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Progress, Mess, Patience…

As the summer has progressed around here I find it a somewhat amusing coincidence that the words progress and mess are similar. In a way it’s almost sadistic this summer. Around our house, we began a project requiring massive amounts of dirt work and the rain began. We went from drought conditions to ample rains and flooding conditions in much of Iowa.

Let me explain. This winter we decided to make the move into a little more of a farming operation. We knew the step would need to be made at some point, it’s arrived. We purchased the tractor, ordered the Weed Badger to take care of the weeding. Ordered a building to help store equipment. Finally decided on a location for the building (which was a BIG deal). And then the work began, and the rain began.

Building finally arrived. Problems arose which left a gap in one sidewall and the roof, but the rain didn’t get the message to hold off. Needless to say, more progress, but more mess.  So as I sit and watch the rain, we’re awaiting the finishing dirt work, a floor, etc.  It will happen.  

We believe God is reminding us to be patient as we transition into farming.

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We’re Not Dead Yet

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We're Not Dead Yet

Woody’s motto has always been if you’re not changing, you’re dying. So this is evidence we’re still kicking! This long winter has been preparation for organic certification, tractor and weed badger purchasing, and storage building preparation. You are looking at the future site of our new Horizon building. We had to move over 400 landscape blocks in preparation for the dirt work to begin and get some professional help to determine just where to place the building, but we’re nearly ready.

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A New Deere in the Field

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A New Deere in the Field

After 31 years with the same John Deere, Woody has said hello to a new Deere to graze in the fields. Abe will not be chasing this one away. It is necessary to do the work the old Deere, the Ex-Mark and Woody and I have been doing by hand. Thanks to Kendall, we’ll be outfitting it to weed the berries! We’re so excited. It has already made loading things around here so much easier!

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Blooms Equal Berries!

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Blooms Equal Berries!

May 10, 2014 – We have Blooms! In fact in field two we were out mowing and for the first time we could smell the future. The bushes were loaded with blooms there Woody and I could smell the sweet fragrance of aronia for the first time. It was an unexpected pleasure! We have quite a few blooms even in fields three and even four. The nights of frost worried us a bit, but hopefully it wasn’t cold enough to damage any berry production. Time will tell…

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More Excited Than Ever!

Woody and I recently returned from the 2014 Midwest Aronia Association Conference.  We were thrilled to meet other growers of this super fruit and learn more about its cultivation and potential.

We know we are on the right path when we heard business folks and physicians talk about the health potential of these powerful purple super berries.

Understanding Antioxidants & ORAC values

The Aroniaberry contains a powerful natural blend of polyphenolic antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they combat free radicals in our body that are created from daily living, stress, environmental pollution, medical x-rays and even exercise. Free radicals can damage cells which can lead to health and wellness related issues. Consuming foods high in antioxidants like the Aroniaberry may help support the body’s defense against these radicals.

Antioxidant levels in foods are measured by a test called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity ).  Scientists have found that antioxidants increase our bodies natural defense systems. The higher the ORAC, the higher the antioxidant activity. (Wu, Beecher et al. 2004) The graph shows the ORAC levels (expressed as µmol Trolox Equivalents per 100 g fresh fruit of a variety of different fruits, including Aroniaberries. USDA 2010).

We all know how they have promoted blueberries and how good they are for you.  Well, our little berries score almost twice as good on the ORAC scale.  It’s exciting…the big challenge is educating people that aronia berries are becoming available, how healthy they are, and how to use them.  Because for those of you who have tried them, they aren’t as sweet as a blueberry or strawberry, they have a little more of the tart tannin flavor.  But they can be wonderful too.  Check out some of the recipes and look for food products at Hy-Vee.

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Aronia Recipies

We are asked quite often, especially now that we have berries, “What do you do with them?”  

Some of our favorite things are: 

Banana Aronia Bread

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening

2 Eggs 

1/2 Cup Aronia Berries

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

4 Mashed Bananas

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix ingredients together.  Bake in greased loaf pan (or make into muffins).  Bread bakes 1 hour at 325.

We even have a special “granddaughter” who won a blue ribbon with this recipie at the Warren County Fair.  

 

Oatmeal Aronia Drop Cookies

 2 Cups Oatmeal

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 Cup melted shortening

1 Cup Aronia Berries 

1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 4 Tbsp Milk

2 Eggs

Mix dry ingredients.  To the dry ingredients add the shortening, eggs, and soda/milk mixture.  Mix well.  Fold in berries.  Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.

This recipe makes dark kind of ugly cookies but wow they taste extraordinary, our son loves them!

 

All Fruit Smoothie

1/4 Cup Orange Juice

1 Cup Peaches, Drained

2 Medium Bananas, in chunks

1/2 Cup Frozen Aronia Berries

Put ingredients in a blender in this order. Blend until the drink is smooth.  Delicious!

 

Also try adding to your salads, favorite smoothies, vinaigrette dressings, pancakes, marinades, BBQs, soups, lemonade, ice tea, or make a syrupy icing and use over cakes.   Be creative, there are many uses for this healthy, versatile little purple gem.

 

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Health Benefits & Research on Aronia Berries – Links

I have meant to do this for quite some time, although between watering and mowing and caring for our wonderful granddaughters, I have neglected to keep up.  So, here we go.  I am listing several websites for you to research Aronia Berries.  Several have recipies as well.  Enjoy your research, I’m sure you will find these little purple berries as beneficial and surprising as we have!

If you have questions or need additional information, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact us here.  We’d love to hear from you!

Aronia Berries the New Antioxidant Super Fruit

From Mother Earth News:  Aronia Berries

From Fox News: Aronia:  The North American Super Berry with Cancer-Fighting Properties

The Native Aronia Berry is Healthful, Sustainable and Quite Tasty

Aronia in America

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Berries, Berries, Berries

In 2012 the late spring frost diminished what we thought we might harvest.  In 2013, we have more berries and look forward to the berry production increasing every year.  We have about 5,000 plants now which have been planted over the past 3-4 years.  We currently have around 200 plants that may produce this year.   Each plant has been raised organically, as is our yard, because of my sensitivities.   We will be organic certified next season.

We are excited to share some of the photos of the plants this year and the changes from the archived photos to these current ones.  If you go back through the blog you will notice the same trees in the background, just the plants are bigger.  It is our way of scrapbooking the growth of the plants.  I’ve also included a photo of the spring-flowering bush, the flowers were in full bloom the weekend of May 17th, it was quite a sight.  We were filled with anticipation.

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Our Final Field #4

We worked all year long it seemed to get to the point last fall where we were ready to add our final three acres.  We cleared a field that had been alfalfa at one time, but you’d never know it in the last 15 years since we’ve owned it.  It was full of Cedar trees, wild roses, scrub trees, raspberry bushes, brush and grass.  But with a lot of hard work and the help of rented equipment it is now probably our best aronia berry field.

In September 2012 we planted 1,800 aronia berry bushes (Viking variety) with the help of our church’s ASP (Appalachian Service Project) volunteers.  We couldn’t have done it in half a day without their tremendous help.  We would have killed ourselves trying to do it!  We had the holes drilled with the help of a Dingo, and the planting went smoothly.  Of course, it was still the drought year so we watered and watered after planting the bushes.  We watered with two lawn tractors and tanks.  It took us eight hours watering together to get through the field.  We kept it up and kept it up until it finally rained and cooled down.  Thank goodness we have a pond nearby to draw from and the Honda pump could fill up the tanks and keep us on the move.  Talk about loving up on those little plants, when spring 2013 came, we lost fewer than a dozen!  We were thankful and amazed.  They truly are hardy plants.  Although, the soil in this field is the best on our whole property, we are expecting this field to be our best producer in the long run.

This year we have continued to water, fertilize with fish emulsion and Chickity Doo Doo mow, mow, mow and pull weeds.  We are thankful too for the electric fencing!  We didn’t have to replant hardly any and think it has really helped.  Although we do fix it a lot!  Those deer are stubborn.

Current look at Field 4
Current look at Field 4

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