PRODUCER & TERROIR
A NATIONAL ENDEAVOR
Eno Piil is a harvest supervisor in Estonia. His job is to coordinate the harvests we have chosen for our blueberries across his region. This fruit grows beneath the trees in the country’s south-eastern forests, in the flat, sandy ground that helps them develop. These genuinely wild berries are untouched by humans and are therefore guaranteed to be free from pesticide residues.
We hand-pick all our wild blueberries in the forest.
Blueberry farmer, watches over the forest and harvesters
TERROIR
Estonian forests offer the perfect conditions for blueberries’ development. The harvest will likely be good if there are enough pollinators visiting bushes and no overnight frosts when they blossom, as well as damp conditions. Moisture is the key factor in the fruit’s development, since wild blueberries can’t tolerate droughts which hamper their growth or cause them to wither. Blueberries’ ideal climate is therefore temperate, with an average temperature of 68°F (20°C).
GROWING TECHNIQUES
A MORE FRUIT-FRIENDLY PICKING METHOD
As an expert in both blueberries and their picking techniques, Eno uses a berry-picker so that he can harvest the fruit without damaging it. With its soft skin, it is very sensitive and can be easily crushed between pickers’ fingers, so the process takes time. The berry-picker lets workers harvest the fruit faster without damaging it. It is also more hygienic and less dangerous as the berries do not come into contact with harvesters’ hands, and the workers aren’t at risk of cutting or injuring themselves.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ACTION
MORE THAN JUST A HARVEST: A WAY OF LIFE AND A TRADITION
Picking blueberries (as well as mushrooms and other berries) is very important in south-eastern Estonia. It enables some families to provide for their children, particularly before the start of the school year. Some elderly people also make a living from fruit-picking. In this sense, it is of the utmost importance to the Estonian people and the country’s economy. We have made sure that each picker is paid a decent wage by our partner who collects the harvested fruit and sends it to us.
