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Elderberries for Everyone By Sheila Harris
Barry County, Mo., entrepreneurs corner the market in U.S. elderberry production Cattle Visions has one of the most diverse and complete semen inventories in the nation. Since our warehouse is located in Central Missouri, our freight rates will be reasonable. We sell semen on the hottest bulls in the U.S.A!
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A small town in Barry County, Purdy, Mo., lays claim to being home to the largest elderberry production operation in the United States. With 120 acres of elderberries now planted in multiple locations throughout Southwest Missouri and in other parts of the United States, Innovative Natural Solutions got its start shortly after Purdy native Devon Bennett came home from his senior class trip to Europe in 2012. While in Europe, Devon’s eye was caught by mature trees covered in white blossoms prevalent throughout much of the continent. Upon questioning, he was told they were elderberry trees, grown for their blue-black fruit prized for its use in nutritive supplements. After returning to Purdy, Devon began to research the fruit’s production in the United States, and discovered its use for commercial purposes was still relatively experimental.
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Elderberries must be picked by hand, making it a labor-intensive crop.
“I saw what appeared to be a golden opportunity to get in on the ground floor of commercial elderberry production here in the U.S., while the market was wide open,” Devon said. “I’ve always been a jump-before-I-walk kind of guy, so I took a flying leap.”
After much research and discussion with agricultural experts – including Andy Thomas, a horticultural professor at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Center in Mount Vernon – the following year Devon plunged into his own grand elPurdy, Mo. derberry experiment. “Not much was known about
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the long-term commercial prospects for elderberries in 2013,” Devon said. “Not a lot of research had been done regarding the best types of cultivars for our climate, nor how pest-resistant they would be, nor whether the market would even be receptive to the product, but I didn’t let it intimidate me. “With lots of help, I started by hand-planting seven acres of elderberry cuttings on AUGUST 31, 2020
