Elderberry Research Feb. 21–23, 2005 in Springfield, MO

The University of Missouri’s Southwest Research Center near Mt. Vernon has been studying the elderberry since 1991. The United States Department of Agriculture has pitched in grant money to the AFCDP to help fund the study which focuses on determining which elderberry cultivar grows best in southwest Missouri.

The Alternative Fruit Crops Development Program (AFCDP) is a collaborative program among several institutions, including Southwest Missouri State University, University of Missouri, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Poteau, OK.

In a recent Joplin Independent article Andrew Thomas from the University of Missouri describes the research.

'The focus of our study is to learn how to grow elderberries to get the optimum yield,' said Thomas. 'We are also looking to see if pruning is a better option or if brush hogging it to the ground every year and then letting it grow up in stages produces a higher yield. This is probably the largest elderberry research project going on in the country right now. We believe the elderberry has good potential as a commercial fruit crop in Missouri, but many basic questions related to its culture remain unanswered.'

The article goes on to discuss the history of using elderberry for its medical benefits, the factors that make it excellent for winemaking and the Wichita, Kansas winery that is using 130,000 pounds of elderberries a year to produce wine.

I know of several Oklahoma farmers who are testing elderberry cultivation of their farms. I can tell you that Nuyaka Creek Winery is planting elderberry widely, buying as much as possible and still looking for more local producers of Oklahoma elderberries. It is a very labor intensive wine to create, but the demand for it growing fast.

The elderberry is an exciting alternative crop for Oklahoma. Elderberry jellies, syrups, desserts, and food colorings are growing in popularity because they are rich in vitamins, minerals and protein. Elder flowers are edible and the bark, leaves, flowers, and elderberry fruit all have medicinal properties and have been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments.

You can hear about the progress of the Elderberry research project at the 25th Annual Missouri Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Feb. 21–23, 2005 in Springfield.

More information (including a schedule and registration information) can be found online. You may also contact Patrick Byers, SMSU Department of Fruit Science at (417) 417-926-4105 or Pamela Mayer at (417) 926-4105 to register or for information on registration fees.

Check out the full article from the Joplin Independent: Joplin Independent: Elderberries are topic of Missouri conference by David L. Burton civic communication specialist for the University of Missouri Outreach and Extension.