EAST RIVER ST. MARY’S, N.S. – The smell of fresh, wild blueberries at Aigas Farms, Ltd. is enticing to the palette.
Blueberry farmer John Cameron, who runs his operation out of an approximate 6,000-square-foot building in East River Saint Mary’s, said the frost that hit the region in late spring put a damper on his crop this year.
“We had a nice blossom, but it couldn’t survive that cold temperature. We got hit fairly hard with the frost,” said Cameron, who also buys from numerous other growers and has all his berries shipped to Maine.
“On the bright side, the quality is excellent, the taste is there and there’s good sugar content.”
Cameron has been running Aigas Farms for 35 years; it was started by his father Stanley Cameron and now he operates it with his brother Allan and sister Audrey.
This past weekend, Cameron said that he was expecting there would be about three, or four days left for harvesting what remains of his crop, which he said is “average in size” this year.
“We’re getting to the tail end of it,” he added.
He is a big believer in the benefits of wild blueberries and cites a study that showed they can improve cognitive abilities, among many other health benefits they can provide.
Another study showed that drinking wild blueberry juice daily for 12 weeks was able to improve the memory of older adults.
Top 7 Health Benefits of Blueberries
(Source: draxe.com)
Wondering about the health benefits of blueberries and how they’re beneficial? Here are the top seven health benefits of blueberries:
1. High in Antioxidants
2. Helps Fight Cancer
3. Promotes Weight Loss
4. Boosts Brain Health
5. Alleviates Inflammation
6. Supports Digestion
7. Promotes Heart Health
According to draxe.com, blueberries remain one of the most nutritious, antioxidant-rich types of fruit in the world and have been shown to do everything from enhance brain health to keep your heart strong. Plus, in addition to the long list of health benefits of blueberries, these fruits are also super sweet, low-calorie and delicious.
NOTES:
• Other top antioxidant foods include dark chocolate, goji berries, pecans, clove and cinnamon.
• A 2007 test-tube study showed that low-bush blueberry juice reduced the growth of several types of cancer, including stomach, prostate, intestine and breast cancer c
