Berries

In the remote forests of Polesia in northern Ukraine the berry pickers arrive on foot, cycles or vehicles of every shape and vintage. What they have in common are the juice-stained hands of the practiced berry-picker. The bounty of the berries (blueberries, cranberries) enables industrial-scale foraging and has had a major impact on the local economy. The national economy too, with major export successes. Ukraine is the biggest exporter of blueberries to the European Union.

Ukraine’s berry wealth is also clear in the West where the natural gift of laden raspberry bushes matches that of Polesia. Other berries include blackberry, whortleberry, cowberry and wild strawberry.