Gierke's Blueberry Farm opens
CHASSELL -- At Gierke's Blueberry Farm in Chassell, the bushes have almost reached their peak. But that hasn't stopped customers from looking a little harder to get the real stuff.
"From what we understand, they use high-quality growing practices here--no chemicals--so that's real important to us," said Mark Kronenberg from Dunbar, WI.
Owner Lynn Gierke says they use organic practices to grow their crop.
"We mow in between the bushes and we prune, but don't apply chemicals," said Gierke.
But the height of the bushes is the real reason for their success.
"A lot of people come because it's a high bush, not the low bush,” Gierke said. "That's what usually encourages people to come here and not go picking in the wild, and they're always amazed that blueberries actually grow high."
Even a couple drove from Iron Mountain to fill up.
“We drove a little bit to get here, but I heard of this place and could probably fill up some good buckets pretty quickly," said Melissa Bergstrom.
And while I only tasted a few, nine-year-old Elizabeth Kronenberg had something else in store.
"Making jam and freezing them," said Elizabeth.
"We enjoy having people here at the farm. It's a hobby farm, and so we try and encourage people to bring their kids and pick, and the kids know where blueberries come from--they come from a bush which then ends up in a grocery store, but it’s fun for the kids and that's what we enjoy," Gierke said.
Since the farm's opening this month, people have picked more than 2,000 pounds of these domestic blueberries. But there's still plenty to fill your bucket.
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