2021: 10 Days of Thanksgiving (Day 9)

"Blueberries ranked number one in antioxidant health benefits in a comparison with more than 40 fresh fruits and vegetables." 

When my brother Clair and I were teenagers, we worked for a berry farmer named Mr. Larson. This was so we had spending money during the school year. We lived out in the country so this was THE job most kids had in the summer to earn extra money.

All our "necessities" were provided for, but if we wanted anything extra we had to pay for it ourselves. It's interesting to look back now and realize every purchase I made was related to how many crates of berries I had to pick to pay for it.  Some day maybe I'll write about the financial lesson in all of that... or maybe I already have. I don't remember.

Anyway, Mr. Larson's main crop was raspberries.  He also had a small section of blueberries and some blackberries.  The raspberries were easy enough to pick, but the blackberries had thorns and I didn't like that. I did like that I could make more money picking blackberries, though. The blueberries were my favorite crop to pick because I could make good money and they didn't have thorns. 

After college, my brother continued to work for Mr. Larson as a ranch hand, driving tractor, pruning, and whatever else needed to be done. It was a part-time job to supplement the income my brother and his wife Beverly had from their regular jobs. 

When Mr. Larson got older and wanted to semi-retire, Clair and Beverly leased the farm for a few years.  Mr. Larson wasn't the easiest man to work with, so my brother and his wife decided they'd buy their own property and plant a blueberry farm of their own. They bought a home on 20 acres and cleared 10 acres for blueberries. They also planted some other fruits and a vegetable garden. Beverly is a master gardener, so they have lots of flowers and ornamental bushes too.  They've had Klock Farm and Nursery in Corbett, Oregon for over 40 years now.

I may be slightly biased, but my brother grows the best blueberries ever.  When he comes up to visit he asks if I need any blueberries and brings a supply of fresh frozen berries in gallon bags. 

This past summer I was visiting Clair and Beverly during blueberry season and got to pick a couple of crates to bring home. That took me back to my childhood.

I also have 2 bushes at my house that produce a nice little crop for me to enjoy fresh for a few weeks in the summer. When Clair comes to visit he prunes them for me and they have continued to thrive for many years. 

Today I am thankful for my brother, blueberries, and the opportunity to work for spending money when I was young. 

This is my 9th entry into the November Challenge, hosted by Debe Maxwell, CRS .