Derryduff

BLUEBERRIES

We grow and sell high quality, delicious organic blueberries
packed full of vital nutrients.

Preparing the fields

In 2014, we began to diversify into organic blueberries for commercial sales. Blueberries grow very well in boggy, acid soil and like plenty of rainfall and don’t mind the cold; they are well suited to the conditions at Derry Duff. It has been a lot of work to prepare the marginal land for optimal blueberry production; planting windbreaks, removing rocks, installing drainage, creating raised beds, nurturing the plants from plugs in pots, as well as building a reservoir and connecting it to an irrigation and fertigation system, which drip feeds every plant.  We have now established about three acres of blueberry fields and are creating more every year. There is a long lead time in producing fruit, but the bushes have already provided enough fruit to supply local shops in the past two years, with yields expected to increase exponentially.

Growing the blueberries

Blueberries are fairly delicate plants and vulnerable to weed competition.  To suppress weed growth, we use ramial woodchip (chipped smaller twigs and leaves, rather than trunk) that has an ideal carbon-nitrogen ratio for decomposition. To help the plants absorb nutrients, we inoculate each one with ericaceous mycorraeze before planting. These fungi live both within the plant roots and within the soil, greatly increasing the roots absorptive area thereby enhancing nutritional uptake.  We conduct yearly leaf tests to ensure that we use the correct balance of organic fertiliser to optimally nourish the plants.   We apply this fertiliser through a fertigation system delivered to each plant, targeted precisely at the roots. This minimises fertiliser consumption. The fertiliser we use is a highly diluted organic amino acid that is easily absorbed and the high level of dilution avoids damaging the soil microbial and fungal life. 

Health benefits

As well as being delicious, blueberries have amazing health benefits; being high in polyphenols; plant immune compounds that have been shown to prevent a wide range of diseases associated with metabolic syndrome.   Blueberries are particularly rich in a class of polyphenols called anthocyanins that have been shown to optimise glucose metabolism, improve the ratio of good to bad fat in the blood and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The polyphenols in blueberries also have marked antibacterial and anti-viral effects and in the same way as cranberries can improve urinary tract health.   

Eating blueberries

By purchasing Irish grown blueberries rather than those from further afield, the time from farm to fridge is greatly reduced and you can literally taste the difference! People frequently comment that the flavour from our Irish fresh organic blueberries is far tastier than those imported. As well as being delicious eaten fresh, they freeze perfectly – they don’t clump together when frozen and so can be taken direct from the freezer to eat as a frozen snack or used on muesli, porridge or yoghurt, in smoothies or in baked cakes and muffins. 

buying blueberries

The blueberry harvest runs from late July through to early October and the berries are sold from retail outlets in Bantry and the surrounding area. Please contact us, if your business is interested in purchasing organic, Irish blueberries or if you would like to purchase berries in 1kg boxes (ideal for freezing), collecting directly from the farm.  We currently only have sufficient quantities to meet demand in the West Cork area and are not set up for courier deliveries.  However in years to come as the plants grow and the yields increase we hope to offer nationwide delivery. If you are interested in growing your own blueberries, we have several varieties of mature plants for sale. 

Cuibin, Derry Duff, Bantry, Co. Cork, P75 PD60, Ireland  |  +353 87 8540586

BLUEBERRIES

We have a diverse combination of skills and experiences and are committed to sustainable agriculture and healthy nutrition.

Our Story

We are Steve and Claire Collins and after an intense period of humanitarian work in Sudan, took a trip to West Cork. During a mountain walk, we came across a deserted farm and soon after, at the start of 2005, we became the owners of Cuibín, Derry Duff with a plan to renovate the land and run an organic mixed farm holding.  We left our home in Dublin and have gradually been bringing the disused land back to productivity and making the place habitable, installing a water catchment and purification system and mains electricity (after four years living off-grid).  Shortly after our wedding at the farm, where 350 guests braved the midsummers torrential rain to party till dawn, our first child, Seán, arrived, followed quickly by Cara and then Conor.

Our House

Steve initially lived in a small caravan, powering his laptop with his car charger to run his aid organisations. He soon built a 5m x 6m wooden shed which became our home and office for the next eight years. As our family grew, we converted two old outhouses close to the shed, into a bedroom and outdoor bathroom.  Meanwhile, we were designing and building our house into the side of the mountain, with huge picture frame windows.  Using principles of thermal mass and solar heat gain, we constructed an airtight, well insulated, mechanically ventilated building.  The main room is octagonal with a reciprocal framed roof, based on a Leonardo Da Vinci design, with the stove flue going up through a smaller reciprocal framed skylight in the centre of the room. It was a long wait, but it was worth it!

our Vision

We are working to create a beautiful farm, that is ecologically diverse, carbon-negative and economically sustainable.  We are producing premium quality, healthy, organic food and hope to encourage more people to understand that healthy food can be delicious. We aim to help re-envisage agriculture to better serve the customers, the farmers, the environment and the economy. 

DR STEVE COLLINS MBE, MD, DSc, MBBS

Steve is a medical doctor with a PhD in nutrition and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Long Island, USA, he is Ireland’s first Senior Ashoka Fellow Social Entrepreneur and a global expert in the treatment of starvation.  During his 30 years working to alleviate famine, he set up two organisations; Valid International Ltd and an Irish charity Valid Nutrition.  He developed a community-based method for the treatment of malnutrition that is now the global gold standard. In 2019, it treated more than 5 million starving children, saving hundreds of thousands of lives.  Steve’s nutritional expertise and scientific methods are uniquely suited to harmonising nutrition and agriculture at  Derry Duff.

CLAIRE COLLINS

Claire has worked in the humanitarian sector, working in administration, finance and overseas roles for Concern Worldwide, before setting up her own business to provide administration and event management services to charities.  For the last number of years, she has been raising their three young children, Seán, Cara and Conor and project managing the build of their house, as well as managing the finances and administration of the farm operations.  Most recently, Claire has designed and built a luxury lodge on the farm, which she rents out as farm stay accommodation.  Although, not a natural farmer, her organisational and financial skills are invaluable in running a slick farming operation, and turning the plans for the farm into a sustainable reality.

zbigniew kozdra

Zibbi is originally from Poland but has been living in Ireland for the last decade. A stonemason and nursery worker by background, he has a wide range of skills that are a huge asset to Derry Duff.  Zibbi brings dedication, skill and precise methods to any task; building dry stone walls, grafting apple trees, laying out and planting blueberry beds or raising trees and shrubs.  He brings the vision for Derry Duff into reality through the use of his practical skills and his pure hard work.   He also has an incredibly useful, in-depth knowledge of nature; whether it be foraging for wild mushrooms, defending chickens from foxes or calling swarming bees into a hive by banging wood together.

Cuibin, Derry Duff, Bantry, Co. Cork, P75 PD60, Ireland  |  +353 87 8540586