CLATSKANIE, Ore. â A beaver scurried into a nearby slough as Jim Hoffmann drove his growling UTV past rows of organic blueberries at Hopville Farms.
Hoffmann bought the property as an investment 10 years ago in Clatskanie, Ore., about 60 miles northwest of Portland along the Columbia River. What he found was an impeccable area for growing blueberries, with its cool climate, clean water and soils rich in organic matter.
âThe soil, itâs like peat,â Hoffmann said. âBecause of that, it lends itself to organic growing.â
Hopville Farms finished its three-year organic certification regimen in 2020, and will begin selling certified organic blueberries in 2021.