Thread: Hurricane Irene
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Old 08-25-11 | 09:37 PM
  #15  
Salmosebago
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From: Maine

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Blueberry capital of the world - NJ!?!?

Maine produces 25% of all lowbush blueberries in North America, making it the largest producer in the world.[citation needed] Maine's 24,291 hectares (60,020 acres) (FAO figures)[Full citation needed] of blueberry were propagated from native plants that occur naturally in the understory of its coastal forests. The Maine crop requires about 50,000 beehives for pollination, with most of the hives being trucked in from other states for that purpose. Many towns in Maine lay claim to being the blueberry capital, and several festivals are centered around the blueberry. The wild blueberry is the official fruit of Maine and is often as much a symbol of Maine as the lobster. While Maine is the leader of lowbush blueberry production in the United States, Michigan is the leader in highbush production.[6] In 1998, Michigan farms produced 220,000 tonnes (490,000,000 lb) of blueberries, accounting for 32% of the small, round berries eaten in the United States.[7]

Significant acreages of highbush blueberries are cultivated in the states of New Jersey, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.[8][9]
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