The northeast corner of the field is a living tribute to the first Pacific Northwest blueberry breeder, Joseph Eberhardt. Many of the highbush blueberries found in this section are novel while the rest are rare heirloom varieties grown by Joe. This blueberry patch is a mosaic of unique hybrids (cultivars) where adjacent bushes often differ in growth, berry development, and taste.

A deeper dive into Eberhardt’s history:

In the 1920’s, Joe Eberhardt started cultivating highbush blueberries on a 50 acres nursery north of Olympia, less than 30 miles from the Linbo Blueberry Farm. It’s unknown where he learned his horticultural skills, but we know he had contact with east coast USDA blueberry breeders. Eberhardt brought east coast blueberry varieties to the Pacific Northwest where the temperate climate and acidic soil are ideal for raising blueberries. Whereas east coast blueberry breeders were interested in producing the industrial, giant berry that could be harvested unripe (therefore firm) and without a sour taste, Eberhardt was more focused on flavors and bred plants based on his tastes. Organic acids make unripe fruit taste sour, but when ripe these organic acids turn into flavor. Joe’s varieties are very sour when unripe, but ripen into a complex and deep flavor.

Eberhardt Blueberry Nurseries sold their varieties, which included Olympia, Pacific, Washington, Eberhardt, and what was simply labeled “hybrid.” In the 1940s, a 2-year old blueberry bush cost $2 dollars each (equivalent to $35 in 2025). For 100 hybrid bushes, the cost was $15 (equal to $270 in 2025). This is where the blueberries in the back half of the field came from. And are now a hodgepodge of interesting hybrid blueberry bushes with a variety of tastes, sizes, and textures.