Augusta area blueberry growers share their love of the popular Georgia superfood

After setting up shop at the Aiken County Farmers Market for 15 years, Cathy and Ed Kvartek decided it was time to venture out on their own.

“It took us a while to find a property," Cathy Kvartek said. "We wanted a place that made people want to come back.”

Herb n Berries U-Pick Blueberry Farm is located in Aiken at 148 Keeper Lane, with around 1,250 blueberry bushes on site. The farm opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Blueberry pickers can stop by during operating hours and pay $4.50 per pound.

More: National Blueberry Month: Learn more about the berry that’s so popular in Georgia

“We purchased this property in 2005. We actually bought it from the folks next door,” said Ed Kvartek. “Prior to us purchasing it, they kept horses on the property. The land was bare. After we got the property we bought 600 blueberry bushes. We worked on the land tackling a little bit here and there each year.”

All the tools needed to pick blueberries are provided at the farm.

“We provide the buckets lined with clear plastic bags,” said Ed. “You can have a harness which allows your hands to be free while you pick. We even have different sizes for kids. We've had people in wheelchairs come out. We have a mini golf cart that we can transport them on. We’ve hauled people out into the field, placed them in a chair to pick. When they’re done they give us a call and we pick them up.”

Blueberries are grown commercially primarily in the southern part of the state. Some are grown in the north Georgia mountains.

Extreme weather conditions can bring about challenges when it comes to owning and operating a blueberry farm.

“The extreme heat can make for a shorter season,” said Cathy Kvartek. “In the beginning, one year I picked 1,200 pounds myself. We had a season one year where I started in May and thank God it ended in September. But with the hot summers, our late berries are coming in at the same time as our mid-season berries. We no longer go until September. We tend to end in August.”

Libby Mussetter and her mother Jessica are frequent flyers at Herb n Berries.

“I’ve been coming here since I was a year old,” said the 12-year-old-Aiken resident. “The blueberries here are so much better than the store-bought blueberries. I usually just eat them right out of the bag.”

Jessica said the warm welcome keeps her and her family coming back.

“We just love coming here,” Libby Mussetter said. “It's just something that we've done since the kids were little. We always feel welcomed.”

Byne Blueberry Farm, located in Waynesboro, opened in 1980, celebrating 44 years of being in business, said owner and operator Dick Byne.

“We’re the oldest and only organic blueberry farm in the Central Savannah River Area,” he said. “We're the third oldest in the United States.”

The commercial farm, located at 537 Jones Ave., started out with 15 acres passed down through the Byne family for five generations.

An array of blueberry products are offered and can be found online or at Earth Fare in Martinez.

Byne said the health benefits of blueberries was the inspiration behind starting a blueberry farm.

“My brother and my father in 1978 wanted to have a purpose for every acre of land that we own,” he said. “We had 20 acres available. We grew up around peaches. There were so many peach growers at that time. Nobody was growing blueberries at that time. So we decided to.”

Being in business since the early 1980s, Byne said he’s learned ways to adapt.

“We have 17 acres of blueberries and over 20 different varieties,” said Byne. “It seems like every time I answer the phone there’s a catastrophe that's getting ready to happen. This year the heat and humidity has really dragged us down. We have trailers that we keep our blueberries in. You want to keep your blueberries at 40 degrees or below. They'll last so much longer.”

As far as experiencing a seasonal shortage, Byne said he’s experienced the opposite.

“I usually only have an eight-week season,” he said. “This year we’re going into a nine- maybe 10-week season. My production has increased also. The reason is that we have a lot of different markets. We have 29 different products, which gives me the opportunity to diversify. We need every berry that we can get our hands on.”

In the event of a shortage, Byne has a contingency plan.

“Being established for 44 years, our field is well adapted to our blueberries,” he said. “If I have a shortage I try to work something out with other buyers.”

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at [email protected] or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Southern blueberry growers share love for superfood