Happy Holidays!

Freshly juiced organic apples!  A fine mix at 4:1 with juiced haskap.

Try juicing your haskap!  Yielding roughly 40% juice by weight, mix this with freshly juiced apples at a rate of 1 part haskap to 4 parts apple, for a unique blend.  At this rate the apples and haskap can be individually discerned, but neither overpowers the other, and additionally result in a mix that is all of its own…a fresh taste to add to your new year!

Happy New Year and may your haskap grow and bear profusely in 2014...from Haskap Canada!

New Article On Haskap Climate Zone Requirements

There's a new article posted on the University of Saskatchewan website about climate zone requirements for haskap:  How Far South Can Haskap/ Lonicera caerulea Be Grown?

Many gardeners and farmers are interested in trying Haskap in warmer parts of Canada, USA and around the world.   Experienced gardeners in the north are all too familiar with the idea that they might not be able to grow all the fruits they see in the nursery catalogs or at the big box stores.  But growers in warmer regions are usually not familiar with the concept that they might be south of an optimum growing region.

Topics covered include: Symptoms, Natural Range, Breeding For The South, and Imports

…It Certainly Looks Like Haskap! (...And Well Worth The Trouble) :)

Caminandes: Gran Dillama - Short Movie from Xyo on Vimeo.

(hint: watch to the very end)

Orchard-Based Research?

Are you raising haskap and curious about a certain aspect that has not yet been developed?  This is a reminder that it may be worth your time to investigate whether your provincial government might partner with you through one of their existing agricultural support programs to find out the answer to your question.  Saskatchewan, for example, already has several programs in place which include:

Farm and Ranch Water  Infrastructure Program (FRWIP)

Supports the development of agricultural water infrastructure.

www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/GF2-FRWIP.

toll free line at 1-877-874-5365

email  fpbinfo@gov.sk.ca.

Farm Stewardship Program

Assistance to implement beneficial management practices (BMP) that help maintain or improve the quality of soil, water, air or biodiversity resources.

www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/GF2-Farmstewardship.

toll free line at 1-877-874-5365

email  fpbinfo@gov.sk.ca

Saskatchewan Lean Improvements in Manufacturing (SLIM)

Support to agri-businesses that process bio-product, food and feed for projects that stimulate improvements in productivity and efficiency through the adoption of best practices, new technologies and state-of-the-art processes.

 www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/GF2-SLIM

call Gary Coghill 1-306-787-8537.

email gary.coghill@gov.sk.ca

On-Farm Food Safety Implementation Program

Producers receive training and funding directly from the associated commodity organization. They do not have to be members of these organizations to access

programming.  As programming differs by organization, producers should contact the respective commodity organization for details (see website for associated commodity group contact information)

www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/GF2-OnFarmFoodSafety

What does your province provide?

Haskap and Blue Mason Bees

A Blue Mason Bee study is currently under way by provincial entomologists in Saskatchewan.  Currently they are checking the pollen collected from this past year in order to see how effective these are as haskap pollinators.

Wanted: Haskap For Export To Europe And Japan

If you have Haskap that is exportable to Europe and/or Japan, then please contact Hamish Graham immediately at:  maddog@me.com or maddog@icloud.com.

Thanks!

Plant Breeders' Rights In Canada

Did you know that...

Plant Breeders' Rights (PBR) are a form of intellectual property rights by which plant breeders can protect their new varieties in the same way an inventor protects a new invention with a patent.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency administers the Plant Breeders' Rights Act (1990) and Regulations which provide legal protection to plant breeders for new plant varieties for up to 18 years.

…this protection extends internationally.  Without being granted the right to propagate their selections of haskap by the University of Saskatchewan it is absolutely illegal to do so.

Plant registration in the USA is handled through the Patent Office: www.uspto.gov.

Diversified Pollinator Strategy

Here's a link to an article on diversified pollinator lodging entitled 'Building A Bug Mansion':

http://www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk/thingstodo/inaweekend/bug-mansion.aspx 

Haskap Canada Member's Site

Be watching for a new Haskap Canada member's-only site which is in the process of taking shape...

White Clover As A Cover Crop?

Have you been thinking of overseeding a cover crop in your haskap orchard?  Want to build your soil before planting haskap or co-nourish it as it grows?  You might want to do some background on using clovers...perhaps white clover (Trifolium repens) and how it does in your region, or clovers in general.   It is a timely thing to consider here in the early fall.  Perfect for choking out weeds along with its strong root system, pickups and small tractors are easily supported in even wet soils.  A food for pollinators throughout the season it does not compete with haskap flowering.  Possible to over seed into grass it requires only 3#/ac.  At $3.50/ lb it can be a simple, effective addition to your practice.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/clover

http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/pubs/idpmcpg8308.pdf

(...I love the edit on this video!)

Interested In Increasing The Pollinators In Your Haskap Orchard?

The Orchard Bee Association is holding its 4th Annual General Meeting in concert with it 1st International Pollinator Symposium and Expo from October 10 - 12, 2013, at Utah State University in Kaysville, Utah.

Parisian Bee Hotels

...s'interroger sur la nécessité et le charme de nourrir les pollinisateurs indigènes

...bon ... très très bon

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (6)

Afternoon Presentations

Bob Bors - U of SK breeding program update
James Dawson - Neutriceutical/Phytochemical discussion
Loretta Bors - Development of cookbook
Curtis Braaten - Raised bed planting
Cory Sheffield (unable to attend) - Pollination Study
Hamish Graham - Hydroplanting
Haskap Canada - Update
Open Forum

*Anyone with recipes for haskap and would like them included in the cookbook is encouraged to contact Loretta Bors (lorettaborsathotmaildotcom)or Lil Sawatzky (lilymaeatsaskteldotcom).

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (5)

Hardiness

Not an official stop on the tour, I recalled this plot as having a nice selection of mature haskap in previous years.  Inquiring, the plants had served their purpose, been selected, and removed.

  Now, thoroughly cultivated, young plants are still growing there from remnants of roots...

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (4)

Field Evaluation of Plants and Fruit

This is a mature edible blue honeysuckle berry from an edible blue honeysuckle plant that is native to Canada.

These plants (below) were collected from all across Canada...some even emerge with red leaves in the spring...does this indicate different anthocyanin composition?

If neutriceutical value is found in the skin of fruit, does that mean that odd-shaped varieties, such as this one of Japanese parentage, have a greater health value?

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (3)

Pruning

Pruning trials are currently under way.  Three methods are being tested: bottom trimming, centre trimming, and bonsai styles, respectively...

  

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (2)

Orchard Tour

In the field participants were able to see and taste the results of the U of SK's selection program, and to listen to the grounds for selection while standing in the midst of the huge number of individual genotypes that have been carefully watched and considered throughout the growing season as possible parent-stock for future vigourous, winter-hardy, and tasty varieties.

Haskap Day - U of SK 2013 (1)

If you did not attend, we missed you!  What would you have experienced if you had been there?

Morning Field Tour

Field Tour
Field Fruit Tasting
Special Observation: Hybrids, Native Canadian, Japanese, Russian Varieties
Mechanical Harvesting Demonstration
Pruning Methods

Lunch - Pizza

Afternoon Presentations

Current Research
Raised Bed Planting
Recipes/Cookbook
Pollination Study
Hydroplanting
Haskap Canada Update

Over the next several posts the highlights of these will be briefly touched upon...

Haskap Day 2013 - July 19, 2023

One week from tomorrow the University of Saskatchewan will host this year's Haskap Day at their Horticulture Field Lab.

Updated information will be presented concerning harvest, yields, and ages of haskap involving various varieties for machine and hand picking .  There will be an explanation of the various pollinator projects that are currently under way.  Marketing initiatives will be discussed.  Dr. Bob Bors will update participants on new varieties and James Dawson will discuss phytonutrients.   There will be tours of the haskap orchard.  Lunch will be $5 per person for pizza.  We hope to see you there!

Haskap Harvest 2013 - Heavenly Blue Honeysuckle Orchards, Ltd.

Tent Caterpillars - Northern Minnesota, Lake Manitoba Narrows

Yesterday these pics arrived from a HC member in northern Minnesota...

Also, entirely stripped of their leaves, a HC member reported an infestation in the bush along Hwy. 68 (Lake Manitoba Narrows)...that the road was a carpet of tent caterpillars.

http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse003/inse003.htm

Tent Caterpillars And Haskap

Tent caterpillar outbreaks have recently occurred in Prince George, BC, and Prince Albert, SK.   Questions about larger provincial infestations are being raised.  So far they do not appear to have acquired a taste for edible blue honeysuckles.  Haskap growers should monitor their orchards closely for this pest.  The following PDF links are to MDSD's for BTK, which is approved for use on edible blue honeysuckles: BioProtec 3P, Dipel 2X.  Please report any tent caterpillar outbreaks in your orchard to Haskap Canada.

U of SK, Haskap, And North American Market

Haskap Day 2013

Haskap Day this year will be held on Friday, July 19 at the University of Saskatchewan's Horticulure Field Lab, Saskatoon, SK.  The day will feature talks by Dr. Bob Bors, and doctoral student James Dawson will report on various compounds he has discovered in Haskap while doing his research .  There will be introductions to new graduate students and their respective fields of inquiry. Industry updates will be addressed by the Haskap Canada Association, who will also speak about some of their new initiatives. As always there will be field tours, which are continuing to break open new insights as these plants continue to mature.  Starting time is 10:00 a.m..

Sanitation Protocols For Fruit Producers

With haskap berry time rapidly approaching Haskap Canada would like to remind producers of their responsibility to ensure sanitary conditions in their orchards and processing facilities.  Recently, at least 30 people contracted hepatitis A after consuming a frozen berry juice blend.  Improper hand sanitation on the part of food preparers/handlers is most often the cause.  Hepatitis A can be passed on through feces.

If you are a large producer/processor, or are thinking of becoming one, or if you are selling to restaurants or commercial food chains, or are thinking of doing so, then you should be aware of the  Canada GAP program regarding the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables.  This is a food safety program for companies that produce, pack, and store fruits and vegetables meant to implement and improve effective food safety procedures.

If you are a smaller scale grower you should at least read the Canada GAP protocols and seriously consider how you can make your orchard/product safe for the public, to whom you have a responsibility.  Here are some very simple items to think through:

Consider:

- Do you take sanitation in your orchard seriously?

- Do you believe yourself to be responsible if someone becomes ill after eating fruit from your orchard and its cause is traced back to you?

- Can you afford to pay damages for such a situation, especially if you have no safeguards/guidelines in place?

Implement:

- Do you wash your hands thoroughly before going to your orchard?  (It sounds ridiculous to ask, but do you know how to wash you hands properly?  You're never to old to learn, and hopefully humble enough to do it.)

- Do you supply sanitizing gel, soap and water with which orchard users may wash?

- Do you wash your hands after visiting the bathroom?  (Many people do not.)

- Do you have adequate bathroom facilities at your orchard?

- Do you encourage visitors to your orchard to wash/sanitize their hands before entering it?

- Do you allow animals/livestock in your orchard?

- Do you restrict wildlife access to your orchard?

- Do you instruct your visitors to follow a printed protocol that includes these and other sanitation guidelines?  (Such as:  Do you make visitors aware that if they are infected with a communicable disease, that they can spread it to others through improper personal sanitation?)

- Do you keep a record of orchard users and their contact information?

In An Effort To Save Pollinators In Europe...

Use of neonicatinoid pesticides has now been banned in the EU in an effort to stop the decimation of its bee populations:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-457_en.htm

Nutritional Analysis Of Tundra

Soon to be on the Haskap Canada website will be a comprehensive nutritional analysis of Tundra.  In addition to protein, fat, and carbohydrate compositions, this analysis also includes vitamins and minerals, as well as bioflavonoids, resveratrol, ORAC's, phenolics, and anthocyanins.  Tests were conducted by an independent lab.  Look for it in the Members Only section.

Haskap Berries, Antioxidant Capacity, Total Phenolic Content, And Health Benefits - A 2012 Study

Here is the abstract of a publication published in 2012 and covering antioxidants and phenolics in haskap:

Rupasinghe, H. P. V., Yu, L. J., Bhullar, K. S. and Bors, B. 2012. SHORT COMMUNICATION: Haskap (Lonicera caerulea): A new berry crop with high antioxidant capacity. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1311 1317. This study evaluated the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content as well as total flavonoid content of three haskap (Lonicera caerulea) cultivars, Borealis, Indigo Gem and Tundra, grown in Saskatchewan in comparison with six other commercial fruits using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, the aluminum chloride colorimetric method and the Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. The results indicate that haskap berries, especially cv. Borealis possessed the highest antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents, specifically total flavonoid among tested fruits, and could be used as a promising fruit source of natural antioxidants. The nutritional values of the fruits were also assessed using proximate analysis.  Strawberry possessed the highest amount of most minerals and nutrients, whereas the nutritional values for the three haskap cultivars were average.

To read the entire study for free go to either: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1.1&thid=13ec7e461f50d582&mt=application/pdf&url=https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui%3D2%26ik%3D8580447990%26view%3Datt%26th%3D13ec7e461f50d582%26attid%3D0.1.1%26disp%3Dsafe%26zw&sig=AHIEtbSrt5fySeU181oHsdaapwHDPVfS5A

or

http://ebookbrowse.com/haskap-a-new-berry-crop-with-high-antioxidant-capacity-2012-pdf-d463292541

Capriofoliaceae Lonicera

Family Capriofoliaceae (cap-ri-fol-i-a-ce-ae)

2 leaves upon emergence

This designation places haskap within a larger grouping of plants that are commonly known as honeysuckles.  This group comes from a common ancestor, along with all of its descendants (a clade).  All of these plants have two leaves upon emergence from the seed  (dicotyledonous) and are flowering plants.  There is a substantial amount of good information available on the internet about this family, Caprifoliacea (wiki), or  http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/caprifol.htm.  Information is also available in good botany textbooks.

Species Lonicera (Lo-ni-ce-ra)

Most species of Lonicera are hardy twining climbers, with a large minority of shrubby habit; a handful of species...are tender and can only be grown outside in subtropical zones. The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1–10 cm long; most are deciduous but some are evergreen. Many of the species have sweetly-scented...flowers that produce a sweet, edible nectar, and most flowers are borne in clusters of two (leading to the common name of "twinberry" for certain North American species). Both shrubby and vining sorts have strongly fibrous stems which have been used for binding and textiles. The fruit is a red, blue or black spherical or elongated berrycontaining several seeds; in most species the berries are mildly poisonous, but in a few they are edible and grown for home use and commerce. Most honeysuckle berries are attractive to wildlife. Many species of Lonicera are eaten by the larvae of some moths and butterflies.  http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?6947 

Toxonomy, The Grouping Of Organisms With Common Characteristics

Many academic disciplines make use of the word, taxonomy including: education, business, chemistry, and biology, although the term is not limited to these fields.  Emerging from the Latin word meaning to rank or appraise, biologic taxonomy endeavours to make more explicit the relationship of one biological organism to another.  There are several approaches by which scientists may do this.  The standard rank ordering of plants and animals includes the categories: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.  In the case of haskap, they are a part of the larger kingdom of plants, and narrows down to lonicerea...edible blue honeysuckle - a specific grouping (i.e. a species) which is distinguishable by certain readily recognizable characteristics that are common to any and all of these plants.  Furthermore, different varieties exist within this species...Tundra, Borealis, etc..

Understanding This Plant (Pt.1)

Other than what is on the internet, there is really a dearth of scientific information that has been gathered into one place about our lowly haskap plants.  In light of this, I suggest that we work through the only technical site out there...Russia's Agro Atlas.  What insights can common growers glean from this site?  Over the next several posts we will find out...

Here is the link to the Interactive Agricultural Ecological Atlas of Russia and Neighboring Countries: www.agroatlas.ru/cultural/Lonicera_K_en.htm

More Evidence Berries Have Health-Promoting Properties

Adding more color to your diet in the form of berries is encouraged by many nutrition experts. The protective effect of berries against inflammation has been documented in many studies...

...you can read the whole study here at Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130421153459.htm

2013 Haskap Canada's Annual General Meeting

This year Haskap Canada’s (HC) AGM was held at the Saskatoon Public Library, 1635 McKercher Drive, Saskatoon, SK on Saturday, March 23.  The meeting began at 10:30 a.m.

After the formal opening of the meeting, and with no business arising from previous meetings, the nominations for president and this year’s election of directors was held.  The financial report was then accepted as it was presented.  A change for the formal address of HC was enacted: Box 1107, Yorkton, SK S3N 2X3.  Items involving insurance, the HC blog, and the possibility of hosting a ‘Berry School’ were all discussed.  A new president, Hamish Graham, and three directors, Marg Sullivan, Dave Negyrch, and Linda Giesbrecht, were then elected by acclamation.

The meeting adjourned just before noon.

Coldest Spring On Record

It’s now official.  There has not been this much snow on the Canadian prairies this late in 114 years.  And furthermore, it is the coldest spring on record here.  What will that mean for haskap plants, fruit bearing, etc.?  It’s really a valuable opportunity for haskap growers to pay special attention to these and other factors regarding haskap production.  One factor will be the effect on pollination/pollinators.  Growers should pay special attention to the types of insects carrying out the bulk of this work.  Here are a couple recent articles on the demise/decimation of honeybee colonies in particular:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/06/national-beekeeper-of-year-darren-cox_n_3029773.html

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=europe-set-to-vote-on-pesticide-ban-to-save-honeybees

Haskap Pollination

Haskap Canada member, Hamish Graham, has been considering how to produce better pollination success in his haskap crop.  Two pollination studies have recently been published: (1) Honey Bees Make Poor Substitutes For Wild Pollinators, and (2) Farming For Bees

The new provincial entomologist, Cory Sheffield will be working to identify wild pollinators in Saskatchewan.  Current work is being done by individual Haskap Canada members to identify and nurture native pollinators for better pollination success.

Links:

http://earthsky.org/earth/honey-bees-make-poor-substitutes-for-wild-pollinators

http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/farming_for_bees_guidelines_xerces_society.pdf

Haskap Growers In Western Producer

Haskap growers, Carl and Sandra Barber made it into the Western Producer last month!

BIRCH HILLS, Sask. — Building a new fruit enterprise takes time, perseverance, money, patience and careful consideration...

Read the whole article here: http://www.producer.com/2013/02/orchard-owners-experiment-with-new-fruit-crop/

March 23, 2013: Haskap Canada Annual General Meeting, Saskatoon, SK

This Saturday Haskap Canada will hold its Annual General Meeting from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. - March 23rd. 2013.  The location of the meeting is at the Cliff Wright Branch Library, 1635 McKercher Dr., Saskatoon, SK Canada, S7H 5J9

Registration begins at 10:00 a.m..  The meeting itself will begin at 10:30 a.m..

For more information phone (306) 975.7550

For a map to this site please follow the following link to the official Haskap Canada website: http://haskap.ca/Annual%20General%20Meeting 

Come and discuss the most recent developments in Haskap Canada's marketing strategies and opportunities, as well as the most recent developments in better understanding and getting the most out of your plants.

If you are interested on any level in this exciting new fruit then you are encouraged to attend.  See you there!