Rainy day here in upstate NY, perfect for a long drive to the Finger Lakes region to check out juneberries. This is another one of Ron’s “wild thoughts”. Having a 3 acre field full of garlic apparently is a bit too much so he is trying to come up with other ideas.
His research led him to The Cornell University’s Small Farms program site which mentioned the berries and it piqued his interest. Here we go again. On June 12 he attended their Juneberry Production workshop in Ovid NY. A regional expect, Jim Ochterski explained the basics of growing these berries. Then they took a tour of Guy Lister’s Juneberry Farm. Sadly the berries did not cooperate and were not ripe that week so Ron did not come home with any samples to share. But he was interested enough to keep researching it and to keep in touch with Guy through his Facebook page. The berries were finally ripe and plans made for the last Sunday of June.
Juneberries are also known as serviceberries or Saskatoon berries and are native to North America. They are sometimes mistaken for blueberries but taste more like sweet black cherries, with a hint of apple thrown in. They are rich in iron and antioxidants. Being not so fickle about soil conditions, they grow where blueberries won’t. Already popular in Canada, they are considered uncommon here.
We left the house at 7 am so that we would arrive in Ovid about 9 am. Poured rain all last night and then off and on during our drive. But by the time we got to Guy’s place the rain had stopped. First to greet us his great big dog named Kibbles. Ron remembered her from his previous visit. She just loves people. We spent the next two hours picking berries and talking with Guy about berries. And plans and hopes for the future. He was so willing to share his knowledge and experience. He told us what has worked and what has gone wrong. Gave advice about varieties, which he thought tasted the best and which grew better. Bemoaned the deer and rain troubles he has had.
Guy not only grows juneberries, but chokeberries, strawberries, gooseberries, black currents and garlic. And has plans to grow goji berries, swearing that they are best fresh. We probably would have spent the rest of the day with him but we had another stop to make and did have to make it home again before dark. Ron has highs hopes that Guy will make it down our way and stop by the Tiny House Farm for a visit.
We managed to pull ourselves away and headed to Bundschuh’s Greenhouses in Macedon NY. They were one of the sponsors of the Small Farm Program juneberry workshop. They offer a good selection of bushes for sale. Ron wanted to talk with them about ordering procedures and delivery schedules. And any tips on growing. Again they were most willing to share their knowledge.
All in all another good day. We met some great people, enjoyed quality family time, learned a lot about these tasty berries and made it home safely. I call it a success. For those who are lucky enough our really good friends – there will be samples tomorrow.