Huckleberry buyers follow the wild harvest

BONNERS FERRY — Even though many of the old mines in North Idaho are long since played out, riches remain for those who know where to find them. The region’s wild huckleberries are ripe for the taking this time of year, and Bonners Ferry residents have a go-to source for turning the fruits of their labor into cold cash.

Most have seen the signs proclaiming “huckleberry buyer” around town, but exactly how that works is a mystery for many. Katie and Jason Ward, huckleberry buyers, have established a temporary location at Three Mile north of Bonners Ferry, and they buy berries in small or large quantities.

“We do a lot of work in these small communities,” said Jason. “People are down to earth, just like we are.”

“It helps out the community,” said his wife, Katie. “People have come in and said they’re really glad we’re here.”

Traditionally, many people in huckleberry country supplement their incomes by selling berries each summer. Rather than going door to door at area restaurants and stores to make sales, pickers can simply stop by the Ward’s pop-up shop to sell all they can pick.

“We can handle a lot more volume than we’ve been getting,” Jason said. “We could handle 1,500 to 2,000 pounds between the two of us.”

However, the quality of the small purple gems is more important than quantity, the Wards said, and they have been very happy with the quality of the huckleberries Bonners Ferry residents are bringing in. They require pickers to clean their harvest of stems and leaves before buying them.

“We get a lot of older people who pick a couple gallons a day. Families with kids bring in what they pick on the weekends,” said Jason.

“Little kids come in to sell the small amount they picked, and they get super excited,” Katie added.

Although the going price for huckleberries varies just like the price of any other fresh produce, the Wards say they pay an average of $8 per pound. They sell them to customers stopping by their tent for around $12 per pound.

“We have to sell at the company rates,” said Jason.

The couple works for Hannah and Perry Inc., a wholesale produce distributor based in North Bend, Ore. In the spring and fall, the Wards buy wild mushrooms for the company. They travel from their home in Bandon on the Oregon coast to wherever people are harvesting mushrooms or huckleberries. Their distributor sells the huckleberries to manufacturers of everything from jam to hand lotion.

“We’re on the road all summer,” said Jason. “We go so many places and see so many different things. We make friends all over the Northwest.”

Jason has been in the wild edibles business for about 12 years, he said, while Katie has five years of experience. Before they began working for Hannah and Perry, they were harvesters just like their clients.

The two have found themselves in a couple of sticky situations with wildlife during their foraging forays. When Jason was hunting mushrooms in Washington state, his dog went after a black bear cub. Naturally, the mama bear was nearby.

“We faced down the mother bear,” he said. “Eventually, she turned around and went the other way. We came out alive.”

On another occasion, Katie and Jason encountered a cougar. They were picking near Libby, Mont. when they spotted the mountain lion just a few feet away. Again, they came out unscathed.

They said they will stay in the Bonners Ferry area until the volume of berries drops off. Then they’ll take to the road, headed for the next wild harvest.