March 28, 2024

Aronia, alternative crop for farmers?

Aug. 19: Harvest day on the Mark and Jane McConeghey farm outside of Monroe. The mechanical harvester moves through the lush, green aronia bushes selecting bunches of deep purple (black) fruit and depositing it in a tote-bin. Local kids, hired to pick the low-hanging fruit the harvester missed, are busy with purple hands and lips (from eating while they pick). The aronia fruit (a pome) looks like a tiny apple, and like an apple, keeps well and is resistant to damage from harvesting and transport to market.

This year, the McConegheys are hiring their aronia crop harvested. Last year, they hand picked the crop, something they vow they will never do again. Next year, the McConegheys will own their own mechanical harvester. Along with traditional corn and soybeans, they have 28 acres of aronia on the Monroe farm, and 14 acres in southern Iowa, for a total of 50,000 plants. It is a grand experiment in an alternative crop. If the market for aronia takes off, the McConegheys will be in on the ground floor. If the market fails, well, they have had worse investments. The McConegheys are one of the larger aronia growers in Iowa. They market their aronia berries through the National Aronia Growers in Akron.

What is aronia? Aronia is a small fruit, about the size of a blueberry, that grows in clusters on bushes that range from three-to-five foot tall. The fruit is slightly bitter, or pungent, and astringent, which means it draws the mucous membranes of the mouth together, or makes you pucker, but in a friendly way. (This may be the reason it is also called “choke berry.”)

According to the Midwest Aronia Association, which the McConegheys are members of, the “fruit can be used whole — fresh frozen, juiced for jams, jellies, candies, beverages, frozen sorbets, wine and food colorings as well as dried for nutrient supplements and additives. It is a great source of antioxidants, promotes good cholesterol levels, fights against heart disease and other cardiovascular problems, helps control blood pressure, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, promotes a healthy urinary tract, boosts the immune system, has anti-inflammatory properties, fights bacteria and viruses, strengthens memory, nourishes the brain and nervous system, helps fight aging, aids digestion, and is rich in vitamins C, B2, B6 and folic acid.” There are more antioxidants in aronia than any other berry. Combining the benefits of green tea and red wine, aronia is also high in fiber. The juice can be found in many local supermarkets.

For the farmer, growing and protecting the shrub is fairly easy. Pests occur sporadically and in small quantities, therefore, there is generally no need for chemical pesticides. The shrub is resistant to frost, drought and excess rainfall. It manages well even in poor soil, and the flowering period is long, which reduces frost damage, and provides long-term nectar for honeybees.

Drawbacks: after planting, it takes about three years to get the first crop of aronia, which could dissuade many farmers from experimenting with aronia. However, aronia production might be considered to now be where the wine industry was in Iowa 10 years ago.

Aronia is native to the Eastern United States, in the Appalachians and Canada, but is well established in Poland and Russia. In fact, the McConegheys traveled to Poland to visit Poland’s largest propagator of aronia, Piotr Eggert. Eggert has written a book, “Aronia (Chokeberry), From Planting to Harvesting Fruit,” an informative book about the berry.

In a time of depressed prices for traditional grain commodities, alternative crops that leave a minimal carbon footprint, are being widely scrutinized. In the future, aronia may not be so erroneous.

Note: The harvester left plenty of aronia berries behind. The McConegheys will let you hand pick all the aronia berries you want for $1 a pound, in 5 pound increments. If interested, call Mark McConeghey at 641-891-2607. You need to taste the aronia berry for yourself.

Contact Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or curtswarm@yahoo.com