Wild Blueberry Farms Across Maine Suffer as Climate Change Upends Growing Seasons
Key takeaways
- Severe drought had gripped most of the state of Maine.
- The farm’s 2025 harvest was almost a total loss.
- “We got about 7 percent of our expected harvest,” Kroeck, 55, said.
Why this matters: environmental and climate reporting with long-term consequences.
Republish Seth Kroeck points out new spring growth in his wild blueberry fields at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick, Maine. Credit: Sydney Cromwell/Inside Climate News Related Warming Waters in the Gulf of Maine May Affect the Future of Lobsters The Wabanaki Basketmakers’ Plans to Save Maine’s Ash Trees For Maine’s Lakes, Shorter Ice Seasons Mean Loss of Water Quality, Winter Traditions Share This Article Republish Most Popular $370 Million Payout Plugging Away at the Millions of Derelict Oil and Gas Wells in the US California’s Battery Array Is as Powerful as 12 Nuclear Power Plants. Here’s What’s on the Horizon. Last summer, the wild blueberry fields at Crystal Spring Farm turned red too soon.
Severe drought had gripped most of the state of Maine. At his farm near the town of Brunswick, Seth Kroeck knew the leaves were changing color prematurely because the blueberry plants were stressed. Berries shriveled before they could ripen.
The farm’s 2025 harvest was almost a total loss.