Maybe Marlin Gerber is the Johnny Appleseed of blueberries. Leduc, Michigan, blueberries to be specific.

Bluffton likes blueberries and Marlin Gerber feeds our appetites for the tiny summer berry.

Who is Marlin anyway and why does he come to Bluffton with blueberries?

Originally from Sugarcreek, he enrolled at Bluffton College in 1953. He took off a couple years to volunteer in PAX. Then he returned to graduate in 1960.

Every year since 1970, Marlin accepts blueberry orders from Bluffton residents.
Each spring The Icon gets several inquiries from residents asking when Marlin will take orders for blueberries. This year’s blueberries arrived on July 10.

(No he doesn’t pick these berries himself.)

How many blueberries did we order this year? Just guess.

Answer: Bluffton residents ordered 2,750 pounds – that over one ton – of blueberries from Marlin. He delivered that ton last week. This week he’s delivering one more to the Pandora area.

When we picked up our order, being license plate conscious, we couldn’t help but notice an Alaska vanity plate on the front of his truck. He quickly pointed out the plate on the rear.

Both plates are attached below. He’s the only guy we know who has two state plates on the same vehicle. And, we didn’t have time to ask for the story about that, but we can imagine it’s a pretty good one.

See you next summer Marlin.