Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Thompson.
Hi Erica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had an interest in the natural world – especially plants and animals – but I didn’t initially think that farming would be my career path. When my family moved to Corvallis in the early 1990s, we had a vote on which small business my parents should buy: it was between Blueberry Meadows (an 8-acre blueberry farm established in the 1950s), and a bed and breakfast. I was a little kid, but I knew I liked to eat blueberries, and I voted for the farm.
When my parents took over Blueberry Meadows, they were able to grow the customer base so that eventually all of the crop was sold on-site, rather than to brokers and grocery stores. We’ve had a lot of loyal, long-term customers over the years.
I earned a BA in Anthropology at the University of Oregon in 2011 and an MA in Cultural Resources Management at Sonoma State University in 2017, and I’ve worked as an archaeologist for over ten years. Growing food was always the aspirational hobby that I rarely had the time or stability of location to really focus on.
When my parents were starting to think about retirement, I realized that it was important to me that the farm stay in the family, because having grown up there I felt a strong attachment and sense of place. In 2023 I began transitioning the farm from conventional to certified organic, and 2024 was my first summer running the harvest. At that time I was (and still am) working as an archaeologist part-time for an environmental consulting company. My parents provided a lot of support those first few years, because although I had worked on the farm since I was small, there was a lot I didn’t know. My mom still does a lot of the administrative work like taxes and payroll, and my dad and sister help out with some field tasks and equipment maintenance. My partner has a full-time remote job but helps with the farm as well, and makes sure I remember to eat during the busy season. Some things about farming that I especially enjoy are being my own boss, working outside, and seeing the farm change with the seasons. The support of my family, our customers, and our fantastic employees has contributed hugely to where Blueberry Meadows is today! I’m grateful to continue stewarding the farm onwards into the future.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Looking at the bigger picture, my experience has been relatively smooth – but with a lot of hard work, stress, and uncertainty.
A key realization was that in taking over the farm, I didn’t have to do everything the same way that we had been doing it in the past. I could change things to make the farm a better fit for my strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. For example, in addition to offering u-pick, Blueberry Meadows used to take orders for pre-picked berries, hiring about sixty paid pickers each summer. I felt that was too much to manage, so I decided to instead focus on u-pick, and to sell smaller volumes of pre-picked berries on a first come, first served basis.
Another challenge was the transition to organic – both figuring out new products to use for fertility and disease control, and learning about the certification process, filling out the paperwork, etc. Several individuals and organizations provided me with help along the way, for which I am grateful.
And of course, there’s the challenge of weather and climate change, with extreme heat becoming an increasing concern. If temperatures are too high during bloom, it causes issues with pollination, resulting in lower quality and lower overall yield. High temperatures damage the berries themselves, and during heat waves a lot less people want to come out and pick berries!
As you know, we’re big fans of Blueberry Meadows. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Blueberry Meadows is a second-generation family-owned and operated organic blueberry farm. We’re located just north of Corvallis on Highway 20 and are open for fresh blueberries in July and August. We are mainly u-pick, but we also sell pre-picked berries during the summer and frozen berries in the off season. As of June 2026, we are certified organic by Oregon Tilth! We hire about fifteen people per year on a part-time and/or seasonal basis. We’re known for being a small, friendly local farm with great blueberries.
Blueberry Meadows strives to be a good steward of the land. With assistance from NRCS we’ve planted approximately 1800 feet of native hedgerow around the perimeter of the farm to provide habitat for wildlife and beneficial insects, and as a buffer from neighboring conventional fields. You can also find patches of flowers established within the field providing habitat and nectar to beneficial insects.
We have a picnic area where you can hang out in the shade of two huge walnut trees and play cornhole, and we have goats you can visit! We have cold (NA) beverages available for purchase as well as locally made handcrafted frozen fruit pops from Go Giddy Pops. Whether you’re wanting to fill your freezer for the winter or enjoy a hands-on outdoor activity with family or friends, we are proud to offer an outstanding product with excellent service, in a beautiful location.
Pricing:
- TBD
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blueberrymeadowsoregon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueberrymeadowsoregon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueberrymeadowsoregon/
