Jubilee Blueberry Farm
By Kristin Yarbrough. Published in the Blount Countian on June 29, 2022.
As clusters of rosy pink spheres shift to denim blue in late June of each year, Jon and Sue Waldrop invite the community to the top of Pine Mountain to delight in their organic blueberries.
Jubilee Blueberry Farm grows four varieties of Rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium virgatum), a species native to the southeastern United States. Recognized as the sweetest type of blueberry, Rabbiteyes are named for the pink hue of their ripening fruit — reminiscent of the eyes of a Himalayan or albino rabbit. With white-to-pink spring flowers and glossy leaves that shift from blue-green to dazzling red-orange in the fall, the picturesque bush is also a favored ornamental.
In the 32 years since Sue planted the hillside terraces with Rabbiteye shrubs brought from Gulf Shores, Alabama, the 113 original bushes have multiplied into thousands. The blueberry plant has a natural tendency to air-layer, creating a genetic replica of the mother plant. Each winter, Jon and Sue relocate the new growth, increasing access to sunlight and open air flow for healthy, fungus-free plants.
Sue chose to grow blueberries because she was drawn to the fruit and its suitability to the mountains of Alabama. Drought-tolerant and free of the insect or disease issues that can affect highbush blueberry plants, Rabbiteyes are an ideal partner in Sue’s commitment to organic growing practices, which protect and enrich the land while producing wholesome fruit with higher nutritional value. Jubilee Blueberry Farm is certified organic and has been listed with the USDA for 25 years.
The farm’s name references the Biblical commandment of letting the land rest every 50 years: for Sue, the blueberry farm offered a passion that she could continue long after her retirement from a career in law enforcement. The name also nods to the land’s original homesteaders, whose surname was commonly mispronounced as ‘Jubilees,’ according to local yore. Sue purchased the property from the next owner, a cotton farmer who worked the land with plow and mule.
Many who come to Jubilee are repeat visitors who love the fruit and appreciate its healthfulness: among common fruits, blueberries are the richest source of anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant. Years ago, Jon and Sue’s berries were sold at organic markets in Birmingham and to chefs; now the farm is exclusively u-pick.
The u-pick price ranges from$12 per gallon at the beginning of the season when the berries are largest to $11 and $10 as the season continues. The bushes produce plentifully through the end of July, with the last of the berries ripening in the first half of August.
Located at 8485 Pine Mountain Road in Springville, the farm straddles Blount and St. Clair counties and is directly above Homestead Hollow. Availability varies according to the quantity harvested each day; confirm a plentiful supply by calling 205-994-1017 or 205-907-2759 before visiting.