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2011
Oregon Blueberry Pre-Harvest Update
Healthy and Delicious – A Summer Time Classic
Freshly Harvested Oregon Blueberries - one of the joys
of summer - are on the way and this year’s crop
is looking bigger and better than ever. In fact, Oregon
growers are expected to harvest more than 60 million pounds
of blueberries this year, a new production record.
A bumper crop of fresh blueberries is good news for customers
who have increasingly become aware of the advantages of
buying local and buying fresh.
While we tend to think of Oregon blueberries as simply
a tasty summer treat, blueberries have been named one
of the Super Foods for a healthy mind and body.
It’s the super food designation that has driven
Oregon blueberry production and sales increases in recent
years. With such large production numbers, Oregon remains
one of the top producing states in the nation.
Fresh Oregon blueberries are a hot commodity these days
for a lot of reasons with incredible taste, the highest
quality and high nutritional value being just a few.
Oregon growers routinely realize the highest crop yields
per acre compared to any other state, an estimated 9,000
pounds per acre. Oregon farms range from large operations
that ship their crop to both national and international
buyers to small family farms with less than ten acres
offering on-farm sales.
Oregon Blueberries –
Taste Great and Good for the Body
While Oregon blueberries may have advantages when it comes
to taste and quality, it’s the international interest
in nutrition and healthy eating that have fueled the growth.
In general, blueberries are a very rich source of antioxidant
phytonutrients.
Antioxidants refer to the negative oxidation properties
or compounds found in blueberries. Certain natural fruits
and vegetables supply the body with chemicals which react
against particularly harmful oxidants associated with
elements (“free radicals”) which can damage
a wide variety of functions and internal processes.
More
on Health – Five-a-Day The Color Way
Just one-half cup of blueberries helps you on your way
to meeting the USDA’s recommended goal of five
to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables. The
Five-a-Day The Color Way program suggests that to achieve
optimal health benefits, we should choose colorful fruits
and vegetables daily from each of the five color groups.
Blueberries are a proud member of the Blue/Purple group.
When it comes to taste and nutrition, Oregon blueberries
are the true blue. Their sweet, fruity flavor has been
enjoyed for years and now thanks to research going on
in labs across the U.S. and Canada, there’s big
news about the blues. These tasty little berries are,
in fact, powerful disease fighters.
Research shows that blueberries contain natural compounds
that help our bodies stay healthy and may help prevent
age-related diseases, including Alzheimer’s, macular
degeneration and some forms of cancer. With only 40
fat-free calories per half-cup, blueberries are also
a great source of fiber and vitamin C. A serving of
blueberries is a quick way to help meet the USDA’s
recommendation of colorful fruits every day.
Give Us a Call for More
Information
If you’re interested in additional information
on the Oregon blueberry industry, harvest, marketing
or blueberry nutrition, just give us a call. The more
you know about the benefits of Oregon blueberries, the
better you’ll like them.
Oregon Blueberries … it’s a great story.
Bryan Ostlund
Oregon Blueberry Commission
P.O. Box 3366, Salem, Oregon 97302
503.364.2944 • e-mail:
bryan@ostlund.com
www.oregonblueberry.com
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