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- Blueberry Pioneers
- DeGrandchamps in 45th year
of growing and selling blueberries
in South Haven, Michigan
- By Karen Gentry
Managing Editor
- When travelers and community members think of blueberries in South Haven in Southwest Michigan, the name DeGrandchamp easily comes to mind.
The DeGrandchamps have been growing blueberries for 45 years and their operation is a popular stop for tourists as well as local u-pick and retail customers.
They grow 130 acres of blueberries, 30 acres of cranberries and 10 acres of nursery stock. Today Mike, Joe and Bob DeGrandchamp and their sister Judy run DeGrandchamp Blueberry Farm Inc. started by their father, Vincent, who died in 1994. Vincent’s wife Bea still helps in the operation. Mike is responsible for the nursery and greenhouse portion of the business, Judy is responsible for office and bookkeeping, Joe is responsible for the blueberries and Bob in charge of the cranberry portion of the business.
Before purchasing the blueberry farm in 1958, Vincent DeGrandchamp “never saw a blueberry farm in his life,” said Mike DeGrandchamp. At that time the family lived in the Detroit area and commuted on weekends to the blueberry farm.
Gradually the family purchased more and more nearby acreage. A lot of the farms they purchased grew the Jersey variety. They currently grow 25 varieties of blueberries including Bluecrop, Duke, Elliott and Bluejay. They also work with Michigan State University researchers on the development of new blueberry varieties. They plan to maintain their current acreage of blueberries although they constantly take out their old, lower-producing varieties and put in new.
In early March, greenhouse workers were busy propagating plants. Their blueberry plants are shipped to commercial blueberry growers in the United States and Canada.
“Our plants are virus tested and certified by the Michigan Department of Agriculture,” said Mike.
Within the last year the DeGrand- champs built a new 12,000 square foot packaging facility with a retail area.
During the busy season (early July until mid-September) approximately 150 workers harvest and pack the DeGrandchamp’s blueberries. They rely on a mostly Hispanic workforce and house approximately one-third of their workers on-site.
“Labor is always a challenge and the biggest expense,” said Joe. Keeping up with all of the government mandated paperwork adds to labor hassles, according to Mike.
As members of MBG Marketing, a lot of the DeGrandchamp’s blueberries are sold by the cooperative, except for the blueberries sold through their u-pick operation and their retail store. Their goal is for 50% of their blueberries for fresh pack. Blueberries for processing go to Northern Pride Processor in Hartford, Mich., a processing cooperative of 20 MBG members.
MBG Marketing, representing 55% of blueberry production in Michigan, just held its 66th annual meeting, said Joe. He has served on MBG’s Board of Directors for 15 years. MBG also includes members in Florida, Georgia, Indiana and one member in Illinois, and marketing agreements with growers in North Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The DeGrandchamps credit MGB Marketing with easing their load. “As growers we just have to grow and package. MBG takes a huge burden off the grower,” said Mike. MBG Marketing also recognized and honored Vincent with its Blueberry Pioneer Award in 1992.
Through the years, the DeGrandchamps have observed changes in packaging and an expanding global marketplace. Old cellophane packaging has been replaced by clamshells. The DeGrandchamps now package in 4.4-ounce cups, six-ounce cups, one-pint dry, one-quart dry, two-pound clam and 2.75-pound clam as well as five- and 10-pound cardboard bulk boxes.
Blueberries have enjoyed increased demand brought on by publicity. “The industry did a lot of promotion - a lot of findings about antioxidant properties,” said Joe.
“I think demand is increasing,” Joe said. Supply and demand of blueberries goes in cycles and there was a large carryover of blueberries two years ago, according to Joe.
Many buyers of fresh blueberries increasingly want third-party audits, according to the DeGrandchamps.
Currently the biggest pest concern is the Japanese beetle. The insect is typically not a problem in the field but in the frozen pack, Joe said.
“It’s not a problem on the foliage or on the bushes,” said Mike. The DeGrand-champs say they have the Japanese beetle problem primarily under control.
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