Axel Hvidberg isn91裸聊视频檛 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, there91裸聊视频檚 no hesitation to Hvidberg as he enthusiastically extols the merits of the berry.

91裸聊视频淗askap berries, three times the antioxidants of the blueberry, a flavour profile very similar to blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, maybe throw some huckleberry into it91裸聊视频� and a berry with no seeds,91裸聊视频� said Hvidberg. 91裸聊视频淐old hearty to -47 C, frost tolerant to -8 C, and a week to two weeks ahead of strawberries 91裸聊视频� so can you think of a better fruit?91裸聊视频�

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 wasn91裸聊视频檛 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 O91裸聊视频橞rennan offered them blackberry cuttings. During this visit, O91裸聊视频橞rennan noted that sometimes he loses his blackberry plants to a late or early frost.

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91裸聊视频淪almon Arm gets kind of cold 91裸聊视频� have you ever heard of haskap?91裸聊视频� recalls a Axel, who hadn91裸聊视频檛. 91裸聊视频淲e came home and two weeks later we had our first order of haskap berries and that was Indigo Yum and91裸聊视频� Berry Blue. We put it in and haven91裸聊视频檛 looked back.91裸聊视频�

B.C.91裸聊视频檚 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 Hvidberg91裸聊视频檚 haskaps have been put to a variety of uses, from High Mountain Farm91裸聊视频檚 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 Hvidberg91裸聊视频檚 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.

91裸聊视频淭he sky91裸聊视频檚 the limit, we don91裸聊视频檛 know where it91裸聊视频檚 going to go,91裸聊视频� exclaimed Axel.

That said, the Hvidberg91裸聊视频檚 have a good idea of where they want to take their relationship with the haskap berry.

91裸聊视频淢y background is in sales, so we are going try to become a haskap berry broker91裸聊视频�,91裸聊视频� explained Axel. 91裸聊视频淪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 that91裸聊视频檚 our expansion goal. We91裸聊视频檙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 people91裸聊视频檚 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.91裸聊视频�

In the meantime, the Hvidbergs are preparing another acre on their property for growing haskaps. Axel says the success they91裸聊视频檝e had so far has allowed them to hire about a half-dozen people to work the farm. Future growth may require more land.

91裸聊视频淲e may not have enough room for a production facility here,91裸聊视频� said Axel. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going to start small and see where it goes. There91裸聊视频檚 been lots of talk in Salmon Arm about food security and food action 91裸聊视频� there91裸聊视频檚 still a lot of talk, and we91裸聊视频檙e doing it the other way; we don91裸聊视频檛 talk a lot about it, we just go out and do it.91裸聊视频�

For more information about haskap berries and High Mountain Farm, visit www.haskapbc.com.

lachlan@saobserver.net
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