HOPE, Maine — The Brodis family has been harvesting wild blueberries on their rural farm for more than a century.
The farmland itself has been in the family since 1774. Over the years, the family has grown and so has their deep connection to the land.
Ron Howard met his wife, Sonja Brodis, when they were in high school. He says it was "love at first sight." The two, their children, and grandchildren make up just a fraction of the 15 family members still working on the farm today. Gwen Brodis, Sonja's mother, can still remember being a little girl and helping out in the fields during harvest season.
"I think it's fun for the kids, I do," Gwen said. "They learn so much. If they can get out in the open air and rake and learn, and they teach others. So, I think it's good for them."
This weekend, Brodis Blueberries will be opening their farmlands to the public as part of Wild Blueberry Weekend.
Like lobsters and potatoes, wild blueberries are a rich part of Maine's history and agricultural landscape. They are different than cultivated, high-bush blueberries which are larger and typically found in the grocery store. Wild blueberries are smaller and softer which makes it harder to transport and compete with international farms in places like China and Chile.
"One of the biggest drawbacks to growing wild blueberries right now is that the market has been flooded with cultivated high bush blueberries which are grown all over the world, Chile, China, all kinds of places and it’s just giving us a tough go," Howard said. "I think the way to compete is let people know there is a major difference. There's no one I know that has tried a wild blueberry and a cultivated blueberry and didn't say the wild blueberry isn't superior in flavor."
The family has found a way to bring wild blueberries into a new market by adding a distillery to the mix. The Brodis Blueberries farm store is now home to infused spirits.
Watch the story above to learn more about Brodis Blueberries.