Implantation
- The blueberry farm Les Delisle was implanted from 1981 to 1987. In those seven years, we planted 5500 blueberry bushes in Corymbe of four varieties:
- - 2400 bushes of Blueray which are a mid-season variety giving fruits of an interesting size.
- - 1800 bushes of Bluecrop which are also a mid-season variety well dressed from which the big fruits are of a beautiful pale blue color.
- - 1000 bushes of Northland more hardy and hasty, from which the fruits of medium calibers are very tasty.
- - 300 bushes of Rancocas which produce smaller fruits, and where the abundant blooming makes it a very good pollinizator.
Effectively, as with all fruit trees, the quality of the fruit is superior when many varieties are cross-pollinated.
During those same 7 years, we have installed an irrigation system and dug a pond to supply the water. The blueberry is a bush that needs a constant supply of water, where the occasional summer drought can prevent a good harvest as the bushes dies or provides smaller fruits.
In the first years,  we had to remove the flowers to allow the bushes to grow. Because of that, we had our first harvest in 1985 on bushes planted in 1981: 1 Lbs per bush. Then over years, the harvest grew. A blueberry farm will become profitable only after 10 years if everything goes well.
Speaking of the flowers, they have the shape of small white bells, more closed than the Lily of the Valley, and grow in cluster called "corymbe". The bumblebees are our best pollinizator and in the years of greater blooming, we buy bumblebee hives to give a hand to natural pollinizators.
In 1981, our three kids had respectively 3, 5 and 7 years old and all along the implantation, in the best of their capacities, they helped us a lot.
Facilities
In 1988, with the increase of production, we realised the damages caused by birds. So we decided to install a protective netting system held by steel string strained on cedar pole. We first have covered a section of 1000 bushes, and then covered more each year; by 1992 all the plantation was covered.
The nets are installed at the beginning of July, just before the harvest, and removed by Labour Day in September. If we avoid birds in the plantation during the harvest,  we appreciate them in the spring and fall when they eat insects and weed seeds. The installation need a lot of work but it allows us to offer a first-class fruit: well ripen without any beak marks.
As of the first year of production, in order to help our customers to cook with blueberries, we offered recipes made with blueberries and today we have available 5 flyers broadcasting 45 of our best blueberry recipes.
Over the years we have refitted our barn to a selling booth with the optic in keeping the country style look. For our customer convenience, we have added toilets facilities, a hand washing station behind the barn and a fresh water fountain to comfort thirsty customer enjoying u-pick in our Blueberry patch. A pick-nick area and field playground are available in the shade of our maple trees is made available for all.
Transformed products
By 1997 on customer request Ghislaine have complete an education program in small fruits recipes development. She starts producing from our blueberry crop, jam and blueberry sauce. With the increased demand for our transformed products, Ghislaine developed a whole variety of blueberry products including blueberry jam, blueberry sauce, BBQ sauce, vinaigrette, blueberry-rhubarb marmalade, a unique blend of blueberry paste with blueberry honey. Our blueberry products are available only at our farm booth.
Marketing
 By 1995 with the growing offer and demand for cultivated blueberries we gathered with others blueberries producers and founded "LES PRODUCTEURS DE BLEUETS GÉANTS DES CANTONS DE L'EST" and "LA ROUTE BLEU DES CANTONS DE L'EST". Our mission is to let know the blueberry producers, group publicity and buying pool. We have now a blueberry basket with our own brand and logo and received a lot of visibility as a group with press and television flash. From 1995 the group has passed from 9 to 33 members and this collaboration is for everybody advantages.
Technical support
Year 2000, with the decreasing support of available resources from the Ministery of agriculture, we have founded the "CLUB CONSEIL DU CORYMBE". This technical support club have hired an experienced consultant-agronomist and the members producers manage their blueberries plantations based on his expert counsels. With this consultant expertise we maximise the efficiency of selected fertilisers and minimise use of chemical products as well. The club is investigating to produce a certification plan and a certificate of good cultural practices respecting customer quality for our blueberries with respect of environment. |
