Axel Hvidberg isn香蕉视频直播檛 surprised to hear people talking about the haskap berry as the latest and greatest super food: in fact, he may have had something to do with it.
Seated on a plastic bucket among roughly two acres of haskap plants, all ripe for the picking, there香蕉视频直播檚 no hesitation to Hvidberg as he enthusiastically extols the merits of the berry.
香蕉视频直播淗askap berries, three times the antioxidants of the blueberry, a flavour profile very similar to blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, maybe throw some huckleberry into it香蕉视频直播� and a berry with no seeds,香蕉视频直播� said Hvidberg. 香蕉视频直播淐old hearty to -47 C, frost tolerant to -8 C, and a week to two weeks ahead of strawberries 香蕉视频直播� so can you think of a better fruit?香蕉视频直播�
On the east end of Salmon Arm, just off Highway 97B, is High Mountain Farm, where Alex and Doris Hvidberg run their modest but successful agricultural operation.
The two bought the 13-acre property in 2010 and, after discovering that growing hay wasn香蕉视频直播檛 for them, they considered their options. The Hvidbergs decided to try growing thornless blackberries, and visited Coastal Black Winery on Vancouver Island where owner Abel O香蕉视频直播橞rennan offered them blackberry cuttings. During this visit, O香蕉视频直播橞rennan noted that sometimes he loses his blackberry plants to a late or early frost.
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香蕉视频直播淪almon Arm gets kind of cold 香蕉视频直播� have you ever heard of haskap?香蕉视频直播� recalls a Axel, who hadn香蕉视频直播檛. 香蕉视频直播淲e came home and two weeks later we had our first order of haskap berries and that was Indigo Yum and香蕉视频直播� Berry Blue. We put it in and haven香蕉视频直播檛 looked back.香蕉视频直播�
B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 haskap berries have come a long way since then. Axel and Doris are founding members of the B.C. Haskap Association, now approximately 44 members and 400 acres strong. Locally, the Hvidberg香蕉视频直播檚 haskaps have been put to a variety of uses, from High Mountain Farm香蕉视频直播檚 own haskap berry compote, as well as a liqueur jam made from berries initially used by Vernon-based Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery for a haskap liqueur. The Hvidberg香蕉视频直播檚 haskaps are also being used in a cider produced by Calgary-based Uncommon Cider.
In Salmon Arm, the Shuswap Pie Company is making haskap and blueberry pies, while the Barley Station Brew Pub has used the berries in their Canada Day Cask, as well as in their haskap beef burger.
香蕉视频直播淭he sky香蕉视频直播檚 the limit, we don香蕉视频直播檛 know where it香蕉视频直播檚 going to go,香蕉视频直播� exclaimed Axel.
That said, the Hvidberg香蕉视频直播檚 have a good idea of where they want to take their relationship with the haskap berry.
香蕉视频直播淢y background is in sales, so we are going try to become a haskap berry broker香蕉视频直播�,香蕉视频直播� explained Axel. 香蕉视频直播淪o what Doris and I would like to do now is get into the marketing and brokering of berries that are here, develop new product lines, and that香蕉视频直播檚 our expansion goal. We香蕉视频直播檙e putting in a new shop here with big walk-in freezers and freeze-drier capability, and start developing products here on the farm and then buy other people香蕉视频直播檚 berries and, as we develop recipes here at the farm, we will find co-packers and have them manufacture product under our brand or whichever brand we choose to market under.香蕉视频直播�
In the meantime, the Hvidbergs are preparing another acre on their property for growing haskaps. Axel says the success they香蕉视频直播檝e had so far has allowed them to hire about a half-dozen people to work the farm. Future growth may require more land.
香蕉视频直播淲e may not have enough room for a production facility here,香蕉视频直播� said Axel. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e going to start small and see where it goes. There香蕉视频直播檚 been lots of talk in Salmon Arm about food security and food action 香蕉视频直播� there香蕉视频直播檚 still a lot of talk, and we香蕉视频直播檙e doing it the other way; we don香蕉视频直播檛 talk a lot about it, we just go out and do it.香蕉视频直播�
For more information about haskap berries and High Mountain Farm, visit www.haskapbc.com.
lachlan@saobserver.net
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