By any measure, the decision by Jasper Wyman & Son to sell hundreds of acres of blueberry land across Maine marks a significant moment for one of the state’s most iconic agricultural companies.
But rather than signaling retreat, company officials say the move reflects a deliberate shift in strategy, one aimed at navigating a rapidly changing blueberry market while preserving long-term viability.
In recent months, Wyman’s has listed more than 700 acres in Maine, including in midcoast communities like Northport, Union and Whitefield, part of a broader effort to shed what it describes as “non-strategic” holdings.
The sales can raise difficult questions for communities about economic development and conservation much like a proposed RV resort in Northport that stirred a backlash.
But for Wyman’s, these parcels, often consisting of lower-yield blueberry barrens or undeveloped woodland, fall outside the company’s core production priorities.
The reasoning behind the move was outlined by Colleen Craig, marketing director for Wyman’s, who emphasized that the decision is rooted in long-term planning rather than short-term reaction.
“While not a result of the small harvest, in a year of limited supply and high fruit costs, selling non-strategic land is helpful in fostering our continued investment in growth for the long term,” Craig said.
That statement underscores the company’s central message: the land sales are not an indication of contraction, but rather a reallocation of resources. By divesting from less productive acreage, Wyman’s is positioning itself to reinvest in higher-performing fields, infrastructure and efficiencies that can help it better withstand economic and environmental pressures.
Those pressures have been mounting across Maine’s wild blueberry industry. Over the past several years, growers have faced a steep drop in prices, driven in part by global competition from cultivated, or highbush, blueberries that can be grown more intensively and predictably.
Maine wild blueberries, as the name suggests, are not planted, but cultivated where they grow naturally.
At the same time, production costs, ranging from fuel to labor to fertilizer, have climbed sharply, squeezing margins even for large, established operators.
Compounding the issue is the inherently volatile nature of wild blueberry farming. Unlike planted crops, Maine’s wild blueberries depend heavily on natural conditions of their native barrens. Late frosts, drought and uneven pollination can dramatically impact yields from year to year, making consistency, and profitability, more difficult to achieve.
Wyman’s strategy also reflects the aftereffects of its recent expansion.
In 2021, the company acquired thousands of additional acres from Allen’s Blueberry Freezer, significantly increasing its footprint to roughly 10,000 acres statewide. Industry observers note that such expansions are often followed by a period of consolidation, as companies evaluate which properties best align with their long-term goals.
That appears to be the phase Wyman’s has now entered, retaining its most productive and strategically valuable land while divesting parcels that no longer fit its evolving model.
Across Maine, the amount of actively managed wild blueberry acreage has declined in recent years, reflecting a broader contraction and consolidation within the industry. Where roughly 60,000 acres were once in active production, that figure has dropped closer to 40,000, a shift that speaks to the economic realities facing growers statewide.
In midcoast communities, the sales have also raised questions about what comes next for the land.
Blueberry barrens, long a defining feature of the region’s landscape, are increasingly seen as potential sites for development, solar projects or other uses. In response, conservation groups and local initiatives — like a women-led effort to purchase a barren in Searsport — have begun exploring ways to preserve some of these open spaces, maintaining both their ecological and cultural significance.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
