Holland Family Farm Opens for Blueberry Season
Holland Family Farm is a family owned and operated blueberry farm nestled on 13 acres in Mims. Since 2008 the farm has opened its field to visitors during the U-pick season, which typically takes place the last week of April and ends in the middle of May, depending on the year’s harvest.
U-pick at Holland Family Farm makes for a fun family outing. Visitors have the opportunity to walk the field and handpick blueberries off of five-foot tall bushels and purchase them for $3 a pound. A fully mature bushel can produce up to six pounds and some blueberries are the size of quarters. There are three different varieties available to choose from all of which are prime for baking. The three varieties include: Emerald, Jewel and Primadonna.
“I enjoy U-pick season and this year we are expecting a great harvest. The blueberries you find at the store are not picked ripe, so the flavor is not at its peak. You won’t find blueberries off the bush that taste as fresh as these,” said Dave Holland, founder and owner of Holland Family Farm.
Founded in 2003, Holland Family Farm started out with three acres and expanded to 13 acres in 2008. Dave, his son-in-law, Michael and family friend, Jay maintain the farm daily. Although blueberry season in Florida takes place from late March to the middle of May, Dave and his team work year round on the farm. Dave also works second shift at United Launch Alliance in Cape Canaveral.
Once season is over, the leaves change color, as nutrients are stored back into the shoots for growth next spring. A blueberry bush can produce thousands of flower buds every year with up to 16 individual flowers from each bud. The bushes start budding in November, and by January, honeybees start to pollinate the blooms. There are 50 honeybee hives at Holland Family Farm and the honeybees pollinate each bloom eight to ten times before the petals fall and reveal a small green fruit. Over the course of a couple of months, the small green fruit starts to grow and change color from green to pink to blue.
Before you plan your trip to Holland Family Farm during U-pick season, Dave encourages visitors to call before you come. The farm’s voicemail is updated daily with their hours. The tentative start day for U-pick season is April 27, but there is a chance it may start earlier or later. The farm’s hours also vary due to weather conditions. The farm will provide you with a bucket and bag for picking and payment is by cash only.
Plan your trip today and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Holland Family Farm,
4400 Bouganvilla Dr., Mims | (321) 269-9502
Find “Holland Family Blueberry Farm” on Facebook
This article appears in the April 2015 issue of SpaceCoast Living.
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