Papers & Presentations of Interest
The reports on this page include a significant amount of good information for those researching about the commercial production of elderberry in America as well as for those considering it as a crop for their own land planning. Since most of the decks do not come with video or audio, I suggest that those who have not attended a live presentation before, start with this USDA produced video, which turned out better than I expected:
Fall 2020 for The Savannah Institute / Terry Durham & Chris Patton
- Exploring Elderberry Benefits webinar
- Elderberry Harvest webinar
- Elderberry Processing and Market Opportunities webinar
A Terry Durham classic: Cultivating Elderberry as a Cash Crop (2014)
Minnesota Organic Conference Jan. 11-12, 2024, St Cloud, MN
Progress in the Commercial Production of Elderberry , by Christopher J. Patton
Fermentation Fest October 7, 2023 - Spirits, Sauk City, WI
by Christopher J. Patton, President
2023 Advancing American Elderberry Project & Comprehensive Workshop, Columbia, MO
2023 Presentation: MEC’s Commercial Growth Plan, by Christopher J. Patton
2023 Report to American Elderberry Growers, by Christopher J. Patton
2022 Advancing American Elderberry Project & Comprehensive Workshop, Columbia, MO
2022 Report to American Elderberry Growers, by Christopher J. Patton, President
2022 MEC Grower Workshop, Delano, MN
Commercial Hub Development for American Elderberry (pdf), Chris Patton
MEC Summary Report for USDA Value Added Planning Grant
A feasibility study reporting on the 2021 success of elderberry grown on 5 acres or less and the potential to grow it in much larger acreage as a commercial crop. Includes a survey of growers and prospects for the long term success of MEC as an open growers cooperative. (pdf)
Andy Thomas on the new $5 million USDA Grant -
podcast with Michael Kilpatrick
2016 Practical Farmers of Iowa SARE, video of Chris Patton presenting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv54duBozJc&list=PLQLK9r1ZBhhGpyrT5dJa2Gk4mKnuS2DnK&index=5
River Hills Harvest YouTube videos on elderberry harvesting.
2020-December Perennial Farm Gathering- Savannah Institute
Elderberry’s Place in Your Forever Green Farm Plan, A profitable way to help grow our lands more green
while keeping our waters more blue. Christopher J. Patton, MA, MBA
Christopher J. Patton, MA, MBA introduction as a panel member:
Minnesota’s Role in the Functional Food Landscape 2/12/20
Sponsored by the Agricultural Research Institute. The AURI Food Industry Thought Leaders team consists of industry experts who are dedicated to exploring market opportunities and challenges the food industry faces. Members have the opportunity to influence what public domain research is prioritized by AURI, identify solutions and opportunities for their business or industry and give access to a diverse cross- section of industry experts and networks. Download this short deck.
2020-The Little Berry that Could, Minnesota Organic Conf., St. Cloud, MN
Download this presentation (pdf). This conference is sponsored by the Minnesota Dept. Agriculture every January. This presentation outlines the 2020 opportunities and challenges for our growing number of native elderberry farmers and the grower coop that serves them.
2019-November Green Lands Blue Waters Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Elderberry’s Place in Your Forever Green Farm Plan, A profitable way to help grow our lands more green
while keeping our waters more blue. Christopher J. Patton, MA, MBA
2019-June Comprehensive Elderberry Workshop, Jefferson City, MO
[Presentation links not underlined will be posted when available.]
- Elderberry Productivity, Patrick Byers, Regional Horticultural Specialist-SW Region, Greene County Extension Office, University of Missouri Extension, Springfield, MO
- European Elderberry Tour Report, Patrick Byers & Andrew Thomas, Research Assistant Professor, Horticulture/Agroforestry at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center, Mt. Vernon, MO.
- Impact of Partial Flower Harvest on Elderberry Fruit Crop, Sam Sergeant, MS student, Agroforestry, University of Missouri.
- Recent Elderberry Virus Issue Update, David Johnson, Missouri Department of Agriculture.
- Why Elderberries, Why Now, Katie Reneker, Carmel Berry Company. MEC member’s story of how and why she came to grow elderberries and then develop/make/market her own local-regional elder berry and flower products.
- Growing Elderberry in the Upper Midwest, Christopher J. Patton MA, MBA An overview of the challenges facing elderberry growers in the Upper Midwest for both small farm operations to large-scale commercial production of elder ingredients. Includes examples of native cultivars, expectations, challenges and some different farm strategies.
- MEC: A Coop Answer to Current & Historical Socio-Economic and Environmental Challenges, Christopher J. Patton MA, MBA A narrated presentation on why an agricultural cooperative is the best business structure for elderberry growers. It provides individual freedom and options for cooperation so as to prosper and partially address the economic difficulties faced by rural communities, labor compensation disparities, and the global deterioration of the environment within the historical context of increasing urbanization, technology and social change over the course of western civilization from earliest times.
Print a pdf of the presentation slide deck only.
Chris Patton’s Hour Nutshell (audiovisual) Presentation for Savannah Institute:
Transitioning Elderberry from Hobby to Commercial Crop (4/2019)
Audiovisual YouTube link through Savannah Institute
Download the above presentation deck pdf.
Terry Durham’s Hour Nutshell (audio) Presentation for Savannah Institute:
Growing Elderberry for Fund & Profit (2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLbQw0w1naSdud5XyImbSyCCoBcP3zpowS&v=tA_iFQUUBcI
2018-June Comprehensive Elderberry Workshop, Jefferson City, MO
and the 2018-January Minnesota Organic Conference:
Elderberry: Transitioning from Hobby to Commercial Crop
Growing & Selling Certified Organic Elderberry and Elderflower Crops & Ingredients
Christopher J. Patton MA, MBA
This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges facing elderberry growers in moving from a hobby farm scale of operations to large-scale commercial production of elderberry and elderflower ingredients to support 22,500 acres. Like several other areas of agricultural production, a grower cooperative provides a viable means to achieve that goal more profitably.
2018-June Comprehensive Elderberry Workshop, Jefferson City, MO
DRIED ELDER BERRY & FLOWER INGREDIENTS
AURI Project w/ USDA Rural Development Grant, Midwest Elderberry Cooperative
Christopher J. Patton, President, June 2018
This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of drying and marketing elderflowers and elderberries for either small or large-scale commercial production within MEC.
2017 Iowa Practical Farmers Alternative Berry Short Course and 2017 MO Comprehensive Elderberry Workshop
How to Sell a Growing Elderberry Harvest, Christopher J. Patton MA, MBA
I made the case that larger growers producing more harvest than can be sold by direct sales to consumers or processors, must include value added ingredients/products. They are essential to a grower's operational cash flow and profits. The cooperative is one way for a grower, who does not want to do on-farm processing, to proportionately spread that risk/participate in the profits derived from a basket of ingredients sold at different margins as set by the larger markets.
2017 River Hills Harvest Elderberry Workshop
Elderberry Possibilities, Patrick Byers
Discriminant Analyses of the Polyphenol Content of American
Elderberry Juice from Multiple Environments Provide Genotype
Fingerprint, presented by Andrew Thomas
2016 River Hills Harvest Elderberry Workshop
The Missouri Elderberry Development Project-Patrick Byers
Minnesota Elderberry Cooperative - A Model for Midwest Elderberry Growers-Chris Patton
2016 Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference
SARE Youtube video of PFI presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv54duBozJc&list=PLQLK9r1ZBhhGpyrT5dJa2Gk4mKnuS2DnK&index=5
Elder Plant Pictures; 2013-2016 SARE Farmer’s Forum
2015 Missouri Elderberry Workshop presentation by Terry Durham
MEC Feasibility Study Reflections Narrated Presentation:
Assessing Market Opportunities and Commercial Applications
Christopher J. Patton, MA, MBA (about 35 minutes)
MEC Feasibility Study Reflections Presentation as a pdf-no narration.
Elderberry: Great Taste with Potential Health Benefits, Christopher J. Patton, MA, MBA
Elderberry as a Third Crop Presentation as a pdf, Christopher J. Patton, MA, MBA
Growing and Marketing Elderberries in Missouri, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry.
Elderberry: Botany, Horticulture & Potential as a Food and Medicinal Crop, by Denis Charlebois et al
Elderberry Possibilities, Patrick Byers Presentation at Minnesota Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference, 1/16/2014 in St. Cloud, MN
Overview of Elderberry Nutrition (growing), Patrick Byers Presentation at Missouri Elderberry Comprehensive Workshop, June 2014.
Building a Farmer-Based Industry from the Ground Up, SARE 2013 /2014 REPORT FROM THE FIELD, page 7. Click on the unlined link for a brief recounting of the development of elderberry as a high value specialty crop in Missouri with comments by Terry Durham and University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry researcher Michael Gold.
University of Minnesota paper, Wash Water Sanitizers. Note that the instructions recommend to not wash berries. We wash / sanitize destined elderberries just prior to freezing. Do not wash or sanitize berries unless yo plan to freeze or cool to use them quickly.