Monday, December 15, 2014

Kamchatka Haskap In Poland: Report

Here is a Google Chrome translation of an article in Polish concerning the growing of Kamchatka edible blue honeysuckle in Poland: "Many people wonder over the prospect of growing [edible blue honeysuckle] Kamchatsky in Poland. Is it worth it to take, or who will have to buy fruits and whether it is on the make? Past experience shows that there are great opportunities species growing in Poland, and in the disposal of fruit so far, there is no problem.
Kamczacka berry is an interesting species for cultivation in Poland, due to the low climatic and soil requirements. The plants are easy to handle, resistant to low temperatures during the winter and spring frosts. Fruit on commercial plantations of three years, you can start collecting now combine. For this purpose should be formed shrubs."
There is also a video of harvesting (in Polish) and more to the article.  Accessing it through Goole Chrome allows you the option of translating it for yourself.  Just FYI...

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Haskap Canada - 2015 AGM

Haskap Canada's Annual General Meeting will take place on March 28, 2015 and will again be located on the University of Saskatchewan's campus.  This date coincides with Gardenscape in order to allow attendees to participate in both events.  More information will be posted here as the date approaches...

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Bob Bors: Announcing Haskap Grower's Guide And Visits To Grower's Orchards, 2015 - 2016

Dr. Bob Bors, 2014 Haskap Day Field Tour, U of SK
A sabbatical has been officially approved for Dr. Bob Bors.  From July 1, 2015 until June 30, 2016 Bob will be working on finishing up a grower’s manual for Haskap!  He is also planning on visiting Haskap growers, as his schedule allows.  In conjunction with these visits he would like to offer seminars as well as to provide advice in the field.  If a grower’s group, for example, were able to host a seminar, he would then be able to visit numerous sites in that region.  If, however, there is no grower’s group in your area this should not deter you from sending him an invitation if you are willing to invite others to your orchard who will benefit from his visit.

If you are interested in hosting an event or in inviting him to spend some time in your orchard you are invited to email him at Bob.bors@usask.ca so that he can start a database for possible visits.  In the subject line please add the words: Sabbatical Visit.  Please describe to him your interest and/or experience with Haskap.  He will need to know your location (your nearest town is good enough).  If he is able to be in your region he will be contacting you.

Remember, we at Haskap Canada ideally consider that Haskap is a resource that is able to improve an entire community as a whole.  Growers who also provide information and assistance to others in their region help an entire community to achieve a healthier, more bountiful life.  Your invitation to him should ideally reflect your experience at having done so, or your plans to do so.

During his sabbatical he will also be attending gene banks and nursery industry opportunities.  The invitation on this post is specifically aimed at growers who care about their respective communities.


What a great opportunity!  I guess that doctors still do make house calls!!!

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Haskap Planting Tutorial - Haskap Haven Farms

The following video highlights Karl Schreiber's haskap planting on his farm, Haskap Haven Farms, at Pierceland, SK.  Nice job!  :)  (Heavenly Blue Haskap Productions, Hamish Graham, supervising)

Saturday, October 18, 2014

U of SK Announces Two New Haskap Selections

The University of Saskatchewan has announced the pending release of two new haskap selections, Boreal Beauty and Boreal Blizzard.  Larger in size and mid-to-late season, these berries can hold the potential for bountiful fruit production throughout the summer.  These will be available in 2015/2016.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

New Brunswick Haskap Workshop

Dr. Bob Bors will be speaking at a workshop in St-Basile, New Brunswick on October 25th.  Don Northcott (Phytocultures) will also speak.  Weather permitting there will be a tour of a Haskap orchard.  For more detailed information click here.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Winemaking With Haskap

It requires about 6 kg/13 lbs of haskap berries to make a batch of wine with the recipe that is posted on the U of SK haskap website.  In Haskap Wines At The U of Sk Fruit Program, Peter Reimer tells about what he discovered concerning yeasts, styles of wine, and gives a basic background for starting your own batch.  You'll need a 5 gallon, food-grade bucket, sterilizing solution, a sheet of plastic for the top of the bucket when you begin, a large carboy, a syphon tube, and the following ingredients: 4 kg / 9 lb cane sugar, a packet of yeast, yeast nutrient, potassium metabisulphate, and wine tannin.  (The later, specific additives only cost a few dollars and will provide you with enough tho make several batches of wine.)  The recipe works!  It's probably best to talk to a friend who has made wine before if this is your first attempt...but the results can be delightful.   Thank you, Peter!

Monday, August 25, 2014

The 'Privilege' Of Haskap

U of SK Horticulture Field Lab
When it comes to breeding plants it is relatively easy to genetically select and change a single physical characteristic in cross-bred progeny.  But try and change two physical characteristics simultaneously, and it becomes more difficult.  Try breeding for three characteristics, even tougher.  Furthermore, which of these characteristics are most-important?  Complex genetic formulas are not complete until each trait is properly weighted in that formula.  All of this is precisely what makes the Haskap program at the U of SK both unique and successful.  Breeding plants for a wide variety of traits takes resources...human, monetary, training, technology, oversight.  Here are just some of the traits that go into selecting a superior Haskap plant: bloom time, harvest season, fruit weight, fruit shape, fruit firmness, fruit flavour, fruit sweetness, fruit chemical analysis, bush habit of growing, bush vigour, disease resistance, productivity.

Their early Haskap breeding program was funded by plant sales, workshop fees, and volunteer labour.  But beginning in 2007 Saskatchewan Agriculture's Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) awarded three grants that allowed a 10x increase in Haskap research.  With the flourishing of Haskap orchards across Canada royalties from Haskap sales allowed for yet another doubling since 2011 in research both in general as well as in providing stipends to support graduate students involved in the program.  65% of Haskap plant royalties directly fund various aspects of the U of SK's fruit program; 35% of royalties goes toward a general horticulture fund and allows for the purchase and maintenance of equipment and facilities.  It is the success of this program that allows all Haskap growers to succeed.



Wednesday, August 6, 2014

A Call For Haskap Recipes

Loretta Bors and Lil Sawatsky are continuing to gather recipes for a Haskap Cookbook.  Whether it’s jams, preserves, juices, syrups, tarts, cakes, pies, liqueurs, wines, or melomels, they would like to hear from you!  Go ahead and share with the world the ways you have come to best love this delightful fruit.  No recipe is too simple or complex.  Attribution will be given along with a link to your website/blog at your request.

To enquire or contribute please contact Loretta at: lorettabors@hotmail.com.

Thank you!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The World's Best Information, Hands-On Learning: U of SK Haskap Day 2014 (Part 5)


For the hour following the field tour a forum was held that allowed Haskap Day participants to formally present/interact with one another.  The day was over by 4:00 p.m..  Hats and shirts sold well.  A few are left over.  Shirts are lg/xlg @ $11, hats (red only) @ $12.  ...plus shipping.  Contact: ebhbasics@gmail.com

Thanks to the U of SK for once again hosting the event, and to the Hort. Lab field staff for their time and teaching!




http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Monday, July 28, 2014

The World's Best Information, Hands-On Learning: U of SK Haskap Day 2014 (Part 4)

By the time that lunch was over the sky had cleared and the sun was beginning to shine through the clouds.  Because of the heavy rain the night before we walked the tour and were picked up on the farthest point of the tour so that we didn't have to walk all the half mile back to the starting point.  Seventy-five paid participants were accompanied by Bob Bors, James Dawson, Bayartugla Lkhagvsuren and Ellen Sawchuk.  There is always a lot of interaction among participants in the field...one of the highlights of attending!


The Joanna-3 harvester was demonstrated, although not on plants because of the saturated field conditions.






We moved on to the next-generation group of selections; plants were lush, heavily laden with fruit, large, and varied widely in berry characteristics.  Each year participants are given the opportunity to mark plants that they consider to be of a superior taste; this year was no exception.  We next toured and tasted the selections that Dr. Bors acquired from the wild on his search across Canada several years ago.  And we ended the tour viewing and tasting the youngest of the bushes along with the original "9" row that produced their first commercial 'haskap'.  It should be remembered that haskap is an edible blue honeysuckle that was selected for superiority in many traits: berry size, shape, flavour, sweetness, not bleeding when picked...bush shape, size, rapidity of growth...etc..  As in all genetic selection, it is easy to select improvements in the next generation based on only one or two traits; it becomes mulch more complex and complicated when you are trying to select for many traits simultaneously.  The U of SK program proves that this is not only possible, but that it requires enormous effort, skill, and perseverance to do so...the proof is in the field!  Come see for yourself next year!!!


http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The World's Best Information, Hands-On Learning: U of SK Haskap Day 2014 (Part 3)

Following lunch we walked the 35+ acres of haskap plantation at the University of Saskatchewan's Horticulture Field Lab on an interactive tour guided by Dr. Bors, accompanied by his field staff.

Before describing the tour itself, here's a constellation of commonly repeated words/phrases spoken by participants while we were tasting and comparing...


...good growth, such big fruit, good selection of flavours, 
delicious, amazing, size, taste, wow!...

I think that it would be fair to say that participants were literally bowled over by the plant growth, plant size, berry size, and ridiculously bountiful amount of fruit on the plants this year...


http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Monday, July 21, 2014

The World's Best Information, Hands-On Learning: U of SK Haskap Day 2014 (Part 2)

Having heavily rained the night before the order of the day was switched so that the presentations occurred in the morning and the orchard tour would happen in the afternoon.  With weather clearing later in the day this worked out very well.

Dr. Bob Bors began the morning sessions at 9:15 a.m., providing a general overview of the haskap program, starting with a brief, historical background, and progressing up to the current/future direction of research.

Next,  Bayartugla Lkhagvsuren presented his work on the ecology of wild haskap, which so far has included a review of the available literature on edible blue honeysuckles in Russia.  Speaking Russian, he has made an invaluable contribution in translating Russian texts, even though many of these articles are not peer-reviewed.  He also spoke to the geographic locales of haskap prototypes, as well as the implications of this for historical haskap biology.

Next, PhD candidate James Dawson presented the developments of his continuing research on haskap neutraceutical compounds, reminding Haskap Day participants of the need to not speak of the benefits of anti-oxidants, but of the specific components contained in the plant and how they actually function in the human body.  Additonally, he indicated that these benefits may not come simply from the fruit itself.

Dr. Bors finished the morning presentations with some interesting side-lights on what is generally known: the manner in which haskap flowers can survive freezing temperatures, cautions about how many honeyberries have simply been re-named by vendors, the effects of pruning, and the relationship between hard science and the way in which science is appropriately an art in the continued development of their fruit program.


http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Saturday, July 19, 2014

The World's Best Information, Hands-On Learning: U of SK Haskap Day 2014 (Part 1)

Integrating the best haskap research in the world, and providing the opportunity for active participant interaction, the University of Saskatchewan once again hosted their annual Haskap Field Day yesterday.  Here's a snippet showing their Joanna-3 (Weremczuk/Poland) harvester in operation.  Due to heavy rain the night before they were unable to demonstrate actual berry harvesting as they have in previous years.  However, here is a video clearly showing just how the machine works...

Friday, July 11, 2014

2014 Haskap Day - July 18

One week from today the University of Saskatchewan will once again host its annual Haskap Day at its Horticulture Field Lab located on 14th St. in Saskatoon, SK..  All seven haskap fields will be on the tour which leaves from the lab at 9:15 a.m..  Bob Bors will provide a research and breeding update at 1:00 p.m., and will be followed by James Dawson's presentation on the neutraceutical value of haskap fruit.  Then Bayartugla Lkhagvsuren will speak on the ecology of wild haskap and haskap plant nutrition.  A grower forum will end the afternoon session.

*Note: If it has rained in the past week please bring boots that are suitable for walking in heavy, wet clay in the field.  Park along the south side of 14th Street, please.  Registration is $25 and begins at 8:30 a.m..  Pizza for lunch will be available for a cost of $5.

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/articles/Haskap%20Day%202014.pdf

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Shirts For Sale: Haskap.ca

50 T-shirts will be for sale at the U of SK Haskap Day.  They will be sold at cost simply as a promo: $11.00/shirt.


Monday, June 30, 2014

Caps For Sale: Haskap.ca


24 caps will be for sale at the U of SK Haskap Day.  They will be sold at cost simply as a promo: $12.00/cap.


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

July 18, 2014 - Haskap Day At The U Of SK!

The U of S offers a full day workshop on Haskap. This day will feature a tour in the morning with a mechanical harvesting demonstration and berry tasting with talks in the afternoon from U of S fruit program staff and growers from around the province. Registration begins at 8:30 and the tour will depart at 9:45. The cost for the day is 25 dollars per person with an option of participating in a pizza lunch for an additional 5. For a detailed itinerary click here.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Haskap Canada Association Youtube Video Playlist Created

Posted here is a collection of videos by/about Haskap Canada members and haskap.   As such they will cover a wide range of scientific, commercial, cottage-industry, home gardening, nutritional, and marketing aspects.

Thanks to all who took the time to record their work with haskap!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?action_edit=1&list=PLMFZhcp-FzVbXO1vw87TjA_vPPE1FaZll

Friday, May 30, 2014

Blue Mason Bees Being Studied As Haskap Pollinator

Blue Mason Bees are currently under study in north central Saskatchewan (zone 2) as haskap pollinators...



Osmia Lignaria - Blue Mason Bee


(photo courtesy os Hamish Graham)

Saturday, April 12, 2014

2014 Haskap Canada AGM (Part 3): Danae Frier & Haskap Pollination Research

Danae Frier is a M.Sc. candidate at the University of Regina. She reported on the pollination biology of Lonicera caerulea at this year's Haskap Canada AGM.

Beginning with plant structure, this provided the ground work for her to speak about the pollination possibilities.  Because of the uniqueness of haskap's two flowers eventually forming one berry study is currently under way to find more precisely the manner in which this mechanism functions. The pollination of this fruit is known to be fully insect-dependent.  The flower is bee-friendly, and given the time of flowering bumble bees and smaller native bees seem important, being inherently more cold-adapted.  Among other things, field studies this year will consider efficiency-compared-to-effectiveness of various pollinators and which factor is more important to haskap fruit pollination.  She also presented on the bumble bee life-cycle, the importance of forage establishment for year-round bee sustenance, and suitable nest sites for native pollinators.

Again, we include her presentation here and ask that if you share them that attribution is included.  Thank you...

 



http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Thursday, April 10, 2014

2014 Haskap Canada AGM (Part 2): James Dawson & The Nutrition Of Haskap

James Dawson is a PhD graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan, in the Department of Plant Sciences.  He has presented at both the University of Saskatchewan's Haskap Day as well as at Haskap Canada AGMs.

At this year's Haskap Canada AGM he spoke on the manner in which antioxidants/polyphenyls are actually metabolized in the human body, which as it is coming to be better understood as an emerging science, will put a whole new slant on how you should approach antioxidants in general, and haskap in particular.  His presentation demonstrates precisely why the resources of university research are critical to better understanding the ongoing revelations that the sciences continue to offer.  


We include his presentation this year entitled, Phenylpropanoids In Lonicera caerulea for your viewing pleasure and ask that if you share them that attribution is included.  Thank you...





http://haskap.ca

http://www.fruit.usask.ca/haskap.html

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

2014 Haskap Canada AGM (Part 1): Dr. Bob Bors & The University Of Saskatchewan Research And Development Program

The 2014 Haskap Canada AGM started at 10:00 a.m. on February 29th at the Agriculture Building on the University of Saskatchewan campus.

The meeting began with a report by the University of Saskatchewan's Dr. Bob Bors.  During his presentation he discussed:

  • the sources of funding for ongoing haskap research, 
  • the ongoing developmental nature/evolution of the research, 
  • the outcomes of a wide selection of controlled crosses, 
  • the fact that 20,000 seedlings are now coming into fruit production at the university's Horticulture Field Lab and its implications, 
  • a review/critique on the success of various forms of mechanical harvest
  • a review of the various selections and their growth characteristics
  • interim reports that will become available online
  • the continued development of fruit selection standards
  • the development of a quick-screening platform for evaluating neutriceutical properties
  • the trial currently going on in Ontario
As usual it was a very informative presentation, the technical nature of what it takes to continue to strive for exceptional, haskap-quality varieties being the focus and how the vast array of the University of Saskatchewan's facilities are able to contribute to this.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Pollination Researcher To Speak At 2014 AGM Morning Session

Ms. Danae Frier is currently a M.Sc. candidate at the University of Regina, supervised by Dr. Cory Sheffield (Royal Saskatchewan Museum) and Dr. Chris Somers (University of Regina).  She is studying the pollination biology of Lonicera caerulea.  She will deliver a brief talk on the subject, addressing what is already known about floral pollinators and the research planned for the upcoming summer, which will help identify which bees are the best pollinators of the crop.

Her former experience and education as a biologist has included: museum collections, burrowing owls, blue racers, and prairie rattlesnakes.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Haskap Canada : Annual General Meeting - Official Agenda Posting

Haskap Canada AGM will be held 
Saturday March 29th, 2014, at the
University of Saskatchewan,
Agriculture Building,
Saskatoon, SK Canada

9:00 AM to 9:30 AM - Registration


9:30 AM to 12:00 AM - Information Sessions (no charge for attendees)


12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM – Lunch break


1:00 PM to 2:00 PM – Annual General Meeting

          Agenda will include :

                    Director Elections (2 – 3 year term positions)
                    President’s Report
                    Strategic Plan Review
                    Financial Report
                    Membership Fees
                    Constitution Amendments to comply with new legislation

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM – Open Forum


Friday, March 14, 2014

AGM Update: 9:30 A.M., March 29, U of SK

On March 29 Haskap Canada's AGM will take place.  The (rescheduled) starting time will be at 9:30 a.m..  Registration will take place immediately prior to the meeting.  The location of the AGM is just off of the ground-level entry atruim in Room #1E80 (southeast corner) of the U of SK Agriculture Building.  Parking is available under the building...entry to the west.

Please note that our AGM is taking place concurrently with Gardenscape.  Gardenscapes' hours are: Friday, March 28,11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m., Saturday, March 29, 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 30, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m..  Even if visiting Saskatoon for only on the 29th, there will be 4 or 5 hours after the AGM to go to gardenscape.  Gardenscape does charge.

Presentations at the AGM include:  U of SK breeding & research,  nutraceuticals, pollination, and the Saskatchewan Grocery Retail Value Chain Initiative.

See you there!

[Previous notification and directions: http://haskap-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/03/2014-agm-come-and-join-us.html]

Monday, March 3, 2014

2014 AGM: Come And Join Us!

The date for the 2014 Annual General Meeting of Haskap Canada is set for 9:00 a.m., on Saturday, March 29.  Registration for the meeting will take place on the day of the meeting.  The location of the meeting will be posted in the lobby of the Agriculture Building on the University of Saskatchewan, 51 CampusDrive, Saskatoon, SK.  The morning will feature various speakers (to be announced); the AGM will begin at 1:00 p.m..

To be addressed at the AGM are resolutions regarding new rules governing not-for-profit organizations. Nominations will also be accepted for the board of directors' open position(s).  Updates on various research findings on the crop and topics such as pollination will be discussed earlier in the day.

See you there!

U of SK, Campus Map (PDF) (Agriculture Building, map location @ 5D, Building #5, parking available under building, entrance to the west of building)

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Haskap Wine?

Here's a link to a page (PDF) on the University of Saskatchewan's fruit website showing the results of Peter Reimer's work on producing haskap wine.  He writes...

A small but serious fruit wine industry is beginning to emerge in Saskatchewan.  This is due, in part, to recent legislation which aims to nurture successful grape, and non-grape, cottage wineries.  These wineries are driving a search for fruit which is reliably productive, and hardy, while resulting in a quality fermented product.  Some of Saskatchewan's fruit wine makers have discovered Haskap, and are beginning to see the full potential of the fruit...read more here

Check out this PDF for a great haskap wine recipe!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Member's Website Update

As of yesterday the Haskap Canada website now includes a link that will allow members to reset their own password using email. (The reset link is on the right sidebar just below login.)

If the automated password reset does not work the administrator can reset it manually for them.  Members can send manual password reset email requests to dnegrych@haskap.ca.


Monday, January 20, 2014

Haskap Canada - Member's Login Now Active

Beginning today, if you are a member of Haskap Canada the Member's Login is now active.  Accessing Haskap Canada's homepage, the member login box is located at the top right of the page.  By logging in a new tab appears along the top bar entitled 'Members', which is not available to non-members.  Four drop-down options to this tab appear as: Member Network, Payment, Constitution, and AGM.  By selecting the tab labeled Member Network members can access an interactive map that shows all members of HC, their location, and their contact information (if so provided by them).

Memberships can also be paid here for $50CDN/yr.   HC accepts Mastercard/Visa/Paypal.

If you are not registered, you may do so by contacting Haskap Canada at: Contact Us.