Nutraceutical Crops
The Buehler family, fourth-generation farmers, on their farm in Missouri, needed to move away from the row crop and dairy farming and find new opportunities.
Enjoy,
David Proctor
Urban Farmer/Rancher
The American Elderberry
by David Proctor
June 15, 2023
Urban Farm Lifestyle Magazine Published Weekly
The Buehler farm was originally homesteaded in 1899 by John and Lucy Buehler.
In 2011, David and his wife Ann, knew that the way the farm had been traditionally farmed was not sustainable.
They started to research what they could produce on their farm that would help others and provide a living for their family.
After much research on nutraceutical crops, they decided on the Elderberry.
Elderberry
Most elderberry products are currently imported and rely on European Elderberry.
They discovered that studies comparing the health benefits of American Elderberry vs European Elderberry showed the American Elderberry is higher in antioxidants like anthocyanins.
The anthocyanins of the American Elderberry were able to hold up better under heat and light making it a much more desirable product than the European Elderberry.
The American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a perennial deciduous shrub that can hold up and thrive in harsh conditions.
American Elderberry
They decided to start by planting 10 acres of elderberry.
Only 800 acres of elderberry were being grown at that time in the US vs 30,000 acres in Europe.
Fortunately, the University of Missouri had research plots growing elderberry, close by at one of the MU agricultural research farms.
The knowledge gained from this research farm was extremely helpful.
The hard part came when after the plants were in the ground, they had roughly two years before the first harvest.
They knew they had a winner, that the per-pound value of elderberries was much higher than what they could receive with traditional row crops.
They still had to find a way to sell their product.
Ann experimented with jellies, jams, and syrups to find something that had a better taste than just pressed juice.
They did come up with their own Elder Farms product line.
Elderflower Hemp Coconut Oil
They repurposed a milk barn into a Safe and Good manufacturing facility.
They started with Elder Farms Immune syrup and received positive feedback from the local farmer’s market.
The product was authentic, local, and organically grown, using only organic ingredients, and was sweetened with raw honey instead of sugar.
They have expanded their operation of growing elderberries by two acres each year and have added additional varieties of elderberry.
They now have almost 55 acres on the farm, along with 200 acres of elderberry across the four-state region that supplies the Elder Farms.
This is a great opportunity for small farmers that could start with as little as five acres, make a solid profit, and expand if they chose.
The Buehlers want to educate small farmers on a sustainable and regenerative crop that they can grow on less than ten acres and support their family farm.
They need more farmers to grow elderberries, and the demand is great.
Sambucus canadensis
At the current rate of consumption, it would take 25,000 acres of commercially grown elderberries to meet the demands of American Elderberry consumers.
The Buehler Farm, provides rooted plants and cuttings, elderberry destemming equipment, elderberry wellness supplements, and custom elderberry planting.
To find out more click on this link: https://buehlerorganics.com/
Check It Out!
The Amazing Benefits of Black Elderberry 2:39
Dr. Eric Berg DC
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Bibliography:
Buehler, David. “New Crop On An Old Farm.” ACRES USA, May 2023, pp. 26–30.
Admin. “Home.” Buehler Organics, 19 Oct. 2022, buehlerorganics.com/.
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