West Branch Elderberries is developing a series of products using the juice from the berry.
stems will float to the top and be removed. Because elderberries are so small, they’ve had to specially modify the processing line machinery which was originally built for blueberries. After the sanitization bath, the berries are sprayed with clear water and dried under a fan before undergoing a visual inspection.
marketing; Mark is an active producer of conventional crops and is good at investigating production and processing; and Verlyn and Steve are good at handling foliars and fertilization and plant growth. Customers compliment the flavor of West Branch’s product. Verlyn attributes the superior flavor to micro-nutrients – foliar feeding occurs every 5-7 days.
Twenty-five pounds of berries are put into a bucket which is then sealed and dated with a lot number listing the day and the field they came from. Then the bucket gets put into the freezer.
While most consumers aren’t aware of elderberry, its history goes back thousands of years. And the future looks promising – Verlyn said they can’t grow enough to meet all of the demand.
Mark said, “We’re very mindful of that fact that this is a food product. We follow USDA guidelines for food processing. The workers go through a strict indoctrination.”
Mark said, “This product is unique because it has anti-viral properties. It can really help people. We believe in the health qualities of elderberry. The bottom line is it will bring real value in people’s lives.”
Kevin said the West Branch business model is working well because of the partners’ complementary skill sets. His background is in sales and
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The Farming Families Magazine | www.agemedia.pub | September 2020
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