Standard equipment for picking berries in Alaska. Competition was stiff, but not usually from humans. 
Just to clarify, the berries that show up at my farmer’s market are wild berries. I’ve never had a cultivated/domesticated blueberry that was worth eating. It was also a ritual for me as a kid to go berry picking with my grandparents, but I have to say, I don’t enjoy it at all. Blueberries around here are low-down and close to the ground, and often grow in non-wooded areas. I end up with a backache and heatstroke. Not fun, it’s well worth the money for me to buy them. But truly, if I couldn’t buy them, I’d go pick 'em.
We also get Bilberries, though not a ton right in my area. They do grow really well a couple hours north of here. I was lucky enough to be vacationing in the Keweenaw this past August at what turned out to be the height of bilberry season. They were everywhere in the woods, and the locals have bilberry turnovers and pies and jams. I almost like 'em more than blueberries; the flavor is very similar though a bit tarter.
Berry bushes here are more at thigh-high, sort of like the ones in SE Alaska. The ones in Southcentral AK were low-bush and could ruin your back in a couple of hours. The best way to pick was to find a good patch and either kneel or sit down and pick all around you.
Cut it in using a (nonmotorized) pastry blender. In fact, that’s also the easiest way to later add in the water-flour paste.
[QUOTE=Chefguy]
I don’t understand how the “trick” provides any benefit to the dough. Can you explain?
[/QUOTE]
I’ve never seriously pondered the science involved, but I think perhaps having the flour-water paste already partially blended makes things combine more easily, reducing the temptation to overwork the dough. Or perhaps the water is more evenly distributed, ensuring more places where explosive steam will produce flakiness.