A Slice of Skagit Berry History: Bow Hill Blueberries

There are a lot of locally grown delights to love in the Skagit Valley. Naturally, tulips are toward the top of the list for both long-distance visitors and locals alike, but strawberries, asparagus, and daffodils are more spring and summer time staples we can’t wait to celebrate. And as we wind down into late summer, there’s a perfectly ploppable, undeniably delicious little berry we just can’t get enough of: the blueberry!

Lucky for us, blueberries grow exceptionally well in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to our cooler, temperate weather and acidic soil. And if there’s one farm that’s leveraged this special opportunity (and honor, really) to grow the berry best bluebs in town, it’s Bow Hill Blueberries.

Heirloom Blueberry Plants

The Makings of A 73-Year Legacy

First established as a conventional blueberry farm in 1947, the land that’s now known as Bow Hill Blueberries was once the site of the oldest family-run blueberry farm in all of Skagit Valley. When the Andersons bought the land in 1933, their intentions were to grow goldenseal and strawberries. But one fateful day in 1947 changed everything when a traveling salesman from the East Coast brought in some of the first blueberry varieties from the wild to Bow.

You can imagine just how much of a gamble it must have been for the Andersons to cultivate an entirely new commercial berry in the midst of World War II, but we sure are glad it happened. Throughout the decades, the Anderson farm cultivated a number of heirloom blueberries including the initial plantings of the Rubel, Stanley, and Jersey varieties that were brought to them by said charismatic salesman.

The farm quickly became a mainstay in Skagit, with plenty of teenagers spending their summers picking blueberries for new school clothes and spending money. 2nd generation owner Dorothy was even president of the Washington Blueberry Commission for a spell.

Revitalizing a Family Heirloom

The Soltes Family

The farm was in the Anderson family until 2011 when the Soltes family took over the property and started the process of transitioning the historic blueberry bushes into the Certified Organic bluebs we know and love today.

Along with restoring the heirloom blueberry bushes and reinvigorating the rich soil that supports the crops, Harley and Susan also established an impressive value-added product line that allowed the farm to continue to thrive long past the final September harvest.

From powdered blueberries to Lopez Island Creamery ice cream to the Co-op’s own blueberry breakfast sausage, the Soltes’ solidified the Bow Hill Blueberry brand throughout the Valley and beyond while honoring the decades of hard work that the Andersons and their crew put in.

Bow Hill Blueberries has also been a catalyst and stepping stone for many small farmers including Pablo Silva, who now manages his own berry farm, Silva Family Farms, in Oak Harbor.

And as if these accomplishments weren’t enough, the Soltes were also instrumental in helping the Puget Sound Food Hub connect with local farmers in the area. For two years Harley assisted with managing the back end of the software that helped engage farmers and customers with the hub. Needless to say, they more than accomplished the goal of revitalizing a family, and Skagit, heirloom.

Handpicked Successors

Bow Hill Blueberries Current Owners - The Ranz-Matheson Family

In the latter part of 2020, owners Harley and Susan Soltes were nearing their 60s, and with the 9-year Bow Hill project under their belts, they were ready to pass the blueberry baton to the next family. But they weren’t about to hand the barn keys to just anyone. As they put it, “It was time to pass the farm to the next generation. Not our own children, but a like-minded young family that will take what the Andersons left for us and continue to grow it for the future of this community.”

Enter the Ranz siblings: Ezra and Audrey. Having grown up on a 5-acre farm in Lake Tahoe, the brother-sister duo always had the vision of taking on a project that brought them back to their roots. After searching for the right fit, the Soltes chose the Ranz-Matheson family to take the reins of Bow Hill Blueberries, feeling comfortable that the new owners would continue the legacy of stewarding this berry special land.

As the newest Bow Hill owners put it, “they are taking on this venture with humility, knowing they have a lot to learn.” Humility coupled with enthusiasm and a willingness the learn? Sounds like a recipe for success.

And despite a challenging 2021 season that included not only a global pandemic but an electrical fire, we’re beyond pleased to have Bow Hill’s fresh blueberries available in Produce. And if you’re reading this in the dead of a cold, gray Skagit winter, don’t fret. You can enjoy a taste of summer all snuggled up in your wool socks and oversized flannel with their frozen berries, blueberry powder, blueberry confiture, pickled blueberries, and dried blueberries. Blueb appétit!