How One Oregon Blueberry Farm Turned to Falcons to Protect Its Crops

Norris Farms: A Family Legacy in Blueberries 

Nestled in the lush Umpqua Valley of Southern Oregon, Norris Farms has been a family-run operation since 1976. Known for their expansive organic and conventional blueberry fields, the farm is now under the leadership of second-generation farmer Ellie Norris. When Ellie Norris was a teenager, her parents planted their first few acres of blueberries. At the time, no one else in the valley was growing them, and they were told blueberries wouldn’t thrive there. But the family persisted, expanding from five to 700 acres over the years. Today, Norris Farms supplies fresh-picked berries from early June through late September, with multiple varieties grown across their land.

After earning a degree in marine biology and pursuing several careers, Ellie returned to the farm over a decade ago to help manage the growing business and steward it into its second generation. The farm also plays a significant role in the community, employing local high school and college students during harvest season. “It’s become a rite of passage for kids to come out and work in the blueberry fields,” Ellie shares. “Now we’re starting to see their kids come through second-generation workers. It’s really special.”

The Problem Takes Wing

In recent years, Norris Farms faced a major obstacle that threatened their harvest, an invasion of birds, specifically doves and pigeons, that descended onto the fields in massive numbers. “They would come through and just decimate the first pick of blueberries,” Ellie explains. 

Standard deterrents, such as decoys and air cannons, proved ineffective. The birds came anyway, gorging themselves on the ripest fruit and leaving little for harvest. That’s when Ellie turned to using a falcon trainer, a method she had come across as a viable solution for scaring away the blueberry-consuming pests, an age-old partnership between humans and birds of prey.

Enter the Falcons

Justin Robertson, owner of MaxYield Falconry, has been working with birds of prey for nearly two decades, beginning with a deep love for falconry as a sport and later applying those skills to agriculture. “At its core, falconry is about the pursuit and capture of wild prey,” he explains. “But what we’re doing on farms is using that natural instinct to scare off flocks that can destroy fruit crops.” 

While traditional deterrents, such as scarecrows, noisemakers, or reflective tape, often fall short, the aerial presence of a real predator has an undeniable effect. Birds like pigeons and starlings are smart. They quickly learn the difference between a fake threat and a living, breathing danger. Falcons are not just any typical bird; the practice of falconry has been used for hunting for over 4,000 years in Central Asia. They are the fastest birds on the planet, capable of flying at speeds of up to 200 mph. The U.S. military has even studied the anatomy of falcons at times to inspire the design of advanced fighter jets. 

Learning the Land

For the last few years, Justin has been returning to Norris farms with his falcons and reintroducing them to the land. At first, Justin introduces them slowly, flying them in short bursts to get their bearings. Over time, they learn the contours of the land and the flight patterns of their quarry.

Despite the elegance of it all, falconry in the field is far from simple. Raptors are not pets. They are wild, intelligent, and independent, and that’s part of what makes them so effective. Each bird has its own temperament, weather preferences, and limits. Some have days when they don’t want to work in the rain. Others refuse to fly if they’re too full. If one bird isn’t in the mood to work, another gets called in. It’s a daily shuffle of flight rotations, feeding regimens, and constant observation.

The birds are regularly weighed on gram scales multiple times a day to ensure they’re within the ideal range for staying healthy and motivated. If they catch wild prey during a flight, they’re given time off to digest and reset. The goal is consistency: fly, chase, return, reward. Repeat.

A Watchful Eye in the Fields 

While falconry abatement isn’t new, it has been used in airports, vineyards, and even cities; its adoption in large-scale agriculture is still growing. Justin has flown his birds over grapes, cherries, apples, and now, blueberries. 

While the exact volume of fruit saved is hard to quantify, the impact is clear enough that the farm doesn’t think twice about bringing Justin back. “The cost of having him here is far less than the crop loss we experienced before,” Ellie says. “We don’t hesitate to bring him back for the next season.” 

It’s farming by presence rather than force. And it’s precisely the kind of creative, sustainable solution that today’s agriculture is hungry for. For a farm like Norris, which values both production and ecological responsibility, it’s the perfect fit.

Rethinking Scale and Sustainability

Large-scale farms often face pressure to rely on mechanical or chemical solutions to protect their crops. But Ellie believes holistic practices like falconry have a place even in commercial operations. “Sometimes these ideas seem like they only work on a smaller scale, but this experience has given me hope,” she says. “It’s pushed us to think differently and explore new approaches that are more in tune with the environment.” She encourages other farmers to stay open-minded.

Sky’s the Limit

In an industry increasingly shaped by climate uncertainty, pest pressure, and rising costs, Norris Farms offers a refreshing reminder that some of the most effective tools are already part of the natural world. With the help of Justin, his falcons, and a little creative thinking, Ellie and her team have not only protected their crop, they’ve deepened their connection to the land they call home.

Visit Oregon Tilth’s YouTube channel to watch more of the exclusive and in-depth interviews with Ellie Norris, CEO of Norris Farms, and falconer Justin Robertson as they share more about their partnership, the challenges they’ve faced, and what it means to work with nature, not against it.

Justin Robertson
MaxYield Falconry
falconryabatement@gmail.com