Good morning, {nombre}!
Today I'm writing to you from the orchard with muddy boots and my jacket still on.
You know me, I'm the farmer from Valencia who, along with other colleagues across Spain, defends our fruits and vegetables.
Harvesting to order is not that simple; every morning (literally every morning) I have to check what you've ordered and go directly to the tree or plant to pick it.
It's our way of working, the traditional way, what our grandparents taught us, done with hands, patience, and thought.
Today I want to tell you about one of the battles we fight here in the fields, and believe me: it's not advertised. It's about one of the products our customers like the most.
Follow me and I'll tell you.
Blueberries in open fields are small and beautiful, yes, but they contend with three enemies that become friends as soon as they see a cloud. Rain, wind, and fungi. When they come together, things get lively.
Rain is life, of course, but if it's too generous, it turns the little plant into a sauna. Blueberries have very shallow roots and don't tolerate waterlogged soil well. The leaves and flowers get soaked, and every splashing drop acts like a taxi carrying mold spores from one place to another.
Moreover, with dark and cold days, the plant performs less photosynthesis, so it produces fewer defenses. It's like asking someone to run a marathon with a cold.
The wind sometimes saves your afternoon and sometimes it messes it up. If it blows gently, it helps dry the foliage, but when it rages, it breaks shoots, knocks off flowers, dehydrates leaves, and bees cannot work comfortably. One day of strong wind and pollination is left up in the air. And with the humidity on the leaves and stress from the wind, fungi thrive.
Molds and rot love damp corners within the bush, especially when the plant is very dense and air doesn't circulate. Those gray fuzzes appear on the fruits and soft spots that spoil the harvest. In other words, rain and wind lay out the red carpet for them, and they don't miss the opportunity.
The good news is there are ways to turn things around without being loaded with products. In the field, we learned to work with nature, not against it. The first thing is water where it's needed and when it's needed. Drains that remove puddles, ridges that elevate the plant, and precise drip irrigation first thing in the morning to avoid wetting the top.
Soft soil with plenty of organic matter and good acidity so that the blueberry is comfortable and can breathe. Then comes the air. Pruning that opens up the plant and lets the breeze through, removing old debris from the ground so it doesn't become a winter hotel for fungi, and clean tools.
It also helps a lot to have living windbreaks with hedges that calm the gusts without turning the plot into a fishbowl. And flowered borders, which attract bees and other allies that keep the system in balance 🐝. All of this is prevention, observation, and following the plant's calendar, not our own.
Here enters Antonio with his care. His blueberries are not in direct soil. He has them in pots with coconut fiber, which is like giving the root a mattress that breathes and drains quickly. The fiber retains just the right amount of moisture, airs very well, and also has that acidic touch that the blueberry appreciates.
In pots, we can separate the plants well, leaving aisles for air to circulate and moving them if a serious storm comes. If a plant gets damaged, it's isolated and doesn't infect the others. And since the substrate volume is controlled, we measure humidity and adjust irrigation precisely.
This isn't magic; it's observing, learning, and being on top of things. Antonio spends hours observing the color of the leaves, the vigor of the shoots, and how each plant responds. That time spent observing is worth more than a hundred manuals.
And now I'm going to ask you for something. Your opinion is our compass. What you tell us is what truly makes us improve. If you receive a box and are surprised by the taste, tell us, it gives us life. If you see something that can be improved, size, firmness, presentation, whatever it is, tell us too.
We have thick skin from the sun, but big ears for listening.
Thank you for being there and for defending fair agriculture with us. We will continue here, waking up early, checking orders, and going to harvest what's due, as it has always been done.
A big hug and see you next week,
