News

Maine’s blueberry crop faces climate change peril

Maine’s blueberry crop faces climate change peril

Photo: clipart.com


Maine’s beloved wild blueberry fields are home to one of the most important fruit crops in New England, and scientists have found they are warming at a faster rate than the rest of the state.

The University of Maine scientists say the warming of the blueberry fields could imperil the berries and the farmers who tend to them because the rising temperatures have brought loss of water.

The scientists analyzed 40 years of data and found that the state experienced a 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.98 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in average temperature, but the blueberry fields of Down East Maine experienced an increase of 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.34 degrees Fahrenheit).

Farmers produced 47.4 million pounds of Maine wild blueberries last year, and that was the lowest number since 2004.

Latest Headlines

57 minutes ago in Local

Silver Alert Issued for Hancock County Woman

Fresh

Hancock County deputies say Alison Macleod suffers from cognitive issues.

8 hours ago in Local

Otisfield Man Charged After Woman Shot in Hand

Oxford County deputies say they were called to a report of a person who had been shot.

9 hours ago in Local

Owl Rescued on Lake West of Augusta

Officers say they found the barred owl along Annabessacook Lake Saturday morning.

1 day ago in Local

Police Looking for Missing Washington County Teen

The Washington County Sheriff's Office are looking for 16-year-old Lilyanna Rose Cook, who was last seen in Roque Bluffs, Maine.

2 days ago in Local

Struck-down Maine citizen’s referendum on super PAC donations heads to appeals court

Despite getting over 75% of the vote, a Portland judge deemed the referendum unconstitutional this past summer, citing the ruling made by the Supreme Court on the 2010 Citizen's United case.