Orville Pulsifer
A.C.O.R.N. member “Orv” Pulsifer is a man with a mission.
Always interested in agriculture, forestry and renewable resources since childhood, he’s a driving force in the crusade to bring certified organic wild blueberries from the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada to world markets.
“This amazing little berry has been identified as one of the leading antioxidants in studies of dozens of fruits and vegetables,” he notes. “Certified organic wild blueberries offer the best of all possible worlds,” he’s convinced.
“This organic product combines tremendous assets,” says Pulsifer. “Our wild blueberries in this part of the world are among the most plentiful on the continent. They’re tasty, renowned to be very healthful, have excellent shelf life when frozen and are totally natural, with no herbicides or pesticides of any kind. “
So what’s the downside, you might ask? Supply.
Although upwards of 60 to 80 million pounds a year of wild (also called ‘low-bush’) blueberries are grown in ACORN territory, probably less than 100,000 pounds of certified organic wild (low-bush) berries are available at present. “There just aren’t that many organic growers yet,” says Orv.
For the past three years Orv Pulsifer’s McFetridge Farm and his friend, Jim Burgess of Glenmore Industries Ltd., both near Halifax International Airport, have been working to bring certified organic wild blueberry producers together as a team. Burgess is in process of launching a brand new production facility in 2005, which is capable of packaging wild organic blueberries in volume up to HACCP world-wide standards.
Orv is also part of small group who have formed Maritime Organic Blueberry Producers Co-op last year. “We have to start somewhere,” he says, “and this looks like a good beginning.”
“The problem is most growers are very small, harvesting only a few acres a year. So these growers have to work together to put enough of this rare certified product on the market to attract attention in the export world,” says Orv.
“Sure, there’s what they call ‘Forest Wild’ berries in parts of central Canada,” he notes. “A bunch of folks hire a bus and go pick in some woods or barrens for the day. But that’s not certified! Whose been spraying for budworm on that land, and when?” he asks. “But what I’m talking about and presenting is a crop of wild, natural, low-bush blueberries which have been raised by dedicated growers on specific tracts of land using totally accepted organic world standards every step of the way!”
What’s his goal? “Pretty straight forward,” he smiles. “I’m not focused on Farmers Markets too much, although they’re great places to do business!”
“My aim in life is to land at Narita Airport, outside Tokyo, with the absolute freshest, most tasty, healthful organic wild blueberries that part of the world has ever seen! It’s a niche top-quality market ' both in Asia and Europe - with really interesting potential. That’s where I’m headed”
Go for it, Orv...Onward!
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