Buying Plants and Hardwood Cuttings:
Commercial elderberry propagation is most commonly done with dormant cuttings and nursery prepared plugs or plants:
- Dormant Hardwood Cuttings are the form of plants typically used by nurseries for field or greenhouse propagation purposes. Cuttings are multiple node sections of juvenile (current seasons) canes, taken from mother plants and either “stuck” immediately into properly prepared beds in late fall, or stored at near freezing temperatures with proper humidity and stuck in early spring. This is the most economical form we offer, but requires more knowledge and special care to get the desired results.
- Actively growing MaxiPlugs can be planted outdoors any time from early spring after danger of frost is past until the end of summer and even very early fall - provided the plants are available. A dramatic presentation of the power of these plants, their capacity to grow and produce an early crop (in 14 months), and largely out-compete weeds can be seen at Natura Farms / Berry Communications with their July 2013 elderberry planting.
Obviously the earlier in the season one can plant these, the longer growing period they will have and the greater their development will be. But growers and farmers are often very, very busy in the spring, and sometime the weather simply does not cooperate to prepare the fields and transplant crops due to continuous rains making fields too wet to work. MaxiPlug plants enable farmers to transplant them at their convenience, rather than having to get them into the ground in very early spring, as is required with dormant cuttings and bare root plants. - Basic Planting Instructions - Terry Durham, River Hills Harvest
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W7MAg1qpvL0eGH2UXgTjxCBQPrah7z99/view
Watch Terry Durham make hardwood elderberry cuttings with Homesteaders Doug & Tracy, concludes three recipes made with freeze dried elderberries.
Cuttings & Plants for Sale
Boulder Berry Farms, Goshen, OH - Taking orders: Email Taylor Clark - boulderberryfarms@gmail.com
or shop online - www.boulderberry.com Licensed and certified organic commercial grower.
Certified Organic- Bob Gordon, Ranch, Adams. Cuttings can be purchased in increments of 5, 50 or 100.
The Farm of Minnesota, Hutchinson, MN - email them
Email Dan & Donna Moe, DAN@THEFARMOFMN.com
Commercial only with a minimum order of 100 cuttings. Certified organic Bob Gordon.
Natasha Simeon, Regeneration Acres Farm, Clayton, WI -
Go to regenerationacres.com - shop online
Natasha worked closely with Paul Otten for several years in propagating elderberry and currants. She continues this service including some quantities of certified organic cuttings. To buy northern grown Midwest cuttings and/or greenhouse elderberry plants, you may order directly from the regenerationacres.com website.
Richard Schwendinger - Lancashire Farms, Lancaster, WI - shop online
Cuttings - you can buy packs of 3 or larger quantities. All cuttings will come with instructions. Black Currants and Aronia are also available. We will do those only as asked. However, you can order some nice cultivars of Elderberry directly from this webpage.
Terry Durham, River Hills Harvest, Hartsburg, MO - Shop online, or email info@riverhillsharvest.com
Licensed and the original commercial elderberry grower in Missouri and MEC board member. You can order directly from: https://www.riverhillsharvest.com/growers or Facebook page.
Soil Health
Earth Brew For Life, Decorah, IA
Jeff Polfer, jpolfer@acrec.com, 563-568-7258, www.earthbrewforlife.com
Regenerative Solutions for Thriving Fields, Gardens, and Turf
Download brochure and product use information.
Gregg Forster, Wisconsin Mineral Solutions, Mondovi, WI
Umbrel Acres farm and a Restora-Life Minerals distributor, Gregg grows elderberry and helps famers find appropriate solutions for soil health, livestock vitality, compost, Accel. Hay & SilageQuality. Email him: greggfwms@gmail.com or call 715-926-4642.
Dramm Corporation, Justin Ellis, Manitowoc, WI
Drammatic all natural liquid fertilizers for organic, sustainable and conventional crop production, OMRI listed. We produce our fertilizers from fresh fish carefully processed at low temperatures to maintain the integrity of the naturally occurring amino acids, proteins and oils in fish to produce a hydrolysate. Website: www.fishfertilizer.com, Email: jellis@dramm.com. Call 920-684-0227 or 920-860-3268.
Soil Testing
Most state agricultural universities offer reasonably priced soil testing. For elderberry, you need to be sure that you are getting an appropriate profile for perennial fruits like raspberries or blackberries. For accurate tracking of changes in your soil profile, you need to compare results from the same lab. Each one varies a bit in its methodology. Paul Otten preferred to use Midwest Laboratories: www.midwestlabs.com.
Soil Works, LLC, Yankton, SD
Glen Rabenberg: Rather than conforming to the traditional methods of soil science, Glen brings his knowledge of animal science and applies it to the soil. Many of the same required nutritional ratios shared by humans, animals, and plants are reflected in the soil. He believes that the soil is a living organism and that the health of the soil should be checked in the same manner that humans and animals are checked. Glen heavily relies on the electrical conductivity of the soil to tell him the pulse of the soil. He uses a soil respiration test to tell him how the soil is breathing. And, he uses a penetrometer as a stress test and soil/plant tissue tests as the blood panel/work. Glen has learned to use these simple tests to diagnose virtually every soil problem. Email: info@soilworksllc.com or call 877-886-5115. https://soilworksllc.com/
Equipment
Ag Resource, Inc. / David Birky, 218-847-9351, 800-288-6650
The Birkys have worked with a number of MEC members to help them get started in elderberry production, irrigation and other agricultural equipment. Please see their website: agresourceincmn.com.
River Hills Harvest & Berry Destemming & Packing
TED Terry's Elderberry Destemmer
Terry’s Elderberry Destemmer, also known as T.E.D., is a revolutionary design formatted for the small farmer. It is low cost and portable. The berries are gently destemmed and cleaned. It is capable of several hundred pounds per hour and reduces your post harvest labor. It is constructed of food grade stainless steel which makes cleanup and maintenance a breeze. It allows the farmer to double the value of his crop and puts you in control. It is the first step in having a stable elderberry commodity.
Stainless Steel Hand Destemming Tray - See https://www.riverhillsharvest.com/shop.
Video on hand destemming using the above tray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFbdTJhqA4I
RHH videos on elderberry harvesting.
How to harvest, process and pack elderberries for commercial production required for purchase by River Hills (Harvest) Elderberry Producers, LLC. and Midwest Elderberry Cooperative unless arranged differently in advance.
- Wash Water Sanitizers
- River Hills Harvest Grower/Supplier Instructions
- Post Harvest Procedure for Fresh Elderberries
- Food Safety Statement
- Food Safety Record Sheet
Planning & Installation
Terry Durham, River Hills Harvest, Hartsburg, MO -
email info@riverhillsharvest.com
The original commercial elderberry grower in Missouri: from field design to full service installation.
Fields Without Fences www.fieldswithoutfences.org
Elderberry Growers / Regenerative Ag Consultants, Kingwood Township, NJ
On our farm, located within the Delaware River watershed, we cultivate fruits, nuts, medicinal herbs, and wild edibles within naturalized plantings that mimic the wild ecology. Through site specific design, we integrate approaches found in environmental restoration, permaculture design, and regenerative agriculture to create low input, self-renewing, agroecological systems that naturally restore health and integrity to our shared landscape.
Beyond our fields, we bring these practices to our consulting and design work with farmers, landowners, and organizations. Inspired by a philosophy that recognizes all elements are integral to an interconnected planet, we approach landscapes as interdependent ecosystems, out of which the well being of all is reflected in the health and functionality of the whole. We bring this mindful holistic approach to everything we do, from the products we craft, to the programs and services we offer. Lindsay Napolitano, Johann Rinkens, info@fieldswithoutfences.org
Various
Collapsible Cooler
The Collapsible Cooler performs like a molded form cooler, but better. The wrapped EPS foam form with integrated liner bag creates thermal properties similar to most common shipping coolers and is proven to be more damage and leak resistant, ensuring your product arrives in the best condition possible. https://collapsiblecooler.com/
Fruit and Vegetable Wash
Life’s Pure Balance Fruit and Vegetable Wash, "What’s different about this …. It is a concentrate that removes 5+ times more “stuff” than plain water. You wash your fruits and vegetables, just like you wash your clothes .. Immersing them in wash water! The 16 oz bottle will make up to 96 gallons of wash water.” https://lifespurebalance.com/.
Neem Oil Ahimsa Organics Neem Oil - OMRI Listed.
This is a premium Neem oil. Wild-crafted, cold pressed from carefully stored seeds* of the Neem tree. This oil is perfect for skin care, animal care & herbal use or as an agricultural spray. It is rich in all the liminoids and compounds that have earned Neem oil it's title as A Tree For Solving Global Problems. The oil is guaranteed free of aflatoxin* which is a fungus that can grow on poorly cleaned or stored seeds. It has a strong garlic/nutty aroma - unpleasant to some but loved by those who have experienced it's healing and protective powers. http://neemresource.com/Neem&KaranjaOil.html .