MAYES COUNTY, Okla. — Migratory birds destroyed a portion of a Pryor-area blueberry crop just as it approached the start of picking season as a Green Country family-friendly tourist attraction.
“We had literally made the (online) post that the birds came in, and then we had to re-post that we’re not open,” Outback Farm co-owner Garett Auxier told 2 News Oklahoma on June 3.
WATCH: BIRDS AND THE BERRIES: Pryor-area blueberry farm opens after bird attack
BIRDS AND THE BERRIES: Pryor-area blueberry farm opens after bird attack
He and his father, Mike Auxier, have cultivated one of Oklahoma’s only exclusive blueberry crops the last 15 years. However, the owners said recent storms and weather patterns throughout Green Country and the Great Plains regions drew an unwelcome guest to pick their own berries at the worst time.
2 News Oklahoma
“It’s called the Cedar Waxwing. They go from Canada to Mexico back and forth. They migrate,” Garett Auxier said. “And they land on the bushes, like 50. And they just smash the plant down and they knock all the blueberries on the ground, then another flock comes in and eats them.”
The species gives a pretty sight for bird watchers, but not so much for farmers and DIY blueberry pickers, and buyers of jam, maple syrup, and honey Outback Farm has to offer. The losses, the Auxiers said, totaled in the thousands of dollars, which means a major hit for a family farm that doesn’t sell to retailers.
“Whole Foods offered to buy us, then came back a second time and offered a lot of money,” Mike Auxier said. “They wanted the crop to go to their stores where they could sell it….We like (our) customers.”
Outback Farm did eventually open on May 31, however. With its four acres just a short drive from Route 66 near Lake Hudson, the owner, a native of British Columbia, hopes the Mother Road’s tourism potential keeps his American dream alive this summer during peak blueberry season.
“Since we’ve been doing this, in 15 years we’ve had kids that are ten years old (that) now have kids of their own and their kids come out and pick,” Auxier said. “And it’s quite rewarding. It’s good for the community.”
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