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Florida Blueberries Ripen For The Season After A Marathon Pandemic Year

Where were you the first week of April 2020?

Brittany Lee was on her blueberry farm near Waldo, and she remembers it vividly.

"There was a 70% sales loss compared to that same week the year prior just in that first week of April. People weren't going to stores, everyone was staying home for two weeks," Lee said.

On the first day of the harvest season at Florida Blue Farms on Tuesday, there were no blue feelings — only blueberries.

"States are reopening, people are getting back into grocery stores, and really at the end of the day, we have a product people want. We have Fresh from Florida blueberries that are healthy," Lee said.

Once berries are picked, they can go anywhere: from a store down the street or even as far as Maine. Tuesday was only the beginning, but Lee expects things to ramp up to a peak in just a couple of weeks.

Lee says Florida Blue Farms will continue to pick berries for the next six to eight weeks.

Anthony is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397.