Blueberries are the tremendous superfood. They’re filled with nutritional vitamins, minerals, and include the very best antioxidant capability in it’s class. Blueberries are naturally low in energy and fats. They’re made up of carbs and largely water but in addition have a good quantity of fiber. Blueberries are an incredible supply of manganese, nutritional vitamins C, and K1. These tremendous berries additionally present small quantities of copper, in addition to nutritional vitamins E and B6. Blueberries have seemingly limitless well being and vitamin advantages, so it’s no marvel it’s a family staple. This little berry makes it’s means onto a lot of our weekly record of grocery objects, however is just seasonally accessible in america March to September. So the place do our blueberries come the opposite 5 months of the yr? Right here at Homegrown, they arrive from the fertile lands of Chile.
The Chilean blueberry season fills the harvesting gaps within the U.S. from October by April. Chile is without doubt one of the largest exporters of blueberries on the earth and has 15,601 hectares (one hectare accommodates about 2.47 acres) planted with blueberry bush, with 17% of these grown organically. Blueberry growers in Chile have, “… an ongoing dedication to discovering new and higher varieties to offer an excellent shopper expertise when it comes to taste, dimension, and texture. Analysis and growth of latest applied sciences for rising, harvesting, packing and delivery will proceed to increase the worldwide marketplace for Chilean blueberries”.
This season shall be our second annual natural blueberry import program with Chilean grower, Valles del Sur. This partnership has supplied a blueberry harvest from October by March to go with the alternating California and Oregon seasons. With the addition of our blueberry import program, we’re capable of present a year-round natural blueberry program to at all times examine natural blueberries off your grocery lists.
Among the many preliminary bulletins of our partnership with Valles del Sur, our CEO Scott Mabs famous, “The group in Chile vastly aligns with the mission, imaginative and prescient and values of Homegrown and operates in a really related methodology of enterprise. Collectively we’re excited to deliver their product to the US market and higher serve our customs with a extra sturdy natural blueberry program.” Valles del Sur began farming in 1991 and have been among the many first to plant blueberries within the area. Since 2018, Valles del Sur has been Honest Commerce USA licensed and takes pleasure in offering its year-round staff and seasonal harvesters with a secure working atmosphere and entry to Honest Commerce program advantages. Learn extra on Valles del Sur and the affect their Honest Commerce certification has had on their staff on our growers web page. Watch the video beneath to be taught extra on the Valles del Sur natural blueberries and the way the Honest Commerce USA applications have benefited the lives of their growers and farm staff.
