How are wild blueberries harvested?
A. Wild blueberries grow close to the ground and the fruit is in clusters on the stems. Picking by hand would be very tedious. Early on, a short hand-rake was developed that has closely spaced metal rod tines. Improved versions of this are used by rakers in the fields to tease the berries from the bushes. Many mechanical harvesters have been developed to automate this process and some work very well so long as the terrain is smooth. Most of the harvest is still done by hand. Since blueberry leaves and twigs get in with the berries in the rakes, the berries are winnowed to separate the lighter leaves and chaff, sometimes in the field and always at the processing facility. Q.
