Success StoryNew Blueberry Grower Success



New Blueberry Grower Success

Author: Christopher Smigell

Planning Unit: Horticulture

Major Program: Commercial Horticulture

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Vincent Lovelace established a blueberry and bramble planting in Kenton County in 2012. By 2014 he began to sell fruit, with 200 customers that year. In 2016 he had 1,000 customers, and completely sold out his crop. He has removed most of the brambles, as the soil was too wet where they grew. As of last year, he has not made a profit overall, because of fixed costs, and the bramble plant losses. Still, he is one of the better growers, and has increased production from six- to seven pounds per plant in 2014, to eight- to ten pounds in 2016. His increased yields and sales have prompted him to put in 500 more blueberry plants in 2017.