Bog Brook Blueberries in Transition
In the heart of MCHT's 1,500-acre Bog Brook Cove Preserve lies 80 acres of blueberry barrens. Surrounded by scenic headlands and wildlife-rich forested wetlands, these fields have produced fresh blueberries for years. Traditionally managed using conventional practices, under previous ownership and by MCHT (the Trust acquired the bulk of the property in 2008), the Bog Brook blueberry fields in 2011 began a transformation to organic. One year into the transition, MCHT has learned much, forged new partnerships, and made great strides.
The effort to transition to organic has been spearheaded by MCHT's Regional Steward Melissa Lee. It has been a challenging initiative to organize, but as Melissa recently commented, "Being a conservation organization that prides itself on protecting some of Maine's most spectacular natural areas, MCHT has a responsibility to minimize our impact on the land and to lead by example."
Through the years the Bog Brook blueberry fields have been subjected to at least eleven different chemicals to help control a variety of weeds, insects, and fungi. While the overall impact on the larger ecosystem from these chemicals has not been fully understood, MCHT decided there was a need to transition to organic. As Regional Steward Melissa Lee explained, "Apart from minimizing the use of chemicals on a popular MCHT preserve, the hope is that lessons will be learned from which others may also benefit."
As expected, the Trust has quickly discovered that organic blueberry management is far more labor-intensive than conventional practices. In 2011, MCHT employed college students for more than 750 hours to hand weed 30 acres, nearly half of the total. At the same time, sulfur was spread across the entirety of the preserve's blueberry fields. The hope is that sulfur will prove to be effective in limiting competition from other plants.
In addition to addressing unwanted vegetation, all blueberry growers must deal with deleterious insects. The blueberry maggot fly, for example, can significantly undermine the quality of the harvested product. MCHT has reduced the impact of this pest by using traps and sticky tape. Not being adept at flying, the flies often succumb to the sticky tape which is strung at the height of the blueberry plants. "We are still gauging the effectiveness of these techniques, but will continue to keep a close eye on the insects in the fields," shared Lee.
In addition to discouraging unwanted insects, MCHT has been busy introducing beneficial pollinating ones as well. Throughout the year a number of bee-friendly activities were completed, including: boy scouts setting up fifty nest boxes to aid native bee species, the renting of honey bees, and the purchase of Maine bumble bees. These activities were conducted not only to enhance current pollination efforts, but to increase future bee populations in the area.
While transitioning Bog Brook blueberries to organic has value by itself, MCHT hopes to serve as a model for other growers. To assist in this effort, the Trust has partnered with a researcher who had worked for several years at the University of Maine at Orono. She has been busy collecting data and compiling the results so that they can be useful for other growers interested in shifting to organic or reducing their chemical usage.
From the beginning, an important part of this project has been local support. One critical partner has been the Washington County Commissioners. Through their TIF Advisory Board, the county has provided critical funding to support this project. Another key partner has been the Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF), an organization that already manages organic blueberry fields. MCHT has not only learned from their experiences, but, at the same time, has shared with them the research conducted at Bog Brook Cove. Dedicated to conserving wild Atlantic salmon habitat in Eastern Maine, DSF sees this effort as an opportunity to reduce the number of chemicals that make their way into the salmon rivers of Washington County.
While it is too early to accurately assess the success and future feasibility of managing the blueberries organically at the Bog Brook Cove Preserve, the early indications have been positive. In the meantime, MCHT will continue to manage these productive fields, fields that produced more than 47,000 pounds of tasty blueberries in 2011.
