Blueberry Business
This photograph features a group of men and women checking berries at the Blueboy Blueberry Co. The Historical Story of Pitt Meadows writes this about the company: J.K. Austring has made a name for himself with his Blue Boy Blueberries. It all started in 1942 when a young man came and asked him if he had any place to plant 100 blueberry bushes that he wanted to save from destruction by calves which were eating them. These bushes were set out on the Alouette Peat land eventually purchased when the Blue Boy Blueberry Company Ltd. purchased the first approximately 40 acres of land from Alouette Peat. John Kildahl Austring was a pioneer resident who worked in Peat farming and then turned land over to blueberries by the late 1940’s. He established the industry in Pitt Meadows. He also served the community as an alderman. During the 1960’s and 70’s the farm was a large employer especially during the summer blueberry picking season. John Austring along with his sons (Oscar and John O.) were involved heavily in the formation of the B.C. Blueberry Cooperative Association. Always pushing onwards with new ideas and innovations, George and Ragna Flynn began cranberry growing which began the widespread growth of the cranberry industry in Pitt Meadows. George Flynn followed this up with opening the Blue Heron Winery in 2004 which is still run by his family today!
Details:
Latitude: 49.2226767244642
Longitude: -122.72262634843
Direct Link: https://www.pittmeadowsmuseum.com/locations/blueberry-business
