DECATUR — Warm weather has brought an early blueberry season for Fisher’s Blueberries in Gravette.
The “pick-your-own” blueberry farm will be opening to customers today.
Debbie Fisher, who owns the farm with her husband Gordon Fisher, said this will be the earliest they have ever opened their blueberry patch for the season.
“Once we opened on Memorial Day, but that was 20 years ago,” she said.
Debbie said she expects a bountiful harvest this season, which will probably last for the next four to six weeks.
“This year looks like it will be one of our better seasons,” she said.
On Friday, the bushes were heavy with plump blueberries waiting to be harvested, and a taste test revealed they were as sweet as the summer sunshine.
Customers come from as far away as Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri to pick the Fishers’ blueberries, and some plan their vacations around blueberry season, Debbie said. Northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma are about as far west as high bush blueberries will grow, she explained.
Debbie said her favorite part of blueberry farming is building relationships with her customers, old and new. The Fishers have been operating the blueberry farm since 1987 and many of their original customers still come each year.
Picking blueberries has become a summer family tradition for many families, and Debbie said she has enjoyed watching her customers’ children grow into adults and bring their own children blueberry picking. Other families have drawn relatives from across the country for blueberry season.
“It’s really heartwarming for little berries to mean so much to people,” she said.
The interest in locally-grown food and the growth in northwest Arkansas have brought a number of new customers in recent years, and sometimes hundreds of berry pickers visit the farm in one day.
The Fishers have three acres of blueberries that include three separate varieties. The Collins variety is the sweetest for fresh eating and ripen early in the season, while the Blue Ray and Blue Crop varieties grow very big berries in mid-season that are good for fresh eating and cooking.
The Fishers use natural farming methods and refrain from pesticides so berries are safe to eat right off the bush. Debbie said the bushes are pretty resilient to insects, although the birds and the squirrels get their fair share.
It's not uncommon for customers to see wildlife on the Fishers’farm. While the farm is only a few minutes drive west of Gravette, it has the feel of another world. On a summer morning, the only sounds breaking the peacefulsilence of the country are singing birds, the Fishers’ handful of chickens making happy noises and the muffled chatter of other blueberry pickers.
Blueberry farming is a lot of work. As an elementary school teacher for the Jay (Okla.) SchoolDistrict, Debbie has the summers off to help manage the blueberries; but there is plenty of pruning, mulching, watering and fertilizing to be done.
Gordon works for the Gravette School Districtand has served the community as a Benton County Constable for Township 11. The couple also grows a vegetable garden, raises a few goats and a small flock of chickens on their farm.
Fisher’s Blueberries will be open from 7 a.m. until dark Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday. The farm is closed on Sundays but willbe open on Memorial Day.
Fisher’s Blueberries is located a few miles west of Gravette off of Arkansas Highway 72, at 21971 Kane Road. Signs, starting at the intersection of Arkansas Highway 72 and Georgia Flat Road, guide customers to the farm. For more information, or to find out which berries are available, call 787-5312.
News, Pages 1 on 05/23/2012