We still get asked this question all the time. After 10 years of growing certified organic Aronia berries, let me help you understand what an Aronia Berry is.
Aronia Melanocarpa is a berry known to have been grown by the Native Americans who used it for medicinal purposes. We are just now catching up with what they already knew and practiced. Aronia berries are very good for us and have often been alluded to as the local super fruit.
In particular, we grow Aronia Melanocarpa Viking plants. They are known for good quality fruit production. However, there are many other varieties in the Rosaceae family.
Recently we have seen Aronia cultivars being grown near commercial establishments as landscape plantings. Their generous flower clusters in spring, deep purple berries in summer/fall, and their orange/burgundy leaves in the fall make them an attractive planting for landscaping. Different varieties are available in a more compact bush. The Aronia berry bushes we have at our farm are very hardy and have grown to about 6-8′ tall.
Aronia berries, or chokeberries, as commonly known in the past, are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and powerful antioxidants that may have heart-healthy, immune-boosting, and anticancer properties. They are not choke cherries as some mistakenly believe.
We have pruned our first field of Aronia which was planted in 2009. We were amazed at how quickly they grew from their cut back to 8″ in March of 2018 to a full crop of berries in 2019. Although we knew from critter damage and mower accidents, they are extremely resilient.
Why Grow Aronia?
We planted the Aronia berries for their health benefits as well as practical reasons. They are easy to grow, fairly pest resistant, can be grown organically, and do not require frequent pruning. We had 40 acres and were looking for a way to make a portion of this an income producing property. The topography of our property does not lend itself to regular row crop plantings. We have smaller fields with hills.
With my health concerns, we knew whatever we planted had to be something that could be grown and maintained organically. Aronia as a nutritional super food we felt would be best grown organically. There are many other Aronia farms using conventional farming methods to control weeds and insects. However, we did not want to use those type of products at our home.
How to Grow Aronia
We purchased our plants from another grower. However, you can find them at a lot easier now. Many of the home improvement stores carry Aronia in the spring. They are also available through many of the seed and nursery catalogs these days.
You can purchase them any size, in containers or bare root. Because we did mass plantings over several years, we planted both bare root stock and seedlings which came in flats. Plant/cuttings were between 4-12″ when we planted them.
It is important when the plantings are small you adequately keep the weed pressure down. Whether you mulch, put down landscape fabric, have space to mow between the plants, or plan to manually weed them, some planning is required prior to planting.
The plants thrive in full sun with adequate drainage. If you are planting Aronia for your household’s use, I would encourage you to plant at least three bushes. In time you will have enough berries to use daily. The bushes are self-pollinating so you really don’t have to plant more than one. But you may want a bigger supply of berries.
When planting small plants, it takes about three years to get your first berries. You may get a a few to tease you your second year, but by the third year your production will begin to take off.
They grow quickly and send up shoots from the main seedling so that after a few years you have a large bush with far more than one stalk. Ours were planted 4′ apart originally in the row and now they appear like a hedge row they have filled out so.
We planted them in rows 10′ apart. At the time that seemed adequate; however, knowing what we now know, it is not if you intend to have commercial harvesting equipment in your fields. When our berries are fully loaded with berries, you can’t hardly get a 5′ mower between the rows. Twelve to fifteen feet between rows would be a better idea if you are entertaining the idea of a commercial planting.
How Do You Use The Aronia Berries?
We have used them in so many ways it’s crazy when I tell people. I get strange looks. We use them in:
- Smoothies
- Salads
- Soups
- Cookies of all types
- Fudge
- Granola
- Juice
- Frozen cubes for Drinks
- Syrup
- Cayenne Pepper Sauce for Meats
- Salad Dressing
- Oatmeal
- Yogurt
- Ice Cream
- Jam/Jellies
- Brownies
- Bars
- Pies
- Gallette
- Meatloaf/Meatballs
- Chili
- Fresh Fruit Salad
- Fruit Kabobs
- Stir Fry
How Many Do You Need Daily?
From the research we’ve been seeing, a handful of 14-18 berries per day is enough to benefit. That’s why it’s so easy to throw a handful in things and get the benefits.
What Type of Health Benefits?
Here’s where it gets tricky. Because we’re not physicians and researchers, we prefer you look at those sites to get the facts. You will be amazed! We suggest authority sites like: Pub Med. You will also find interesting articles on Medical News Today
You will find in your research studies on heart health, glucose management, immune boosting, lipid regulation, cancer prevention and treatment, and athletic performance.
We know the benefits are real. We have sold berries to so many people who have talked about just feeling better, cholesterol and diabetes management and inflammation reduction. One doctor recently asked my husband, who is 83 and you’d not know it, how he stayed healthy and younger than his peers. He took her a bag of berries. We have other physicians who are customers and use them for their families.
Future of Aronia
We like to think we have been ahead of our time. More and more Aronia information is becoming available. Product creation is a daunting process with government regulation, yet the Aronia products are beginning to hit the market.
We had to get a licensed space prepared and have inspections to be able to repackage our berries from 25 lb. boxes to one pound packages for retail sale. We have been working with a company to produce the Strawberry Aronia fruit spread. The red tape and safety precautions in place are time consuming. However, products are coming to the market.
Another factor in producing a product is shipping. Frozen products and glass jars require more care in shipping and are more expensive to get to customers. Several powdered forms of the fruit has become available. Often the fruit is freeze dried and crushed to produce a powder that can be used in drinks, smoothies, etc. Shipping problems are minimized. However, be sure to get the whole berry for maximum health benefits. Ask questions about the process.
In addition to our frozen berries, one of our favorite products is produced by friends and true scientists at Boone County Organics. We also have used and highly recommend A2 Immune.
We believe the more folks who learn about the health benefits of Aronia, the more the markets will grow. There has been a remarkable increase in the number of berries available to the public and to manufacturers recently. Again, due to the time it takes for plants to mature and the willingness of folks to devote acreage to Aronia knowing it is not a quick return on their investment. Couple these challenges with the lack of mass promotion, we are on the forefront of a health revolution!