Know your Farmer: Blueberry Hill Farm

Tucked just off HWY 199 at the gateway to the redwoods, a 75-year-old blueberry farm in Crescent City is entering a new chapter. Blueberry Hill Farm is now in its second year of production under the care of Yoli Hodde, who is bringing new ideas and new crops to a farm with deep roots in the Del Norte community.

Yoli moved to Crescent City six years ago with a remote job that gave her the opportunity to explore the area. Through camping, hiking, and spending time outdoors, she quickly fell in love with the community and the natural landscape. She came to Crescent City with a background in horticulture, having studied at Merritt College in Oakland, where she continued to build her knowledge of working with plants and the land. When she eventually saw a “For Sale” sign at Blueberry Hill, something about the property immediately caught her attention. She had a gut feeling that she should take a chance on it. The farm offered a place where she could put that background into practice while building something of her own.

After purchasing the property, Yoli discovered that taking on a farm with decades of history came with many unanswered questions. Blueberry Hill Farm was established in the late 1940s, and many of the blueberry bushes are likely the original plants. Yoli is the fifth owner of the property and remains connected with the previous owners, drawing on their experience with the land. With many years and different owners, the documentation about the farm is sparse, leaving even many of the blueberry varieties a mystery. As she took over, Yoli began getting to know the land, reworking irrigation, caring for the aging blueberry bushes, and learning what this very old space needed.

Yoli credits the Community Food Council’s Climate Resilient Farmer Training program, which she participated in during the 2024–2025 cohort, as an important part of her journey as a farmer. The 15-month program combines workshops, field learning, internships, and technical assistance to support the next generation of resilient local producers. As part of the program, she was paired with mentor and local farmer Eddie Tanner, from Deep Seeded Farm in Arcata, CA, who helped her work through some of the many questions that came with managing a 75-year-old farm.

One of the more recent projects at Blueberry Hill Farm has been transforming the farm’s top field. Yoli has added 250 new blueberry bushes to the field, which will likely begin fruiting in three years. While the new bushes become established, she is using the space between the rows to grow U-pick flowers and pumpkins, allowing the field to remain productive while the blueberry plants mature.

By planting out the top field, Yoli is also helping create a more biodiverse space. The flower rows are becoming “bee alleys,” filled with 17 different California-native flower species. These rows do not require irrigation and help suppress grass, reduce water needs, provide habitat, and support pollinators during the blueberry off-season. Yoli has noticed more native bees, frogs, salamanders, and other wildlife as this top field transforms. These changes reflect Yoli’s approach to stewardship, creating a farm where food production and a healthy, diverse ecosystem can exist alongside one another.

That approach extends even to the elk that regularly travel through the farm. Rather than trying to completely prevent them from entering, Yoli created an area of about one-fifth of an acre specifically for them that is not fenced off. This allows the elk to continue using a natural path through the property while helping reduce conflict with the farm and nearby roads.

Blueberry Hill Farm is still growing toward its larger goals. The farm does not yet produce enough blueberries to supply other local outlets, but as production increases, Yoli hopes to eventually supply local institutions such as Del Norte Unified School District and the Food Pantry and become a regular contributor to the local food system. The farm is now accepting EBT, including for pumpkins, creating another way for community members to access local produce.

As Yoli continues to build the farm, she is also working toward organic certification and developing practices and systems that support the long-term health of the land. She is documenting her production and learning as she goes, building on what she has learned from other farmers, agricultural programs, and the community around her. For Yoli, growing the farm is also a way to give back to the community that has supported her along the way.

Blueberry Hill Farm is a small but mighty farm, combining 75 years of agricultural history with new ideas for the future. Through native plants, cover crops, new blueberry plantings, and collaboration with other farmers and community members, Yoli is bringing new life to the farm while building on the history that came before her. She continues to grow the farm and her knowledge, working toward a future where Blueberry Hill can contribute even more to the local food system.

If you are interested in visiting Blueberry Hill Farm, this upcoming Saturday, October 3rd, 2026, there will be an U-Pick Pumpkin Patch Opening Day Celebration from 11:00am - 5:00pm. Visit blueberry-hill.farm for more information.