PRODUCT INFORMATION
PRODUCTS WE MAKE:
Elderberry Cuttings
Our organic native elderberry cuttings (sambucus canadensis) are sold in packs of 5 for you to root and grow at home. Available each Spring.
To root, soak cuttings in water covering a third of the stem making sure lower buds are submerged. Once small roots appear they are ready for transplant. Place rooted cutting in potting soil with the bottom half of the cutting covered and water generously. Place in sunny spot and keep moist. After 8 to 10 weeks, once they have leafed and doubled in size, the cuttings should be ready to plant in prepared soil 6 to 8 feet apart. Keep them well watered. Elderberry bushes require TLC their first year and are easy care and rewarding thereafter.
Waldoberry Farm Aronia Extract
Our Aronia Extract is made with over a pound of our organic berries in each 16 oz bottle. The extract includes our organic raspberries along with purchased organic sugar and lemons.
We call it an extract rather than a syrup due to the high quantity of berries and their tart flavor. We add just enough organic sugar to make the extract pleasant and not too sweet.
The tart/sweet flavor makes our extract a great addition to seltzer or to your favorite smoothie. We simply take a teaspoon a day as a healthy enhancement to our diet.
Aronia is our favorite healthful berry for both flavor and goodness. There is lots of good information about Aronia (black chokeberry) on the internet.
Waldoberry Farm Soothing Tea
Our Soothing Tea is 100% organic tea certified by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association) using only ingredients grown and processed on our farm.
Our tea is a blend of dried fruit, flower and leaves:
Aronia pomace for its antioxidant properties. Aronia has a higher ORAC value than elderberry!
Elderflowers for their reported antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Lemon Balm which is said to lessen anxiety and insomnia. In Germany the use of lemon balm is approved for use in nervous sleeping disorders.
Red Raspberry leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are also thought to relax blood vessels and muscles.
Spearmint is said to improve memory and aid digestion.
We boil water, add the tea directly to the pot and steep for five minutes. You can strain or not. We enjoy seeing the pretty pieces in our cup. Relax and enjoy!
Aronia Berries
BERRIES WE GROW:
Elderberry
Elderberries have been grown and consumed around the world for centuries. Our elderberry plants are organically grown and are a native variety (sambucus canadensis). We sell cuttings in the spring and use the flowers in our delicious Soothing Tea.
Aronia Melanocarpa (black chokeberry)
Aronia is a shrub native to Maine but is little known today. Native Americans used the berry as food and medicine. It was brought to Eastern Europe and Poland now produces 80% of the world's supply..
Aronia has a high concentration of nutrients called polyphenols which provide many health benefits. Check out our Health Info and Links page for information on benefits and academic studies.
Red Raspberries
Raspberries are full of vitamins and minerals, high in antioxidants and taste wonderful. Raspberries contain much less sugar than most fruits (~5 gm per cup). Our primary variety is the super flavorful Caroline.
Cornelian Cherries:
Our cornelian cherry trees are young, planted in 2016, and are just beginning to fruit. This plant is a member of the Dogwood family, not even a cousin to the classic cherry tree. The fruit has been used for over 7,000 years as a food and medicine in ancient Greece.
The National Library of Medicine (NIH) has researched Cornelian Cherries and report that the fruit can play an important role in the prevention of atherosclerosis and the reduction of fat accumulation in the liver. "Using Cornelian Cherries in pharmaceutical and food industries has caused fantastic value of this plant" [National Library of Medicine, J Complement Integr Med 2017, Mar31]. The fruit has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine.
The flavor palate is like a mixture of cranberry and sour cherry. In Eastern Europe it is made into juice or jam and used as a traditional medicine. The berries are also used for distilling vodka and rakia and in brewing mead and beer. We are currently working on a cornelian cherry extract and a tea.