Burdick’s Awarded Farm of the Year in Cattaraugus County
Burdick’s Awarded “Farm of the Year” in Catt. County
Third Generation Blueberry Farm Honored for the Many Years of Business
It’s delicious, it’s versatile, it’s a berry… It’s a SUPERFOOD! Let me tell you all about blueberries!
We have 8 blueberry bushes at our home on Bryant Hill. This time of year, I dream of them and the luscious blue plump fruits these bushes produce. We feed them, we pamper them, we trim them, and we stand and admire them, waiting for the day I can make our first batch of blueberry muffins with fresh berries from our own yard. There are never enough to squirrel away for the entire year so most summers I head to Burdick’s to fill the freezer.
For well over forty years, my kiddoes and I took our canning kettle and an assortment of Tupperware containers to fill to the brim in what seemed like moments with four of us picking. I go alone now, more grateful than ever for the easy ride to the berries. Amazingly, the vintage bushes seem as lush and abundant as I remembered with blue, antioxidant rich goodness. They are almost too pretty to eat! Not! Every bush must have a taste test and then I observe in amazement at how quickly I harvest my fill.
Health benefits of blueberries are abundant. Here is a summary of those benefits found at Healthline.com:
Blueberries are low in calories, and high in fiber and Vitamins C and K.
They seem to have the highest antioxidant capacity of all our usual fruits and veggies with flavonoids, giving them the most impact.
Studies show they reduce the DNA damage that causes quicker aging and cancer.
Studies show that when you eat lots of blueberries you can reduce your blood pressure.
Some evidence indicates that eating fruits rich in anthocyanins – such as blueberries – is associated with reduced risk of heart attack.
Antioxidants aid brain function and delay mental decline, they may have anti-diabetes effects, may help with UTI’s, and may aid in muscle recovery after exercise. Bottom line: blueberries are awesome, sweet, colorful and can be enjoyed fresh or frozen. Refer here for fresh vs. frozen information: https://www.livestrong.com/article/530382-the-nutritional-value-of-fresh-vs-frozen-blueberries/.
The cool thing about Burdick’s Blueberries, a third-generation blueberry farm, is that it’s been around forever. Well, maybe NOT forever, but since 1952 when Milton Burdick and his wife, Pauline, bought the 80-acre farm they had been leasing and potato farming on for 15 years prior, and planted some 30,000 blueberry bushes on the property on Thompson Road in Cattaraugus, NY. He learned all about the science of raising the blue orbs at Michigan State and knew the site and soil were perfect.
He started selling them at a roadside stand in 1958, then by 1961 he fulfilled his pick-your-own vision and let his patrons do the picking. In the 60’s the second generation pitched in, and then their eldest daughter, artistic and creative Paula Jo Edwards was the first to bring in the pick-your-own flower garden.
Flip the calendar pages over to today and you’ll find that Burdick Blueberries is owned and managed by Paula Jo’s sister, Amy Edwards, with her partner, Beth. (Pictured) Their website informs us that “they made a career u-turn and moved from California in 2015 to keep the family farm and dream alive. While Amy oversees every detail of the farm operation, Beth manages the retail side and also the flower production called Bluems. They started hosting guests in The Guest House in 2019.”
The great thing about the guest house rented through Airbnb and Vrbo (see their website for full details – burdickblueberries.net) is that visitors have the entire property (now around 40 acres), the flower and vegetable gardens and the pool to themselves all year-round except during blueberry picking season – mid-July to mid-August. This well-kept Cattaraugus County Farm of the Year for 2023 award winner is so worth a visit, a picking, and even a weekend stay-cation!