Byne Blueberry Farms, Waynesboro

Byne Blueberry Farms is an organic blueberry farm in Waynesboro, Georgia. It is one of the earliest and most famous organic farms in the United States. Byne Blueberry Farms was started in 1980, before there was a National Organic Program, when owner Dick Byne became the first commercial blueberry grower in the Central Savannah River Area. Whole Foods and Earth Fare are some of the farm's biggest consumers. Privately owned by Dick Byne and his wife Linda Byne, the family runs the farm themselves with the help of their four daughters Diane, Janie, AnnNell, and Marian. The blueberries are grown on 20 of the 400 acres that have been in the Byne family for generations. The remaining 380 acres have been preserved as forest. The specific species of blueberry grown on the farm is the Rabbiteye blueberry, which is reputed for its sweetness and high level of fructose. This kind of blueberry is the most popular type of blueberry grown in the south. The farm was certified as organic in 1997, following a three-year certification process. ()