True North Berry Farm

The Hendrickson’s planted their first berry plants fifty years ago on rugged property on Lake Superior in the western end of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Truth be told, the farm was mostly an attempt by their parents to keep the seven siblings– ages seven to 17– out of mischief.

Strawberries were first, followed by raspberries, and finally the blueberries. Long hours were spent in the field planting, weeding, pruning, and harvesting, but the reward at the end of the day was a refreshing cold dunk in Lake Superior.

And it turns out, the blueberry plants loved the acidic, mineral rich soil. Thanks to the temperature buffering known as lake effect, the land around the Great Lakes benefit from a moderated climate, making it ideal for orchards and fruit. These natural forces together provide the crucial tartness and flavor necessary for a mouth-watering blueberry.

In 2016, they celebrated 50 continuous years of growing blueberries! Their first product, True Blue, is a celebration of that milestone and the culmination of a lot of hard work on the berry farm — heirloom berries now — as well as a tribute to their brother, Buck, who looked after them for all those years.