Imagine an easy summer day where the sky has just enough clouds to shade you from the midday sun and a soft breeze blowing from Marys Peak and the not-so-far Coastal Mountain range. You’re standing in a row filled with lush blueberries which are waiting to jump in your mouth and fill your waiting berry bucket. Next to you is your best friend, giggling as the berries accidentally drop on the ground, making a slightly funny squishhhh noise as she rolls over them in her wheelchair. Your shared joy creates memories that last longer than the sweet fruit you’ve picked at Kiger Island Blues.
Kiger Island Blues offers a six-acre blueberry field filled with 10,000 Northern Highbush Blueberry plants with varieties chosen to ripen throughout the season. Starting at the end of June or the beginning of July, the Dukes ripen first, quickly followed by the Bluecrop, continuing some Legacy and the late crop led by the Elliott variety. The blueberry picking officially ends Labor Day, but as owner Mindi Miller says, “Depending on the weather, we often extend beyond that.”
Mindi Miller came here with her son in 2005 to connect with nature and live a simpler, non-corporate life. They learned farming firsthand, along with the help of local training and the community. “When I first came here, I learned the rules and regulations for selling kiwis from the trees already on the property. Taking care of this grove taught me in-depth about sustainable farming.”
She prides herself on using sustainable farming practices and a no-spray field. When a neighbor cleared his land, she replanted 300 from his field to replace unsuccessful bushes in her 10,000 bushes. You may notice a bank of solar panels off to the side of the blueberry fields. With this renewable, eco-friendly resource, the sun provides all the power the farm uses. Berries are hand-picked at the peak of freshness and either delivered to local markets or quickly frozen within 24 hours. Her efforts pay off with luscious-tasting fruit.
Mindi’s eyes light up expressing her passion to create an inclusive and accessible experience on her farm. A few years ago, Mindi met a gentleman who had been an avid bicyclist until an accident resulted in him relying on a wheelchair for mobility. His desire to be outdoors, to pick blueberries, and to enjoy life inspired Mindi to pioneer in creating a space where everyone, regardless of their physical abilities, can partake in the joy of berry picking.
As fate would have it, Mindi sat next to a local architect at Coffee Culture. Over coffee, he learned of her desire to make her farm accessible, so he decided to draw plans creating ADA compliance and flow for alt-abled people. She applied for grants that enabled her to purchase weed mats to cover the uneven grounds. At the moment, there are two rows placed between the early variety and the next ripening so that access to ripe berries for those using these special pathways is longer. Mindi plans to add another two rows of mats further down the field where the blueberries ripen later in the season.
“A young man and his grandmother came one late summer to pick berries. He asked if he could drive down to that end of the field to make it easier for him to get her wheelchair out and push her through the rows of ripe berries. This is why I want to add more mats!” declares Mindi, while adding that until she does, this benefit of driving to the ripe berry rows is available upon asking.
Mindi and her farm manager hand-prune the bushes to remain at a certain height, making it easier for all bodies to pick berries at every level. ADA porta potties are on-site during the season, and the driveway and slight slope to the fields are another feature that makes access for all easier. She hopes to apply for another grant in the next year or so to purchase an all-terrain wheelchair, similar to those used on beaches, for customer use.
Kiger Island Blues, 2322 SE Kiger Island Drive in south Corvallis, is open for picking during the summer season. Mindy posts on FaceBook or answers calls to let you know when to come and which variety is ripe. If you don’t have time to pick your own, she sells freshly picked berries in season at her farm, at the Corvallis Farmers Market, Peoria Road Farm Market in Corvallis, Midway Farms in Albany, and at all the Market of Choice locations. You can also enjoy Kiger Island Berries at Bodhi Cafes (1st and 2nd Street locations) in their yogurt cups, acai bowls, and blueberry muffins.
When you go, enjoy the fresh berries from the fields and share your photos on social media. If you include the hashtag #VisitCorvallis, we may even reshare on our social channels!
Article by Stacey Newman Weldon. Photo courtesy Kiger Island Blues. Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter.
