Blueberry boom

UMPQUA -- It was a simple idea: Plant a few rows of blueberries, give their daughters jobs and teach them the value of work.

But as the years passed since that first planting in 1984, those few rows expanded to 180 acres, and lessons in work ethic turned into lessons in international marketing.

Norris Farms, nestled near the family's home along the Umpqua River, expects to produce more than 1 million pounds of blueberries this year -- a new record.

About 14 miles northwest of Roseburg on Garden Valley Road, the farm is still growing.

Twenty-five acres of pear trees were recently uprooted to make way for more blueberry plants. Twenty-five more acres could be tapped for planting in the future.

"I wanted to be a hobby farmer," said Paul Norris, who along with his wife farmed other products before the children -- now all in their 20s -- were old enough to work.

"We were doing wheat and sheep and projects that were heavier to take care of," Sandy Norris said. "We ended up with three blonde, blue-eyed girls. We thought we needed something where everyone in the family could work."

The family didn't expect the project to become so large, and for years, despite the growth, the farm didn't turn a profit.

"I supported it off the medicine side for quite a few years," said Paul Norris, who is an emergency room doctor in Cottage Grove.

Now, the farm supports itself.

"Farming is marketing," Paul Norris said. "It took me a long time to figure that out."

The first harvest came in 1987. That year, the farm produced 30,000 pounds of blueberries -- about 10,000 pounds shy of what the farm can now process in a single day.

In 1990, Norris berries were shipped outside of Oregon for the first time, reaching seven states. A processing facility -- painted blue and dubbed the "Blueberry Barn" -- was constructed in 1992.

The early years on the farm were spent testing and trying different varieties of berries.

In 1991, they found the "Duke," a large, firm, early-ripening variety that ships well. Over the years, the farm kept turning to the Duke, and now it represents 95 percent of the crop at Norris Farms. They have the second-largest Duke planting in North America.

In 1993, as the farm established a reputation for large-volume, early-season berries, the farm for the first time shipped overseas.

Over the years, Norris berries have landed in Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Today, Japan -- where Duke berries are popular -- is the key international market. About 350,000 pounds of Norris berries will be shipped there this year.

Paul Norris isn't about to quit expanding, but he said the processing plant is not going to be able to handle a larger crop. So he'll build another one right next door.

"I will stop (someday)," he said. "I have a disease -- I just keep going at it. I love what I'm doing and I'm pretty good at it."

County fruit picking options Norris Farms, located about 14 miles west of Roseburg near the intersection of Oak Hill Road and Garden Valley Road, sells U-pick or pre-picked blueberries from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Several other area farms are offering U-pick or already-picked products. It’s best to call ahead to find out what is available. • Brosi Sugar Tree Farms, 540 Winston Section Road, Winston. Ready-picked o U-pick fruits. Vegetables coming soon. 679-1472 • Big Bend Berries, 458 Big Bend Road, Roseburg. Blueberries, raspberries, Marionberries. 673-8767 • James Orchards, 344 Hooten Road, Winston. Apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines and tomatoes. U-pick will begin in about two weeks. 679-6423 • Kruse’s Farm Market, 532 Melrose Road at Garden Valley, Roseburg. Market features its own produce in season, along with U-pick. A few strawberries remain, along with raspberries, blackberries, Marionberries and boysenberries. Vegetables will be available soon. 672-5697 • Laurance’s Shed, Highway 99 south, Winston. Berries, cherries, prunes, apples, melons, vegetables. 679-9342 • Norm Lehne Garden & Orchards, 386 Cleveland Rapids, Roseburg. U-pick season will begin with peaches in a couple of weeks. 672-2745 • Paris Orchards, 1692 Curry Road, Roseburg. Nectarines available for U-pick within two weeks. 673-6417

'YOUTH HOSTEL'

Sandy Norris sees the farm as a place for young people to learn what it's like to have a job -- something that worked for her daughters.

A large portion of the 400-strong picking and processing staff -- about 160 of whom pick on an average day -- is made up of high school and college students. They work alongside a large group of Hispanic workers, many of whom travel to the area from California or the Willamette Valley.

Some of the workers, friends of the Norris daughters, stay at the family home during the peak picking season.

"Our house is full of kids," Sandy Norris said. "It's a regular youth hostel."

One of those temporary housemates is Annie Palm of Roseburg, whose brother married into the Norris family.

"I'm related to them so they have to give me a job," the 19-year-old Oregon State University student said with a smile.

Palm works as a "row boss," part of a team that runs a weigh station in the field, prepares berries to be moved to the Blueberry Barn and watches over the pickers.

On a recent Friday, Palm, wearing reflective sunglasses and blue athletic shorts, did her best to communicate with one of the Spanish-speaking workers who had brought in a load of berries.

Palm doesn't speak Spanish, but the weigh station features a crumpled piece of paper with a list of some key blueberry-related phrases.

In her best Spanish, Palm tried to say, "Are these (containers) all on the same card?"

The woman offered a blank stare before returning to the field.

"She kind of looked at me like I was a huge idiot," Palm said with a laugh.

At the same station, 22-year-old Frank Spurgeon, a 4-year veteran row boss and former picker, speaks Spanish and English.

Originally from Honduras, Spurgeon moved to Roseburg 12 years ago. He says the language skills help things run more smoothly.

"A lot of (the workers) don't speak English," he said.

TURNING POINTS

Paul and Sandy do not recall exactly when they realized the farm was growing beyond that original lesson in work ethic.

"We kept thinking we were mom and pop, and then we looked and said, 'Oops, what happened?" Sandy Norris said.

Sandy Norris can see another turning point unfolding right now.

"Every day now, the girls say, 'Mom and Dad, you've got to stand on your own two feet now," Sandy Norris said. Her daughters are all on separate paths that have been keeping them busy professionally and academically. "We'll try to mature and handle things now. They've been a huge help."

Sandy Norris said the work ethic lesson appears to have paid off.

Twenty-two-year-old Ellie is about to finish undergraduate study at Oregon State University, and then she plans to move on to study marine biology as a graduate student. Carrie, 25, a medical student in Portland, runs the Blueberry Barn in the summer. Amy, 29, a financial adviser in Roseburg, still helps with payroll and human resources issues on the farm.

"They've all learned to work. They learned that they're capable," Sandy Norris said. "They can push themselves harder than they thought they could."

Amy Norris agreed that the lesson worked.

"All three of us are very hard workers and very dedicated to the family," she said.

Sandy and Paul Norris said it has been a great experience for the family to work together.

"It probably made them go to school a lot more, because they knew if they stopped they'd be out on the farm," she said.

Looking back at the big picture, Sandy Norris cannot help but take a deep breath.

"If I had thought back, years and years ago I probably wouldn't have had a clue that we would be this big," she said. "It's just evolved. It's an adventure. It's never boring, and that's a good thing."



* You can reach reporting intern Dan Traylor at 957-4213 or dtraylor@newsreview.info.