Nova Scotians love to talk about local food and drink.
While we fly under the world’s radar in many regards, when it comes to our local food (and, increasingly, drink), the name Nova Scotia carries a certain amount of reverence. I can still remember watching the original Ghostbusters film at the old Oxford Theatre in 1984. The special-effects ghouls and ghosts drew gasps, but a full-scale chorus of claps and cheers erupted only when Rick Moranis’s character, Louis, a socially awkward accountant, proudly announced that he was serving “real smoked salmon from Nova Scotia” at $14.12 per pound, after tax no less.
If you talk to most Nova Scotians about our food and drink superstars, products such as crab, scallops, lobster, salmon, apples and wine naturally get mentioned. Most of these products contribute tens, and sometimes hundreds, of millions of dollars to the economy. In the case of lobster, the figure reaches into the billions.
Then there is the wild blueberry. It is our official provincial berry and one of our most important agricultural exports but, arguably, the agricultural star we don’t talk about nearly enough. Consider that the wild blueberry industry contributes an estimated $150 million annually to Nova Scotia’s economy. Although the province’s wine industry is credited with an economic impact of more than $200 million, that figure includes tourism, hospitality and other related activity. The farm-gate value of Nova Scotia grapes alone represents only a fraction of the economic contribution attributed to wild blueberries. Apples are responsible for less than half of wild blueberries’ contribution.
So why don’t we celebrate them like lobster, apples or wine?
Peter Van Dyk has spent his life around wild blueberries. As a grower and member of the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia, he sees something much more complex than the small blue fruit most of us toss into smoothies or fold into muffins.
“The plant is a natural plant,” says Van Dyk. “It’s very low-growing and well adapted to the conditions of Nova Scotia. The blueberry itself is smaller than the highbush, way sweeter and has lots of different colours. It’s just a unique plant altogether.”
Comparing a wild blueberry to its larger, cultivated cousin, he says, is “like comparing apples to oranges. They’re [wild and farmed blueberries] both the same colour, but that’s about the only comparison.”
The difference begins underground. Wild, or lowbush, blueberries aren’t planted in neat rows. They occur naturally and spread through underground stems called rhizomes. Growers identify land where the plants already exist and manage the fields to encourage their growth.
Within a single field, there can be numerous genetically distinct clones, each producing berries with slightly different colours, flavours and characteristics. Unlike a highbush blueberry plantation, where rows may be planted with a single selected variety, a wild blueberry field is an agricultural mosaic shaped largely by nature.
“We take what Mother Nature give us,” Van Dyk explains. “You might see eight or 10 different clones in the spring and fall, and they’ll be different colours, so they’re easy to pick out.”
As someone educated in wine, I was tempted to ask Van Dyk whether blueberries benefited from terroir. Are they capable of expressing their place through variations in soil and climate? According to Van Dyk, it is difficult to identify noticeable differences between wild blueberries grown in one area and those grown in another. He farms in seven Nova Scotia counties and says the same broad collection of clones can be found across the province. Although they may behave differently from one field to another depending on soil composition, their overall flavour profile is similar regardless of place.
That adaptability to different soils and changing climatic conditions is increasingly important. Climate change is real, and one of its consequences is increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather. In the wine world, this has led many producers to reconsider which grape varieties are planted where. Some are turning to indigenous varieties that have adapted to their regions over centuries and may be more resilient in changing conditions.
Wild blueberries have survived here for thousands of years, developing resilience to Nova Scotia’s acidic soils, harsh winters and unique mix of insects and weeds. But climate change is testing even these deeply established plants.
“Nova Scotia has about 100 different climates,” Van Dyk jokes. A timely rainfall can mean the difference between a healthy crop and a near-total loss, even between fields only 10 kilometres apart.
The crop’s two-year production cycle makes those weather extremes particularly consequential. Fields generally spend one year growing vegetatively and produce berries the next. A drought can therefore damage not only the current harvest but the following year’s crop.
Van Dyk describes last year’s drought as one of the most severe he has witnessed. Late-spring frosts can be equally devastating. In 2018, he recalls temperatures dropping to about minus 8 C during the first week of June, when much of the province’s blueberry acreage was in bloom.
“The blueberry plant has been here for thousands and thousands of years, and it seems to recover,” he says. “But the climate changes are coming more often and more intensely. These plants can be resilient, but if you have five once-off events in five years, it’s almost impossible for them to do all of that and still produce a decent crop.”
Growers face economic pressures too: fuel, equipment and labour costs have all risen. Seasonal work requires trained people for relatively short periods, while farmers have limited ability to pass their increased costs down the supply chain.
Despite their importance, wild blueberries remain curiously undervalued at home. We know blueberry grunt, pie and muffins, but the berry’s potential extends far beyond dessert. Its concentrated sweetness and acidity can work in chutneys, sauces and vinaigrettes or alongside pork, duck, game and local fish.
“I think wild blueberries have a huge place on the savoury side,” says Van Dyk.
There is also no reason to treat frozen berries as a consolation prize. Most Nova Scotia wild blueberries are quick-frozen within 24 hours of harvest. Unlike imported “fresh” fruit that may spend days travelling enroute, frozen wild blueberries are picked ripe and preserved close to peak condition. They are also available 365 days a year.
That bag in the freezer is more than a convenient smoothie ingredient. It represents a native plant, rural employment, generations of agricultural knowledge and a crop grown across a landscape that resists agricultural uniformity.
Van Dyk estimates the industry contributes about $150 million annually to Nova Scotia’s economy. Recent seasons, however, demonstrate how vulnerable that contribution can be. According to Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia’s 2025 lowbush blueberry yield was 31.1 per cent below the previous five-year average.
Van Dyk believes the industry, government and Nova Scotians themselves need to do more to tell the berry’s story.
“It’s something that’s grown here forever, and we’re known for it,” he says. “We should be promoting the hell out of it.”
He has a point. Nova Scotia didn’t have to import the wild blueberry, breed it or persuade it to belong here. It was already part of this place. Perhaps it is time we treated it less like a humble freezer staple and more like the agricultural star it has always been.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Wild Blueberry Sauce
3 to 4 servings
Ingredients (pork):
1 ½ lb pork tenderloin, trimmed, silver skin removed
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)*
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredients (sauce):
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup red wine
¾ cup frozen wild blueberries
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste
*Available at many grocery stores and Asian food markets.
Directions: Place the sugar, gochujang, cumin, salt and olive oil in a bowl. Mix well. Rub over the pork tenderloin. Set the barbecue to medium heat. Place the pork on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 145 to 150 F. For larger tenderloins, once the meat is caramelized on all sides, move it to the upper rack and reduce the heat to medium to avoid burning. Continue cooking until the desired internal temperature is reached. Set aside to rest for at least three minutes before slicing.
To make the sauce, place a saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, shallot and sugar. Sauté until the shallot is soft, two to three minutes. Add the wine and increase the heat to high. Reduce by half. Add the blueberries and return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for two to three minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of lemon juice if the sauce is too sweet. Slice the tenderloin into medallions and top with the sauce. Accompany with fresh local vegetables.
Serving recommendation: Pair this dish with a medium-bodied, fruit-forward red wine such as Mercator Upper Ridge Marquette (winery, $21.99), Lightfoot & Wolfville Fauna (winery, NSLC and private retailers, $21.99) or Lightfoot & Wolfville Small Lot York Rd. Gamay Noir (winery, $29.99)*. For an international selection, try Meia Serra Dão Reserva Alfrocheiro (Harvest, $28.99), a medium-bodied, floral and fruit-rich red from northern Portugal.
*Made from Ontario-grown grapes.
Wild Blueberry Vinaigrette
Makes approximately 1 cup
½ cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries, thawed
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, finely chopped
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions: Place the blueberries, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, shallot, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. With the blender running on low, gradually add the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Taste and adjust with additional vinegar, maple syrup, salt or pepper as needed.
Serving recommendation: Make a wild-blueberry-inspired salad by combining mixed greens with fresh wild blueberries (or thawed frozen berries), diced cucumber, crumbled goat cheese, red onion and toasted pecans or walnuts. Add the wild blueberry vinaigrette and toss. Season with pepper.
