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food, health, health & fitness, wellness, organic, food as medicine,, organic

Excited To Share MyAroniaBerry.com

After months of struggling to figure things out, I am finally ready to share our latest project with you. MyAroniaBerry.com is our companion site where you will be able to purchase Aronia items. Sign up for Aronia 101, where you can learn all about Aronia. Find out about the health benefits, and how to use Aronia. We’re also beginning to post on our new You Tube channel Fogle Family Farm. The granddaughters and I will be showing you how to use our Aronia products.

The high antioxidant benefits of Aronia are highly sought after by those who have done research into using food as medicine. Nature knows best! We want to help you feel better.

One of the products at MyAroniaBerry.com is the Aronia/Chocolate Immune Builder. The A2 Goat Whey and Aronia Berry combination is a powerhouse. I have had friends take this on a motorcycle trip with her because it makes such a difference for her! The Immune Builder is a non-synthetic, non-pharmacological, non-steroidal, naturally produced protein concentrate proven to increase intracellular glutathione. It is a great choice for people with an under-active or poor-performing immune system. Benefits are very real with folks who have:

  • Chronic Fatique Syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Type II Diabetes Mellitus
  • Hepatitis
  • HIV with wasting
  • Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome
  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  • Cancer
  • Myocardial Ischemia
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

In addition, folks looking to add muscle have had extremely positive results with the Immune Builder.

food, health, health & fitness, wellness, organic, food as medicine,, organic

AntioxidanT Aronia Uses

“What do you do with those berries of yours?” This is one of the most frequently asked questions we get. So when we had an opportunity to participate in the Warren County Farm Bureau’s first ever farm-to-table event in Hartford, we participated.

The meal preparation was for 300 and I’m not sure, but I bet those numbers were surpassed! We had offered Aronia juice to be mixed in with lemonade. Aronia lemonade is one of the most common (and easiest) ways we use Aronia berries. How do you make it? We have squeezed the raw berries with a garlic press and added them to the lemonade, we have run some through the Vitamix and added them to lemonade, we have added powdered Aronia, and we have used the juice we make with our steam juicer and can. All are very good and viable methods. When we use the juice, we add about. 2-3 ounces to a 2-quart pitcher of homemade lemonade.

If you’d like to see how it’s done…visit us on You Tube at Fogle Family Farm.

Woody’s Homemade Lemonade:

Juice of 2 large lemons or 3 smaller ones.

1-1/2 cups of sugar

2 quarts of cold water

Add your Aronia to taste (2-3 oz per pitcher)

It’s a very refreshing, unique way to have lemonade!

We’d talked about doing a couple of other items and decided on a dessert to offer. Because of numbers and warm temperatures, this didn’t get used last night. I was prepared to make it for 300 so you know it’s super simple. It’s a rich, refreshing way to introduce Aronia!

Strawberry Aronia Layered Dessert

Strawberry-Aronia Layered Dessert

For Cookie Crust: 

36 golden sandwich cookies 

1/2 cup butter,  melted 

Process cookies in a food processor to make fine crumbs.  In a bowl, melt butter & stir in cookie crumbs until evenly moistened.  Press into bottom of 9×13” pan.  Set in freezer to firm while making the next layer. 

Aronia Cheesecake Layer: 

1 1/2 cups chopped Aronia Berries

1/2 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 1/4 cups whipped cream 

Put Aronia berries in food processor (can be frozen) and pulse a few times quickly, doesn’t have to be fine.  Cream together butter, powdered sugar and cream cheese.  Add whipped cream to the cheesecake mixture and combine.  Fold in the chopped berries.  Spread mixture over the chilled crust.  Refrigerate.

Strawberry Gelatin Layer: 

3 oz package strawberry gelatin

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup strawberry Greek yogurt

4 cups whipped cream

In a large bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water; stir to dissolve.  Cool to room temperature.  Whisk in yogurt until combined with gelatin.  Add whipped cream and mix until evenly combined.  Pour mixture over cream cheese layer, smoothing the top.  Refrigerate 2-3 hours until set. 

Top Layer:

Top with whipped cream and a berry.  

If you’d like to try these and aren’t close to the local Fareways or Gateway Markets we serve, contact us at MyAroniaBerry.com and we can get berries to you.

health, health & fitness, wellness, organic, food as medicine,, organic

IT WORKS!

We love it when we hear “It Works!” Let me tell you about a friend of mine who was given a little bit of this Elderberry/Aronia Immune Syrup as a gift. Her husband thought he was coming down with a cold. She remembered this and gave it to him. Next day, he was better!

Her son-in-law was coming down with something right before they were leaving on vacation. He took a dose of the Elderberry/Aronia Immune Syrup and didn’t miss a beat on vacation.

These are but two examples of folks who have given Mother Nature a chance to help their bodies heal.

I slip folks a little bottle for them to try if they’re getting sick. Before you know it, they’re telling others they didn’t get sick. Folks who want to stay well are using the Elderberry/Aronia Immune Syrup to maintain health, because it flat out works!

Our granddaughter was recently riding a bike and took a fall. She skinned her tummy and came to me for some of that “stuff”. Her Dad put some antibiotic ointment on her tummy. The next day she wanted some of that “Grandma’s Stuff” on her tummy abrasion. “It works better.” It can’t get more honest than a 5 year old testimonial.

I had used the Elder Farms Herbal Releaf Salve with CBD on another skinned up spot a week or so before the bike accident. So this is the “Grandma Stuff” that took the pain away and helped her tummy heal.

There are so many ways we use the Elder Farms Releaf Salve: insect bites, scrapes, sore muscles, minor cuts, and rash relief.

Visit us, contact us, or go to MyAroniaBerry.com to order yours. It Works!

food, health, health & fitness, wellness, organic, food as medicine,, organic

Anthocyanins AND ARONIA

What Are Anthocyanins?

These are compounds naturally found in red, blue, and purple foods. They possess high levels of antioxidant activity and cause the dark colors in foods, flowers and plant material.

Why are Anthocyanins So Important?

Scientists have discovered about 300 different types of anthocyanins and research is proving the active role the compounds play in protecting cells, healing the body, preventing disease and hindering premature aging.

Aronia Berries & Anthocyanins

If you’ve seen our berries for yourself, you know they are about as dark as can be. They are a dark, dark purple, almost black berry. Their color is indicative of their high antioxidant levels. You always hear how good blueberries are for you…wait until you see how Aronia berries compare to Blueberries! Check out the chart below:

Yes you read that right, Blueberries have about half the antioxidants as in Aronia. So why haven’t you heard about this? I’ve heard that question so often. The reason is the Aronia industry has had some tough bumps and has been slow to produce products with wide availability. Some of the hurdles are slowly but surely being overcome. We have collaborated with two different companies to bring high-quality Aronia products to the masses.

We are developing MyAroniaBerry.com as a source for high-quality, certified organic Aronia products.

One of the products we are so excited about is a 50/50 blend of our organic Aronia and Elder Farms’ certified organic Elderberry. The finished product is an amazingly good blend of these two anthocyanin rich fruits. The result is a powerhouse immune supporting product.

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Exciting New Antioxidant Products

As COVID cases rise again and flu season begins, antioxidants and immune boosting should be a top priority.

We have been working with some great folks for a while and are proud to announce we are now carrying ElderFarms products. In addition, we are working hard to get more Aronia products labeled and brought to you as we work with another wonderful manufacturer.

The focus is on helping you get more antioxidants into your body in a way that will help you naturally prevent disease, ease pain, and help you recover.

We are debuting a few items this weekend with more to come soon at MyAroniaBerry.com

Testimonial
Woody and I babysit grandchildren and firmly believe in the power of purple! We create Aronia gummies for the kids, push Aronia/orange juice on them. We use the Elder Farms products we are now carrying as well as our own berries and juice. Last weekend, Woody developed a cold. Not so unusual given the time of year. Because of his age (85) we encouraged him to go to the doctor when he developed a fever. He didn’t want to share with me or the kids. Yes, he tested positive for COVID as I’m sure I would right now too. BUT, given his age and my weird sensitivities, we are doing very well. We can only attribute that to the prevention we have been doing all along. Yes we were vaccinated, but we also daily include Aronia and/or Elderberry/Aronia in our routine. Today, five days after he began having symptoms, he was outside walking around, doing some sightseeing and moving some stuff in the cab of the tractor. Honestly, the hardest part of COVID for us will be not seeing the girls.

Do yourself a favor – boost your immune system today!

food, health, health & fitness, wellness, organic, food as medicine,, organic, Uncategorized

Antioxidant Aronia

Recently we ran across yet another article touting the antioxidant benefit of Aronia berries.

Check this out on WebMD

After roller coaster ride of organic Aronia Berry farming, we finally feel like we’re on the roller coaster going up slowly. We are working with great partners who are creating wonderful Aronia products.

You can see for yourself the antioxidant rating of Aronia. They rank much higher than the blueberry or even cranberries that are so good for us. As we all struggle to stay healthy and build our immune systems, we need the antioxidant punch of Aronia.

One of the gentlemen we are working with has been encouraging over the last few years. When I was complaining about being sick and tired of cutting out the same trees over and over and fighting the weeds, he encouraged us to hang in there. He told us about a woman who tested the products he developed and way outlived the doctor’s grim prognosis. He has told us of folks who are living much better lives because of the Aronia berries and the products which are being developed. His exact words were “If you know you are helping others, you can pull a few more weeds.”

So as we keep pulling weeds, and cutting out stray trees, we are looking forward to bringing you these products. Keep watching or visit MyAroniaBerry.com to learn more.

food, health, organic

2021 Aronia Berry Harvest In the Books

2021 Aronia Berry Harvest complete! We had great help for the day to make it a success. Was it all it could be? No, heavy frost and snow in our low lying fields dramatically limited yields. We had no berries in much of the lowest areas. Drought conditions limited the size of the berries, but they’re picked and out.

All total we picked about 8700 lbs of berries! We’d anticipated about 6,000 lbs. We keep thinking what if frost/snow hadn’t impacted our lower field!

John from US Aronia harvesting
Ready to wrap and load in the refrigerated truck
Filled Lugs
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Aronia Berry Harvest Time Nears

By this time next week our fields will look drastically different, we will have had commercial harvesters pick our Aronia Berries. We’ll post pictures of the harvesting.

Lately we’ve been getting questions from small growers and folks at home who have berries, wondering why we haven’t picked them yet. Some people picked them when they first started turning purple because they look ripe.

We wait, sometimes impatiently, for the sugar content in the berries to rise. It helps our berries taste better than other berries which are harvested too early.

Our daughter says, “Sugar content?” (She’s not a fan of the fresh berries.) The sugar content in fruits vary from one to another. Aronia is a tart, dry, astringent berry that isn’t always a favorite of folks straight off the bush. We say it’s an acquired taste. Folks who aren’t really big sugar fans will enjoy the berries alone.

How Do I Know My Berries Are Ready?

The berries begin turning purple in July. Through August the berries fill out and ripen. If you have berries at home and wonder when to pick them, wait for the stems to change from green, to reddish, to dry and brown in color.

Berries themselves have a dimpled bottom. As the berries fill out and ripen, you will notice the dimpled area become more prevalent.

If you cut a berry in half, a ripe berry will be uniformly colored all the way through.

If you harvest too early, it’s fine, your berries just will not be as tasty and nutritious as possible. Next year, be patient.

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Pick Your Own Aronia Berries

You’ve heard the darker the fruit or veggie the better for you, right? You can’t get much darker than Aronia Berries. The nutritional value is amazing.

It’s time to see for yourself how they grow, learn about how to use them and pick your supply now. Join us at the farm the next couple of weeks to pick your own!

University studies have found a number of reasons to include Aronia in your daily diet. Read all about some of those studies in previous posts. But in a nutshell, they can improve cardiovascular health, balance blood pressure and regulate blood sugar and lipids.

Polyphenols, anothocyanins and compounds found in our berries are believed to be anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic. We encourage everyone to add a handful of berries in their diet daily.

food, health, health & fitness, wellness, organic, food as medicine,, organic

Almost Ready for Aronia Berries

Our recent rain and cooler weather has been fabulous for our Aronia. When we planted Aronia Melanocarpa on our farm they were just tiny plants. We planted the Viking Aronia plugs 4 feet apart in a row, with 10 feet between rows.

After a few years of weed eating between plants, they began to fill out.

Now as you look down those same rows, we can’t through with a mower and walking in there is a real challenge. The Aronia Berries are weighting down branches and filling the aisles. It’s amazing to see the changes each year.

We anticipate opening up our farm for a U Pick operation in late August and early September. Although the berries look like they are ready, we wait until their sugar content is higher and produces a better tasting berry.

We’re often asked what they taste like. It’s a dry astringent taste much like a dry wine or a tart green apple. We love them right off the bush but for others it’s an acquired taste. Be sure to check out the Aronia Berry Recipes on this site to learn what to do with your Aronia.