cultural identity. “The Passamaquoddy way of life was to hunt, fish, trap, and gather food and medicine, and employ the environment’s natural resources to sustain their communities” Francis says. Historically, these berries were consumed alongside abundant seafood reflecting the tribe’s deep connection to their coastal environment. The name “Passamaquoddy” itself translates to “people who spear pollock,” highlighting their intimate relationship with nature. Wild blueberries were also used as a form of medicine, a practice now supported by scientific evidence showing their high antioxidant and anthocyanin content. Additionally, these berries served as a dye for sweetgrass used in basket weaving and other crafts, showcasing their multifaceted role in Passamaquoddy life.

Sustainable Harvesting Practices

The Passamaquoddy Tribe has long employed sustainable practices to ensure the longevity of wild blueberry plants. Unlike traditional farming– where soil is disturbed– the tribe allows these hardy plants to thrive naturally in the rocky, dry barrens of Maine. Harvesting is done without planting, preserving the natural landscape. The tribe manages their 2,000 acres on a biennial cycle, harvesting 1,000 acres each year to allow the plants to rest and regenerate. Off-year burning of fields promotes regeneration and reduces pests, a practice that aligns with modern sustainable agriculture principles.

Sacred Connection and Community Gathering

Every year, hundreds of Passamaquoddy people as well as other Wabanaki tribes of all ages gather to harvest, share, strengthen and connect with their communities– the annual wild blueberry harvest is a sacred tradition. “It’s a short harvest – just four weeks – but it is important for many tribal members to feel a connection to Earth’s bounty,” says Francis. During the harvest, they gather to hand-rake blueberries, a method passed down through generations. I had the opportunity to try it out and I can tell you first-hand that it certainly isn’t easy! It requires patience, skill and technique. Some skilled pickers can fill up to 50 crates of wild blueberries a day.

At the end of the day, this event is more than just a harvest; it is a time for community, connection, and cultural preservation. Despite historical challenges and encroachments, families come together to strengthen bonds and maintain traditions, passing it down for the next generations to come. The harvest symbolizes resilience and the enduring strength of the Passamaquoddy culture. Like many Indigenous tribes of North America, they have faced substantial loss of their ancestral lands to colonization in addition to dealing with cultural suppression and economic hardships. “The wild blueberries remain strong. Families join us at our barrens for a sense of community, connection and a feeling of centuries past.” says Francis.

Organizations such as the Wild Blueberry Association (WBA) have largely centered Indigenous voices alongside their efforts to fund further research into the wild blueberries and beyond. As a result, they are making significant strides when it comes to preserving Indigenous knowledge and encouraging folks to eat wild and partnering with companies like Wyman’s to get them into the hands of as many people as possible. This year, the WBA is hosting their fourth annual Wild Blueberry Weekend where folks can tour wild blueberry farms, pick wild blueberries and learn all about the origins of the fruit. They’ve even partnered with venues such as the Bissell Brothers to spread the wild blueberry joy and knowledge by offering menu items such as blueberry pie ice cream, or corn pudding with blueberry compote.

Economic Impact and Tribal Sustainability

Wild blueberries play a crucial economic role for the Passamaquoddy community as they were among the first to harvest wild blueberries and have been doing so for over 1,000 years. The tribe’s ownership of the Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Company (PWBC) allows them to reinvest profits into the business, creating jobs for tribal members and supporting community initiatives at Pleasant Point and Indian Township. This economic model fosters self-sufficiency and ensures that the benefits of wild blueberry cultivation are felt directly within the community, reinforcing the tribe’s commitment to sustainable development and cultural preservation.

The economic impact extends beyond just job creation. The PWBC’s operations provide full-time, year-round, and seasonal jobs for Passamaquoddy Tribe members, contributing significantly to the local economy. By maintaining traditional practices and adapting to market demands, the company has managed to remain economically viable while honoring cultural traditions​ (Maine Made)

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite their deep-rooted practices, the Passamaquoddy face challenges in maintaining and promoting wild blueberry cultivation. The market is flooded with cultivated and non-domestic wild blueberries, driving down prices and threatening the viability of traditional hand-raking methods. However, the tribe is addressing these challenges through innovation and education. A USDA Value-Added Producer Grant in 2020 enabled the development of a brand for their wild blueberries, giving them control over their story and market positioning. “We ventured to create our own brand of wild blueberries, giving us control over our story – we can share not only the importance of wild blueberries to Maine but the importance of this incredible fruit to Maine’s First Nations” says Holli. By promoting the superior antioxidant content and cultural significance of wild blueberries, the Passamaquoddy are creating a niche market that values sustainability and indigenous heritage.

This grant also allowed the Passamaquoddy to find ways to strike a balance between using technology to their advantage while also preserving their hand-raking traditions. Like many others in the agricultural industry, they are beginning to explore the use of AI and other advanced technologies in their blueberry farming practices. The hope there is to be able to enhance efficiency and sustainability. AI technologies are now being developed to identify and manage weeds more effectively in wild blueberry fields which limits unnecessary herbicide use, and at the sorting facilities, advanced sorting machines can use AI to sort berries by size and detect and remove defective berries more efficiently. More on that later.

The Passamaquoddy’s approach to wild blueberry cultivation is a testament to the power of tradition and sustainability. By sharing their story, we can all learn valuable lessons about respecting nature, preserving cultural heritage while advocating for Indigenous rights and supporting sustainable food systems.

RUMFORD — The governor’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission listened to stories Friday in the Rumford Falls Auditorium about the 2023 flooding in Franklin and Oxford counties.

Several storms with heavy rains causing flash floods hit the state in 2023, including May 1, June 29 and Dec. 18. There were major infrastructure losses such as streets, homes, businesses, vehicles, athletic fields and trails.

The December 2023 flooding claimed the lives of a grandmother and granddaughter in Mexico after the Swift River rose so fast and high it washed the truck they were driving over a bridge into the water.

The 24-member panel is holding listening sessions around the state to get input on what happened and how to prevent it. An annual report is expected to be issued in May 2025.

Road work to rebuild a section of Macomber Hill Road, seen Thursday, damaged in the 2023 floods is scheduled to begin after July 15. The governor’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission met Friday in Rumford to talk about what happened during several heavy rain and flash flooding in 2023. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

According to the commission’s website, it is “charged with reviewing and evaluating Maine’s response to the recent storms, identifying crucial areas for near-term investment and policy needs, and developing the state’s first long-term infrastructure plan to ensure that Maine is ready for the harsh storms ahead.”

The commission consists of state and local officials; representatives of affected communities, businesses and industries; and experts in infrastructure, construction, engineering, electrical utilities, floodplain management, financing, philanthropy, emergency response and climate science.

At Friday’s meeting, several people noted that being prepared is key. That means having a resource guide for towns, especially smaller towns, on what to do and where to get help.

Rumford Town Manager George O’Keefe said the forecast for Dec. 18 called for 3 inches of rain. It turned into 7 inches. People’s homes and businesses were flooded.

“It wasn’t just the type of flood, it was the speed of the water coming up,” he said.

Several residences in Mexico off U.S. Route 2 near the Swift River still have not been reoccupied, said Mexico Selectman Peter Merrill.

That area had to contend with quick rising water from both the Androscoggin and Swift rivers.

Mexico Selectman Peter Merrill, right, speaks Friday to the governor’s Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission near the banks of the Swift River in Mexico where a car was swept away during last December’s catastrophic rainstorm. Beyond the loss of life, the towns of Rumford and Mexico were devastated by the rains, which saw the area pictured under 8-10 feet of water. Cranes in the background are part of the bridge rebuilding effort. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere, a member of the governor’s commission, said last year was her first experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for floods. She is still dealing with paperwork from the May 1 and June 29 floods, and a couple of roads still do not have through access.

Contracts were awarded to fix Macomber Hill Road, Begin Road and Hutchinson Road. A temporary bridge was installed on Hutchinson Road for people above the stream and emergency personnel. Macomber Hill still has a gaping hole in the middle of it that has prevented through traffic. Residents have had to detour around the area to get to their homes.

“The Army Corp of Engineers regulations don’t allow in-stream work to begin until after July 15,” LaFreniere said in regard to Macomber Hill Road. The other roads that needed federal and state permits will also be fixed after July 15.

LaFreniere said the town had received 6-8 inches of rain June 29 in a short period of time. They used every emergency cone and barrier they had and ended up dumping piles of dirt in front of the holes in the roads to deter motor vehicles. Those barrier are still up on Macomber Hill Road.

O’Keefe said that the dam on the Androscoggin River above Rumford Center has no flood gate. If there was one, that would have helped in the December storm, which was the second largest flood since 1936 for the town, he said.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection was on site very quickly to help deal with oil leaks and other hazardous materials, O’Keefe said.

Frank Diconzo, vice chairman of the Rumford Select Board, said people need to dust off their emergency plans and be ready for the next storm.

“Mother Nature is taking a turn for the worse and each time it gets worse,” Diconzo said. They need to get into the mindset of prevention, he said, to save lives and infrastructure, he added.

Farmington Fire Chief Tim “TD” Hardy said at one point during the December storm, no one could get into Farmington and no one could get out. It was a like an island, he said.

Hardy said they are used to dealing with flooding of the Sandy River in the intervale area of lower Main Street where McDonald’s, Gifford’s Ice Cream, The Ice Cream Shoppe and Walgreens are located. Both Walgreens and McDonald’s just opened the inside of their businesses to customers. Gifford’s still has not reopened, he said.

Rumford Town Manager George O’Keefe, far left, gives a tour Friday to the governor’s new Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission at Rumford Falls. O’Keefe spoke of the damage during last December’s catastrophic rainstorm that devastated northern Oxford County. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

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During the Dec. 18 storm, they had to detour a lot of truck motor vehicle traffic around the area to side streets and that did not work well, Hardy said.

The officials said they used every option they had to communicate with each other and the public what was going on. Franklin County Emergency Management directors have been meeting on a regular basis with authorities to make plans to improve on what they have done in the past.

Commission members and guests went on a site visit to Rumford Falls Trail after the meeting Friday to see where the dam on the Androscoggin River is and the flood gate. They also traveled to 13 Main St. in Mexico just before the bridge washed over.

O’Keefe said to the crowd in a parking lot across from Hosmer Field that the water was 7 feet over people’s heads. After walking across the bridge to Mexico, Peter Merrill showed where the businesses and homes were flooded half way up the buildings. Several places remain unoccupied.

He said the nearby post office in Mexico still has not reopened since Dec. 18.

The group also had the option to visit Macomber Hill Road in Jay to see the damage.

“You all have been through a lot,” Commission Co-chairperson Linda Nelson, also the director of Stonington’s Economic and Community Development, said after listening to those who went through the flooding.

She thanked them all for their commitment to public safety.

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By now, it’s probably pretty clear that someone behind the scenes at HGTV really likes Portland, Maine. The powerhouse television network has featured Portland in many different ways through on-air and web content. That includes the city being chosen in 2020 for HGTV’s massive “Urban Oasis” contest.

So it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that Portland was featured on another list from HGTV. It’s a list Portland has found itself on often from various publications. HGTV has named Portland, Maine, one of the ’50 Best Places to Live in America’ for 2024.

Naming Portland to the list isn’t the problem. The problem is the small blurb HGTV wrote to explain why Portland was featured on the list this year. The excerpt reads:

“…some locals jokingly refer to their culture-filled city as Portlyn, suggesting their city is the Maine equivalent of Brooklyn, which many consider the hippest of the five New York boroughs”

In life, there will be many firsts. And this is likely the first time hearing that “locals” refer to Portland, Maine, as ‘Portlyn’ for many people. It’s likely the first time you’ve heard it because it isn’t true. Nobody refers to Portland as ‘Portlyn’ and they never will.

The foolish nickname HGTV invented shouldn’t anger Mainers as much as it will. HGTV meant it as a compliment. Maine’s largest city rivals New York City’s coolest and hippest borough for culture, food and fun. But here in Maine, we will still get annoyed and angry because that’s what we do. Nobody calls Portland “Portlyn” unless we say so.

And we’re saying no.