The Difference of Wild at Wyman’s
As a 150-year-old family-owned business from Downeast Maine, we’re honored to be featured in Betty Crocker’s delicious Wild Blueberry Muffin Mix. Thank you for picking up a box and scanning the QR Code on our can of wild blueberries to learn more.
Since the thawing of the ice age, wild blueberries have thrived in the barrens of Downeast Maine and Eastern Canada for over 10,000 years. Did you know that it takes two years to grow one berry? Wild, but true! It’s their fight for survival through the seasons that provide a range of nutrients and health benefits* in wild blueberries. Growing in their own ecosystem, there are tens of thousands of genotypes in any given field, which creates a diverse flavor. Once ripe, our berries are harvested annually each summer, frozen at peak ripeness within 24 hours, and then made available in grocery stores nationwide. In addition to finding us inside the Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry Muffin mix, you can find Wyman’s wild blueberries in the freezer aisle in all 50 states.
*visit www.wildblueberries.com for the latest health research studies.
A Shared History
Since 1958, Wyman’s and Betty Crocker have partnered to deliver the best-tasting wild blueberry muffin mix in the world (ok, maybe we’re biased). But it’s not just collaborating on a wildly delicious treat that has kept us together all this time — it’s a shared purpose. Wyman’s is proud to partner with a company that not only recognizes the importance of sustainable agriculture — but is actively doing something about it. General Mills is committed to advancing regenerative agriculture on 1 million acres of farmland by 2030. See link below for more details.
From Soil to Shopping Cart: A Story of Four Seasons
How do Wyman’s wild blueberries make it from our barrens to your Betty Crocker mix? Our harvesting method is a story of four seasons:
Winter
In the cold winter months, our berries hibernate. And though on the surface you merely see reddish brown stems under a snowy blanket, beneath the soil, preparation for spring has already begun.
Spring
The arrival of May brings forth a magnificent sight: acres upon acres of pinkish-white blossoms, as the work of pollinating the barrens gets underway. Once spring turns to summer, blossoms make way for bright green buds, which then turn white...then pink...then the most wonderful color of all.
Summer
The berries have turned a brilliant blue. Summer is in full swing, and with it, peak harvesting season begins. All those months of preparation have led to this, where our team gets to collecting only the finest wild blueberries. From there, berries are cleaned and individually quick-frozen within hours of picking, to lock in their nutritional value and delicious taste.
Fall
By mid August, the berries have been plucked, the harvest is complete, and the pruning begins. Once our mowers have done their job, the barrens are covered in a nutrient and moisture rich compost made up of their own leaves and unused berries. As October arrives, so too do the fiery crimson leaves that feed chlorophyll into the rhizomes for the long winter ahead. Then, the march to the next harvest begins...
No Bees, No Berries
At Wyman’s, we feel a deep sense of purpose to be responsible stewards of the land in which we operate. Wild blueberry fields are never tilled, soil health is paramount, and the only thing that leaves our land are the berries. We strive to maintain a healthy ecosystem for all — including the hundreds of species of wild bees and pollinators whose life cycle coincides with the wild blueberry harvest. Part of our ongoing commitment is creating and maintaining designated pollinator habitat on our land, which serves our native bees as well as provides food and shelter for visiting honeybee hives.
One third of the planet’s produce, and one hundred percent of our wild blueberries, owe their very existence to the efforts of bees and other pollinators. With that in mind, Wyman’s launched a consumer-focused campaign ‘No Bees, No Berries’ to provide education on the importance of pollination.