BY BETTY JESPERSEN

Staff Writer

There are plenty of blueberries still waiting to be picked this season in what growers say is the best season they've had in years.

Pick-your-own farms that open their doors to the public are finding they have lots of berries this time of year but a dearth of pickers.

"The berries are fully mature now and we need to get the word out that we are open. So far, we're not seeing as many people as we would like," said George Joseph, who tends about 2,000 highbush blueberry plants on three acres. He and is wife, Brenda, own Steep Hill Farm at 26 Clyde Wells Road in Fayette.

As the wild blueberry crop winds down, the highbush blueberry steps up. This year, the abundant rainfall that damaged delicate raspberries and blackberries was just what blueberries needed to flourish.

"This is an excellent year. Everything came together just right. The heavy snow buried and then insulated the bushes. There was consistently cold weather and we had plenty of wild bees at the right time," said Irving Faunce, who owns the Wilton Blueberry Farm off Main Street in Wilton with his wife, Jan Collins.

Their farm has 4,000 blueberry plants growing on six acres that will be producing into late September. Faunce said they hire young pickers and wholesale blueberries to several local supermarkets and farmer's markets.

"But there are plenty for everyone," he said.

Their "you pick" operation is open every day until frost. The hours are Tuesday and Thursday, noon to 7 p.m., and other days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Grace Firth who grows berries on five acres off of Route 134 in New Sharon said the continual rain this summer slowed down the number of pickers.

"We have so many berries. This has been a very good year," she said.

In Readfield at R & L Farm on Berry Road, Leanne Reed said the blueberries are ready and the late raspberries are just maturing. The family lost more than $5,000 when their early raspberry crop was lost to mold created by the nearly daily rain and she said they are banking on the late summer berry harvest.

They also sell pies, jams, honey and cheesecake.

"We have 21/2 acres in blueberries and expect to have them for a few more weeks," she said. People should just call first to make sure there are some still available."

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com