Blueberry/Neighbor rant

[Reinbeau]

Due to my illness (I have a really bad case of Lyme disease) , I haven't been up to the Maine home for well over a month. As a result I've missed the main wild blueberry season - which really makes me mad because this year they were absolutely loaded! We have about an acre, maybe an acre and a half, of wild blueberries. We bought a DR brushcutter to take care of them, and hubby had worked his butt off two seasons ago mowing them all down, they regrew last year, this was the year they would really produce.

We live on a private lane, there were two houses on our side of the road, and two across the lane; hubby's home has been there for years, about four years ago the people who own the lane (they live at the end) sold off land, two house lots. The people who bought on our side are lovely people, Dave checks on our house for us all the time. Then directly across the lane from us is another nice couple. Everyone keeps to themselves, but watches what goes on, it's wonderful to have thoughtful people keeping an eye on our home. As a matter of fact, Dave called us to see what was wrong, why hadn't we been up, while I was sick. They're sweet, caring people.

The new people across the lane, though, in the other new house - they got off to a really bad start, renting the home to a sister, who was running drugs out of it

The traffic on the lane was unbelievable. Thankfully they're gone. We met the owners, they stopped by the house one day when we were there and they were moving in. The woman seemed nice enough, but....she saw the garden I've got up there and wanted to plant stuff in it (the soil is nice, hubby has nurtured it for years). I nicely said no, we have plans for it. I also told her how we tended the blueberries and that I harvested them each year. My impression of them was they were users, they use people to get what they want.

Well, you guessed it. I hadn't been up there, they went onto our property with a blueberry rake and harvested MY BERRIES. I am beyond angry about it. We're going up tomorrow with No Trespassing signs. These berries are in a long field along the lane, but the property is ours. The gall of some people. I don't care that they weren't getting harvested, I'd rather the deer eat them than have someone steal them

 

[ksacres]

Well, I do understand being upset about the stealing (they should have ASKED!!), but it would have been a terrible waste.

Maybe they froze some and would be willing to give some to you??

 

[Camelot Farms]

I agree....theft is theft. What if you had an old car up there that you werent using...does that make it fair game? (maybe a bit of an extreme example but still...)

And, how did they know that you wouldnt be up the very day after they took them to get them yourselves.

Its just wrong...

 

[leitha2006]

That is not cool at all! I have blueberries and only give 1 neighbor permission to take whatever. But if that happened to me I would be very mad! So sorry you have to deal with leeches (sp?).

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
No, feeding the wildlife is never a waste, as far as I'm concerned. The area is a pine barren, these plants are native, we didn't plant them, The Mother did, for all - I can't harvest them all ever, it's just too big. I'm very happy to share - but ask first, nevermind going in with a rake, trampling things in your wake

Maybe they froze some and would be willing to give some to you??

Now, believe it or not, that thought did occur to me and I'll post here if that happens, but I won't hold my breath.​

 

[AHappychick]

wow the nerve of some people I would make a police report and send them a bill.

I would also put up signs that say all violators will be prosecuted

 

[debilorrah]

Some people have NO manner whatsoever!!!! That is just about the rudest thing I have heard of! I would be banging down their door and telling them to hand over the berries.

 

[Whispering Winds]

When I was a kid, we had 60 acres and no matter HOW quick dad would get out there to look for mushrooms, the neighbors who's land butted up to ours had first pick . . .and they would laugh about it!!!!!!!!! Dad was sore about that, but poachers would get him going faster than anything. He was crippled but would walk miles to catch them. . .people need to ask first, regardless of the situation. What is yours is yours, period.

 

[hikerchick]

How do you know for sure that it was them?

 

[raroo]

I'd be just as mad if someone came and harvested my blueberries. (Theoretically, not that I have any blueberries.)
I agree, it's not about the berries needing to be eaten, its about people trespassing and taking what isn't theirs. If you let the berries go every year without harvesting, that's your choice, and not a berry free-for-all for people who see it as waste. Waste isn't the point. Your property, your berries, is the point.
Blueberries here go for about $6 for one of those tiny plastic containers. Man oh man, I wouldn't want to be caught traipsing around someone's blueberry field. They make so much money people base their whole lively-hood on them, have massive fields that are nothing but blueberries. LOL, blueberries are pretty big where I live. It's kind of funny.

blueberries blueberries blueberries. Blueberries. Starts to sound funny if you say it enough times in your head. OK now I'm rambling. Enough.