Blueberry
Fields of
Stillwater
Bev and Mike
O’Connor
9450 Mendel
Road North
Stillwater, MN
Mission Statement
Blueberry Fields of
Stillwater was created as
a sustainable blueberry
farm. We produce
flavorful, nutritious
blueberries for the
people of the Twin Cities
and surrounding areas.
We offer a peaceful
setting for families and
individuals to pick their
own fresh, tasty
blueberries.
The U of MN
plant breeding
program
crossed
southern high
bush with
northern low
bush to create
“half-high”
blueberries
suitable for our
MN climate.
There is a great
demand for pickyour-own, fresh
local produce,
especially for our
flavorful
blueberries, grown
with composted
turkey manure and
fish emulsions.
We also sell fresh
blueberries and
blueberry jams at
Farmer’s Market in
Mahtomedi and in
Shoreview.
History of BFS
In 2005, we started
to prepare the soil
with additives such
as peat moss,
compost, and
sulfur to make the
soil acidic. Here is
our son, Patrick,
helping us apply
peat moss.
With the help of
our three
children, we
planted our first
bushes in 2006.
Blueberry bushes
reach maturity in
8-10 years and
can produce for
30+ years so a
blueberry farm is
a long term
investment.
We apply lots of
mulch to keep
shallow roots
cool and moist
in summer and
protected in the
winter, to
minimize weed
competition,
and to improve
the soil organic
matter.
We installed
drip irrigation,
which
conserves
water.
We planted
more bushes in
2008 and 2009,
so we now have
about 2 acres of
blueberries.
Every bush gets
pruned in the
spring.
We cover our
bushes with
fabric row
covers in winter
to protect them
from drying
winds and
extreme cold
temperatures.
In the spring, we
put the row
covers back on as
needed to protect
fragile blossoms
during spring frost
events.
With the help
of the DNR, we
installed a nine
foot fence to
keep out
predators.
With all of this
preparation, we
were surprised
in 2008, our
first year of
expected
blueberries,
when we had
little to no crop.
Then again in 2009,
we had only a few
blueberries. We
contacted Dr.
Thaddeus
McCamant, Small
Fruit Crops
Specialists, who
confirmed we had
no pollinators in the
blueberry field and
our surrounding 20
acres.
Why Focus on Pollination?
• Pollinating insects are a must for attaining high level of fruitset. Blueberries that have been cross–pollinated with pollen
from other cultivars have larger size and better flavor.(New
York Berry News)
• “Blueberry flowers are open and receptive to pollen for 5-8
days. However, research shows that if a blueberry flower is
not pollinated within 2-3 days after opening, it is unlikely to
set fruit.” (New York Berry News)
Bumblebees with their
buzz pollination, high
speeds, large size, long
tongues, and ability to fly
in cool, windy, and damp
weather are most effective
at pollination. (University
of Maine)
Picture by Dr. Karl Foord
Pollinators on our Farm
• Annual bee studies by Dr. Karl Foord at UM showed extremely
low populations on our farm. Poor pollination has been limiting
production.
• We had large areas of turf, which are “deserts for pollinators.”
(Dr. Karl Foord)
• Other possible threats:
o Pesticides used to coat corn seeds at planting time and those
used to kill insects on soybeans are lethal to bees.
o Our land is surrounded by natural ponds, which are sprayed
annually to control mosquitoes.
Initially, we tried
planting patches
of blooming
plants in the
field, including
clovers. This is
thyme blooming
between
blueberry plants.
We plant areas
of annual
wildflowers to
provide
nourishment for
pollinators as
well as beauty
for our guests.
Jerry Linzer of
Honey-Pine
Apiary
maintains
honey bee hives
in our blueberry
field.
We purchased
Mason Bees and
encouraged them
to nest in tubes in
the field. Then we
stored the filled
tubes in our
refrigerator over
winter, bringing
them out during
the following year
pollination period.
We buy bumble bees
from a company in
Michigan. Some years,
they seem active and we
can see them busy in the
blossoms. Some years,
they don’t come out of
their boxes. Then the
company sends a new
box but often too late to
be effective.
We planted
more blooming
shrubs around
our house,
climbing vines
along the deer
fence, and
added annual
pots to the
field.
Buckthorn
• Since 2005, we have been slowly removing buckthorn from
our farm.
• Buckthorn blooms at the same time as our blueberry bushes,
which creates competition for pollinators.
• Buckthorn is a harboring site for a new fruit fly, Spotted Wing
Drosophila, which threatens fruit crops.
• With a grant from the NRCS, the Conservation Corp of MN
assisted us in removing buckthorn in 2013. Each fall, we
remove the new buckthorn.
We had
beautiful
blossoms but
the annual bee
studies showed
low bee
populations and
our production
was still low. In
2012, Dr. Foord
encouraged us
to get serious!
Efforts to Increase Pollination
We are in the midst of a long term plan to create pollinator
habitats on our 20 acre farm. We are grateful for assistance
from:
• Dr. Thaddeus McCamant of Central Lakes College Specialty
Crops Management Program
• Dr. Karl Foord University of MN
• Carnelian-Marine St. Croix Watershed District Grant
• Technical assistance from Washington County Conservation
District
• NRCS (National Resources Conservation Service) Grant
In Nov. 2012,
Rusty Schmidt
from
Washington
County
Conservation
District and
Mike built a
native bee
nesting site.
We covered it
with bee
favorite
perennials to
entice
bumblebees to
forage and then
make nests in
the 12 yards of
sandy soil.
In the spring of 2013,
we converted one acre
of turf to prairie areas
on our farm to invite
and sustain native
pollinators. Prairie
Restoration came to
burn the dead thatch
before we planted.
Native grasses
and wildflower
seeds were
planted in this
area in early
summer 2013.
Straw was
applied to
protect the seeds
and new
seedlings.
Small native seedlings
were planted in the
straw covered habitat
area. This acre of
native plants will
provide forage for
many pollinators.
During the first
year, we kept the
areas mowed for
weed control. In
2014, Black Eyes
Susans
(Rudbeckia)were
dominate but each
year, we will be
seeing more
wildflowers.
Our hope is that
we will have an
abundance of
native
pollinators,
especially large
bumblebees.
We are excited to
report that in
2014, Dr. Karl
Foord saw an
increase in native
pollinators.
This increase in
pollinators
correlated with an
2014 abundant
harvest of
delicious, large
blueberries!
Come and join us
during our next
season, which
usually starts in
early July and lasts
for three to four
weeks.
www.blueberryfields
ofstillwater.com