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!

How Haskap Fared In Alberta Last Year

An online venture magazine tells the story of haskap in Alberta last year. Read it here:

This Could Be A Berry Sweet Deal Little-Known Haskap Has The Potential To Revive Alberta’s Fruit Industry

http://albertaventure.com/tag/blue-honeysuckle/

Meet Prairie Plant Systems

Prairie Plant Systems (PPS) began in 1988 by propagating Saskatoon bushes. It now operates three facilities, managing a broad range of plant species with innovation and new plant biotechnology, all in state-of-the-art growth chambers. As members of Haskap Canada PPS has a history of producing all varieties of haskap of exceptional quality and viability…all of them prairie-hardy. Their research has focused on enhancing both micropropagation and in vivo rooting techniques to produce disease-clean trees, which could be used for the development of commercial berry orchards. Their customer service reflects the attention with which they care for both their company and their plants.

For information on their haskap you can access their site here: http://www.prairieplant.com/haskap-blue-honeysuckle.html.



Inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Kostyk at (306) 975-1207. Their email is: pps@prairieplant.com.

Meet Hamish Graham

This year at both Haskap Canada's AGM as well as at the University of Saskatchewan's Haskap Day (Day 1) Hamish Graham (Heavenly Blue Honeysuckle Orchards Ltd.) showed his video on the establishment of his haskap orchard, now tens-of-thousands-of-haskap-plants-strong. It is available on You Tube and can be accessed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Ar0H_65cQ. Hamish along with partner, Ray Getz, are clearly men on a mission. Thanks for sharing this with us!

Haskap Day 2: Truly A Fruitful Adventure!

Marty and Claire Elder write about the tour of their farm and fruit processing facilities near Outlook, SK, which was the featured highlight of the second day of this year's Haskap Days:

Our Haskap Days farm tour was awesome; about 40 people came to our farm on July 9th to see our orchard and processing facility as day 2 of Haskap Days 2011. There were people from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and theUSA. We enjoyed having everyone and hope you all went away with a little more knowledge about haskap and the fruit processing industry! Despite the windy day that it was, we hope everyone was able to enjoy their day with us. If anyone has pictures they would like to share with us, we would appreciate that as we did not take many pictures that day. One "little person" who was here with their mom and dad left behind a brown hoodie. If the owners would contact us, we would be happy to get it back to you.

Thanks to everyone for coming to visit, and have a great summer!

Marty & Claire Elder
Fruitful Adventure
Outlook, Sask.

Meet Bernis And Jim Ingvaldson - www.haskapusa.com

Bernis Ingvaldson was a participant at this year's Haskap Day. She and her husband, Jim are currently in the process of planting a fruit orchard near Bagley, MN. She posted a wonderfully written article on her experience at the University of Saskatchewan Field Day last Friday on one of her websites. You can access it on PDF here:

http://www.honeyberryusa.com/info/2011HaskapDayUofS.pdf

In her write-up she includes links to her You Tube recording of the university's Joanna-3 Harvester at work:

http://youtu.be/QUC5OquV66E
http://youtu.be/2qhl0iKAgc0

The address for all her fruit-related sites are:

Honeyberry USA: The Honeyberry Farm (blog)
Haskap USA: Tracking Edible Blue Honeysuckles Across The USA (blog)
Honeyberry USA (commercial website)

VERY nice, Bernis!!! We'll be sure to stay tuned...

Haskap Day 1 Highlights - U of SK Field Lab

This year Haskap Day at the University of Saskatchewan began with registration, a brief overview of the day's activities, and then heading to the field for touring the various research plots, a mechanical harvesting demonstration, and background and tasting of newly acquired and potential varieties. We returned in time for lunch and then listened to several presentations in the afternoon covering: research, planting an orchard, and Haskap Canada.

Here's the university's new Joanna-3 harvester that was fired up for us and about to get to work on a row of haskap...

Formalities aside, Haskap Day at the Field Lab is a great chance to meet propagators, producers, marketers, and developers. In addition to the words spoken in the field, the afternoon always provides a wealth of insight. Some of them from this year included:

- pay attention in the future to the roles of polyphenols for marketing perhaps all aspects of the plant: quercetin, cyanadin, luteolin

- that 23 days is required from flowering to fruit turning blue

- that the first and longest phase of fruit production (cell division) involves linear fruit growth and high respiration, and that in the second phase (cell expansion) respiration drops and anthocyanins are metabolized

- that anthocyanins are easily degraded with heat (e.g. boiling)

- that perhaps watering is best correlated with berry ripening?

- that perhaps diurnal differences in temperature, UV intensity, and daylight length are correlated with increased antioxidants?

- whether the red leaves in some varieties are an indication of berry anthocyanin content?

- that berry formation is directly related to available sunlight...and pruning practices might need to reflect this

-that since light is used to set next year's berry crop, it may be important to prune plants after harvest rather than waiting until next spring?

- that roughly an average of 80,000 haskap have been planted over each of the past several years.