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Blueberries a staple in Richmond for more than 100 years

Blueberries were already a popular treat in the late 1800s.
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A woman was at a blueberry U-pick in August 1957. City of Richmond Archives photo 2008 36 2 72

It’s the height of blueberry season in Richmond with stands selling them by the box throughout the city’s farming areas.

In fact, blueberries account for one-quarter of Richmond’s crop total.

The Richmond Friends of the Archives reminded the community that blueberries have been a staple in Richmond for decades.

They posted a photo of a woman at a U-pick blueberry farm in 1957.

Blueberries were apparently the most popular berry on Lulu Island already in the late 1800s.

There appeared to be two types of blueberries in the early 1900s – tiny tart ones that grew in bunches, and larger ones that grew as single berries and were better in desserts.