Iowa’s new crop

BY PAT SHAVER Courier Staff Writer

April 14, 2009 11:23 pm

— OTTUMWA — In the near future, Eldon Everhart sees Iowa as a three-crop state: corn, beans and aronia berries.
A growing interest in the aronia berry has sparked Iowans to consider adding the fruit to their list of crops.
The aronia berry, which would typically get planted in the fall, is native to areas in the Midwest, though interest in the fruit has just recently picked up in Iowa.
The berry can be used just like any other berry, in jams, jellies, juice and wine. And, it can be baked into breads, among other uses.
“The appeal, from a consumer standpoint, this berry is very high in antioxidants, and those are very healthy for us,” said Everhart, horticulture field specialist with Iowa State University Extension.
The aronia berry has more antioxidants than most other fruits, and more people wanting to eat healthy could be what is bringing the crop back, Everhart said.
Interest in the aronia berry wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago because people didn’t have as much interest in eating healthy, he said.
“They are fantastically healthy, and people are interested in that now, and I see that trend continuing,” Everhart said.
The plant is dark purple in color with a very distinct and strong flavor that makes your mouth pucker. If frozen and thawed, the sweetness of the berry decreases.
Everhart is working with a group of growers in southeast Iowa, with the hope that they will share equipment and start harvesting the berries. He is also working with groups in the southwest and central parts of the state.
The crop is grown in other nearby states like Minnesota and Michigan.
Nedric Smith, Iowa State University Extension Education Director in the Jefferson County office, said there is potential for the berry to be a successful crop locally, but it may take a few years to know for sure.
“It is still in the unknown stages,” Smith said. “I think we need to get more information, and there’s only one way to get information, and it is for us to have the plants in production.”
Smith said it will take three-to-five years to see measurable levels of production for the berry.
“A lot of people don’t even know what it is,” Smith said. “I think it has potential, but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered.”
Smith said he’s seen a lot of interest in the crop, from mainstream farmers, to acreage owners in the area.
The aronia berry is also environmentally effective to grow. It seems to be resistant to diseases and insects, which lowers production costs, said Everhart.
“It’s also easy to grow. It’s a plant that you can plant and virtually walk away,” he said. “It’s pretty much a fool-proof plant.”
“It is crazy because the production isn’t there and the demand is,” Everhart said, adding that it may be a number of years before production catches up with demand.
“I have no idea when that’s going to happen, but I think it will happen in my lifetime,” he said.
Pat Shaver can be reached at (641) 683-5360 or via e-mail at p.shaver@ottumwacourier.com.