FREE NEWSLETTER
A FEW YEARS AGO, I came across an announcement for a blueberry festival in Hammonton, New Jersey. My wife is always up for doing something different, so we made our way there one summer day.
It turned out to be a great way to spend the day and learn the history of New Jersey’s blueberry industry. The industry was founded by a woman looking to expand the crops on her family’s farm around the turn of the 20th century. What I learned that day has changed my life—or, at least, what I eat for breakfast.
First, the history: Elizabeth White was the oldest daughter of a cranberry farmer in the Pine Barrens section of New Jersey. She came across an article from the U.S. Department of Agriculture discussing what would be needed to turn blueberries from a wild species into a farmed crop. Elizabeth volunteered her family farm as the test site.
It turned out that the sandy, acidic soil of coastal New Jersey was well-suited for blueberries. She cultivated several new blueberry varieties and then developed methods to boost production. Heavily populated New Jersey is still among the top six states for blueberry growing, producing more than 22,000 tons in 2022.
What do blueberries have to do with personal finance? They’re considered a superfood, one that’s jam-packed with nutrients. This means that, from an efficiency standpoint, eating blueberries provides a large percentage of the daily nutrients our bodies need.
The cost of health care in the U.S. is staggering. The older we get, the more our bodies tend to break down. The less money we spend on doctor visits and prescriptions, the more we have to invest or spend. Blueberries are my means to a healthier, wealthier life.
I sprinkle blueberries on my cereal every morning. It may not be the fountain of youth, but it’s a start. Thanks to modern agriculture, I can get blueberries all year round, not just during the summer growing season.
The only downside is the cost of imported berries. My wife, who does the food shopping for our family, always tells me how expensive blueberries are during the off-season. I remind her that I don’t spend money on drugs, alcohol or gambling. I throw away my money on a blue superfood instead.
My wife follows a simple practice when deciding what we should eat. She tells me to keep my plate colorful, meaning I should make sure the food in front of me has colors like blue, green, yellow, orange and red. These are the hues of fruits and vegetables. What I don’t want to see on my plate is brown food, like grilled steak. Heart problems run in my family. For me, eating brown food is asking for trouble.
In college, I took a nutrition course taught by a World War II British army nurse. She emphasized that vitamin and mineral supplements are far more costly than consuming vitamins and minerals in food.
Getting your required vitamins and minerals is easy if you buy fresh produce and cook your own food. Not taking advantage of this opportunity would be a shame, especially as we age. Frito-Lay will fare just fine even if you never buy another bag of chips. Trust me.
Me too Dave!
Mom would make the best Blue Berry pie! Of course it did have the best sugar! ha.
I like BB in pankakes with walnuts or crushed pecans…. Yummm
Blueberries are definitely a healthy choice. We have an organic farm that we can pick our own in the summer, then freeze for later. Great for breakfast combos with nuts and seeds. I would add that there are other fruits out there that deserve attention – mango, strawberries, apples, currants, bananas, blackberries, raspberries. Each serves a unique source of Goodness. By eating all of these, we can get a full spectrum that nature is begging us to partake in.
I miss South Jersey and especially picking our own blueberries, some of which made it back to the weighing station. But I am still amazed at how good my oatmeal is when it serves as a platform for as many berries as I care to pile. Thanks for stirring the memories.
I buy fresh blueberries and blackberries (wash & dry them) and then freeze them. I add both to my cereal, strawberries, and pecans. The frozen berries keep the milk cold. 🙂