Saskatoon Berry Institute

Saskatoon Berry Institute

  • Home
  • About Saskatoon Berries
  • The Institute
    • About The Institute
    • Become A Member
  • Resources
    • Grow your Wealth
    • MSU Extension Slides
  • Sponsors
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Saskatoon Berries
  • The Institute
    • About The Institute
    • Become A Member
  • Resources
    • Grow your Wealth
    • MSU Extension Slides
  • Sponsors
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Contact Us
Saskatoon Berry InstituteSaskatoon Berry Institute
  • Sponsors
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Contact Us
Latest News

Wildlife Damage Survey

Looking for commercial crop growers with experience in wildlife crop damage. This online survey will help develop a picture of where and how Read More...
Member Application

Join Our Ranks

Resources for Farmers

Growing your Wealth

MSU Extension Slides

Recent Presentations

Upcoming Events

The Economics to Growing Wealth

Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) at the Great Lakes Expo 2017

POSTED IN For Growers ON 12/1/2017


There are 3 ways to learn more about saskatoons (Amelanchier alinifolia) at the Great Lakes Expo 2017 in Grand Rapids, MI from December 4th – 7th, 2017:

  1. On Tuesday at 2:00 PM you can hear Saskatoon Berry Establishment Practices, by Robert Spencer, Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, Alberta, Canada.
  2. Blue Sky Berries will have a booth (number 1507). Blue Sky Berries is a grower and nursery as well as a U-Pick farm and processor of frozen fruit
  3. Saskatoon Berry Institute of North America officers and members will be onsite, both for the Tuesday presentation and on the Tradeshow floor.

The Expo focuses on fruit, vegetables, Farm Markets and Greenhouse Growers.

Please let us know if you want to schedule a time to talk to someone during the Expo.

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) Was Not An Issue For Saskatoons in 2017

POSTED IN For Growers ON 11/3/2017

While Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), an invasive species of fruit fly, did significant damage to fruit crops in Michigan in 2017, including cherries, raspberries and blueberries, there were literally zero reports of damage to saskatoon berry crops.

Saskatoon berries are harvested earlier in the summer than many other fruit varieties, which may have helped some. However, the SWD counts rose much earlier this year than in the past few years, which provided opportunities for damage, yet growers were spared.

The saving grace may be related to the character of the fruit itself. While saskatoons look much like blueberries, they are actually a pome fruit, a family of fruit that includes apples and pears.

The combination of season timing and fruit characteristics provide hope that, in this changing environment, saskatoons will remain a good crop for production, consumer satisfaction and economic return for growers.

For more information on Spotted Wing Drosophila in Michigan, go to http://www.ipm.msu.edu/invasive_species/spotted_wing_drosophila

To learn more about saskatoon berries, keep reading on this site, and visit one or more of our members in July 2018 that offers U-Pick and/or a variety of products made with yummy saskatoon berries.

 

Background (From Michigan State University)
The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is a vinegar fly of East Asian origin that can cause damage to many fruit crops. This small insect has been in Hawaii since the 1980s, was detected in California in 2008, spread through the West Coast in 2009, and was detected in Florida, Utah, the Carolinas, Wisconsin and Michigan for the first time in 2010. Because the flies are only a few millimeters long and cannot fly very far, natural dispersion between states is unlikely. Human-assisted transportation is a more likely cause of the recent rapid spread. It appears that this insect has become widely established through North America.

Novel Berries Will Have Half-Day Breakout At The Great Lakes EXPO

POSTED IN For Growers ON 11/3/2017

The 2017 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, Farm Market, and Greenhouse Growers EXPO will include a half-day breakout sessions on Novel berries on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 from 2:00 – 4:20 PM.

This breakout will include presentations on: , including: saskatoons, haskaps, aronia and goji berries.

 

ABOUT THE EXPO

The Expo is held annually in Grand Rapids, MI at Devos Place Conference Center and The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

4,200 people from 42 states and 8 Canadian provinces attended the 2016 Expo.

the 2017 Expo will include 70+ education sessions and workshops and 450+ tradeshow exhibitors.

Come learn more about how these berries can help you diversify your crops and affect your financial future.

 

TO LEARN MORE

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events/great_lakes_fruit_vegetable_farm_market_and_greenhouse_growers_expo

2017 GL EXPO Education Program

TO REGISTER

To register, go to: https://www.regonline.com/registration/Checkin.aspx?EventID=2026846

When is the best time for soil testing? Right now?

POSTED IN For Growers ON 10/13/2017

This article provides good perspective on why fall soil testing can give you the best start for next spring.

To see the full article, go to – http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/why_soil_test_in_the_fall

The fresh saskatoon berry season will be over soon in many areas

POSTED IN For Consumers ON 7/12/2017

Many members of the Institute that offer U-Pick are saying that the opportunity to pick saskatoons may be over within the next 5-7 days.

It may not be too late, yet.

South Island Saskatoons in Victoria Island, BC reports that they still have fruit ready to pick, but not for much longer.

Jacobs Farm in Traverse City, MI has fruit left on the bush as this post is being written, but much of that will be gone by the end of this coming weekend.

Will spotted wing Drosophila become a pest of saskatoon berries in 2017?

POSTED IN For Growers ON 7/5/2017

Duke Elsner, of The Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center, has been studying spotted wind Drosophila (SWD) for the last few years.

In this article

Will spotted wing Drosophila become a pest of saskatoon berries in 2017?

he reports some of his findings, and suggests some ways to deal with SWD if you are seeing them in your orchard.

Saskatoons arrive in Elk Rapids Farmers Market

POSTED IN For Consumers ON 7/2/2017

UPDATE: Saskatoon Michigan reports that business has been very good and their fresh fruit is now depleted. So they will have no more fresh fruit to sell at the Elk Rapids Farmers market until 2018.

—————————————-

Saskatoon Michigan has a booth at the Elk Rapids Farmers Market, which is open Fridays from 8:00 – Noon.

Fresh berries will last only a few weeks.

Other available products include saskatoon jam and saskatoon pie filling.

Whichever form you prefer, saskatoons are unique, healthy and refreshing.

Jacobs Farm now has saskatoons ready to U-Pick!

POSTED IN For Consumers ON 7/2/2017

Stop by and see us!  Pick a pint or a while pale!  Bring the kids. Fun for the whole family!

Open from sunrise to sunset.

We have some strawberries left too, and the raspberries will be ready soon.

The saskatoons will only be here for about 3 weeks, so don’t delay.

Jacobs Farm Enterprises, LLC

Farms in Michigan have another tool, just in case they need to fight SWD

POSTED IN For Growers ON 6/30/2017

Michigan State University Extension confirms that a new pesticide Special Local Need (SLN) Label includes saskatoons too!

Dr. Erwin “Duke” Elsner Ph.D. reports that Delegate WG can be used, in Michigan, if saskatoon growers are seeing signs of Spotted Wing Drosophila in their orchards.

All regular safety requirements are still in play.

FIFRA Section 24(c) Special Local Need (SLN) Label

Sucrose As A Possible Bird Repellent

POSTED IN For Growers ON 6/29/2017

Birds are wonderful to have around, except when they are picking your pocket.

Many who hope to produce a significant harvest of saskatoons and other fruit can be confounded, just a day or two before harvest, by a swarm of hungry birds.

Many who would like to reduce their losses have no ill-intent towards birds. They do not want to hurt the birds. Rather, they seek to redirect the birds away from their cash crop in which they have made a significant investment of effort and money.

While we, at the Institute, have not yet identified the fool-proof (or bird-proof) method, we continue to seek options with some level of proven effectiveness. It is in this light that we provide this article by Carols Martinez del Rio, Michael L. Avery and Kristin E. Brugger.

Sucrose as a Feeding Deterrent for Fruit-Eating Birds

We are also aware that several have reported positive effects with Avian Control.

If you have had positive experiences over whole fields with other bird repellents, please let us know at: http://saskatoonberryinstitute.org/contact/

Wildlife Damage Survey

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 9/13/2019

Looking for commercial crop growers with experience in wildlife crop damage.

This online survey will help develop a picture of where and how the damage is occurring, and seek to find ways to reduce and/or prevent damage in future years.

You can read more at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/msu-seeks-farmer-input-on-wildlife-damage-to-crops

And you can take the survey at: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxRIhLjhPa5EkuN

The PM who Promoted Saskatoon Berries

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 7/24/2019

This Institute is not a political organization. As a group we do not promote any party or candidate.

Now that one campaign is over, we thought you might like to know that the newly sworn in Prime Minister of Great Britain played a key role in the future of saskatoons in the previous decade.  You can learn more here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-berries-boris-johnson-1.5222637

Saska-whats?

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 7/17/2019

The attached news story, from Elk Rapids News, is about  saskatoons, and then about two of the founding members of the Institute, and how they continue to introduce people to this wonderful tasting superfruit.

This is the time to get out there and pick some.  In a few weeks the worldwide fresh saskatoon supply will be exhausted.  

Take the family!  Take your friends! Join the adventure!

Saska-whats?

 

Stone Fruit IPM for Beginners

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 6/29/2019

Have you developed a Integrate Pest Management program for your orchard?

If not, this resource is likely to be helpful in thinking through the various considerations: https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/agriculture/fruit/stone-fruit-ipm-for-beginners

Many saskatoon growers also grow a variety of other fruits and vegetables, and attempt to juggle the common challenges, as well as the unique challenges of each crop. In this environment, understanding which pests will spread from their ‘preferred’ diet to other crops, and which new arrivals will threaten which crops, can be quite complex.

While many call the fruit ‘saskatoon berries’, saskatoons are actually a pome fruit, like apples and pears. Stone fruits includes single pit fruit, such as peaches, plums, cherries, mangoes and almonds. Even with this difference, pome fruit and stone fruit have some common pests.

This referenced document is not a complete manual on how to handles pests, but whether you are new to this approach, or are still willing to learn more, a review of the document is likely to provide some seeds for further thought.

Bird Damage Management

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 6/29/2019

Here are a couple of recommendations from saskatoon growers to help reduce bird damage to otherwise harvestable saskatoon crops:

  1. Netting: After  few years of significant bird loss, Jacques Orchards did a trial plot of bird netting last year. They were so pleased that they covered the orchard this year (adding the lesson learned about making sure that the netting touched the ground all the way around). This year things are looking very good. The photo below shows what they netting looks like.  It can be removed for partial harvest, and then the bushes can be covered again until later in the season.
Net Over Saskatoon Bushes

2. Helpful Birds: Encouraging Kingbirds can be a great option.  Kingbirds eat insects, but not much fruit, and they are scrappy, so often scare off other birds, including flocking birds, that want your saskatoons as their entree, over and over again.

There are 2 identified types of Kingbirds: western and eastern.

Learn more about Kingbirds at: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Kingbird/overview

Kestrel Hawks are another option: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel

By providing an appropriate habitat, you may be able to entice these preferred neighbors.

Industry Survey Deadline Quickly Approaches

POSTED IN For Consumers, For Growers, For Members ON 6/6/2019

The Saskatoon Berry Institute of North America is reaching out to nearly 300 farms that grow saskatoons for sale. These farms are located throughout Canada and the United States. With the results of this survey the Institute expects to identify: 1) industry wide production expectations for 2019, 2) existing distribution options for harvested saskatoons, 3) issues that most challenge growers, and 4) changes regarding industry players and production since our last survey in 2015. The outcome will be a report entitled The State of the Saskatoon Berry Industry, 2019. 

Each grower that completes and submits their survey will receive a copy of the complied report.

The deadline for farms to participate in the Saskatoon Growers Survey is Saturday, June 8, 2019.

2019 is shaping up to be a bumper crop for saskatoons. We have not yet received any reports of crop loss due to weather or other naturally occurring conditions.

If you are a grower, and have not yet received the survey, please click on Contact Us and request a copy of the survey. Please be sure to include your e-mail address in your communication.

If you are a consumer, and hope to acquire some saskatoons of your own later this summer, please click on Calendar to find a listing, by date, of availability in your area. Please note that many of our Institute members will not post their status until about 2 weeks before their fruit is ripe, so you may need to check in every week or two until your region has ripening fruit. Ripening dates vary by geographic region, so it would be unusual to see all growers posted on the same dates. Generally fruit is available in more southern areas as soon as early July, and in more northerly climates as late as mid-August.

 

About Saskatoons (also called Juneberries or Pacific serviceberries in some locations): Saskatoons (sometimes with the addition of the word berries) are a fruit that comes from Amelanchier alnifolia plants. While some suggest that saskatoons look like blueberries, they are actually a unique fruit with a very dark purple color (high in antioxidants), more firm that many berries, with a tangier, almost nutty taste.  Saskatoons are part of the Rosaceae family. Its close relatives include many common fruits such as apples, plums, cherries, apricots and almonds. Saskatoons are great to eat fresh as well as baked. Some of the harvest is used to infuse wine and other alcoholic beverages. While hard to find in processed forms, they are also sought after in juice and powder forms. In some locations consumers buy find them frozen as well as dried.

 

About The Saskatoon Berry Institute of North America: SBINA is an educational organization, both for growers and consumers. We neither buy or sell fruit or plants. Our goal is to see greater crop availability leading to more saskatoons being enjoyed throughout North America.

The Annual Meeting is Upon Us

POSTED IN For Members, Uncategorized ON 1/16/2019

Our annual meeting is tomorrow – Thursday, January 17 (and all are welcome). Please be sure to RSVP to Dr. Elsner at elsner@msu.edu so he can plan accordingly.

By way of reminder:

Location is Grand Traverse County Michigan State University Extension Office, 520 West Front Street, Traverse City, MI, 49684.

Social time from 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Official Annual Meeting begins at 7:00 PM.

Among other procedural items, the agenda will include our annual election of board members and a presentation by Duke Elsner entitled “Looking Back and Heading Forward- the MSU Connection”.

This is a great opportunity to meet growers, review lessons learned over the past year, and talk about what is coming up in 2019.

Northwest Michigan Orchard and Vineyard Show – 2019

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 1/4/2019

The Northwest Michigan Orchard and Vineyard Show is coming up on January 15th & 16, 2019 at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Northern Michigan. Come see us at our trade show booth! Let’s talk saskatoons.

For more information on the show, go to: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/events/2019_northwest_michigan_orchard_and_vineyard_show

Annual Meeting Scheduled

POSTED IN Uncategorized ON 12/18/2018

Attention: Institute Members

Our annual meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 17th. 

This is not your official notification – just a head’s up.

We will meet at the conference room at Michigan State University Extension in Traverse City. 

Bring a saskatoon snack to share at 6:00 PM. The official meeting will comet to order at 7:00 PM with election of 2019 board members and a presentation on lessons learned over the last year.


Spotted Wing Drosophila Organic Managment Methods

POSTED IN For Growers, For Members ON 7/13/2018

Spotted Wing Drosophila (Male)

In this blog we have previously discussed Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), an invasive, relatively new fruit fly overspreading North America.  While there are few reported cases of SWD affecting saskatoon berries, there is broader concern for many fruits. Therefore, we are sharing this article suggesting that there is good news regarding organic management methods for SWD. Rufus Isaacs has addressed Institute members on several other pests, but none that present such a fast growing threat to fruit crops as SWD.

While most fruit flies are only interested in fruit still hanging from bushes and trees, SWD seem content to continue their lifecycle in fallen and rotting fruit as well. So while some USDA practices call for allowing fruit to drop, this fiend uses such situations to its benefit.

It is our hope that our friends across both the US and Canada can take note of these new developments, and be encouraged as they pursue some of these methods.

You can read more at: New guide to organic management of spotted wing Drosophila released

or go directly to the full report at: Management Recommendations for Spotted Wing Drosophila in Organic Berry Crops

  • First
  • 01
  • 02
  • 03
  • 04
  • Last

Recent Posts

  • Wildlife Damage Survey
  • The PM who Promoted Saskatoon Berries
  • Saska-whats?
  • Stone Fruit IPM for Beginners
  • Bird Damage Management

Recent Comments

  • Chuck on 2018 Saskatoon Pesticide Recommendation and Use Restrictions for The State of Michigan
  • SANDRA VOLS on 2018 Saskatoon Pesticide Recommendation and Use Restrictions for The State of Michigan
  • Chuck on Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) at the Great Lakes Expo 2017
  • Todd Densmore on Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) at the Great Lakes Expo 2017
  • Ted on The fresh saskatoon berry season will be over soon in many areas

Categories

  • For Consumers
  • For Growers
  • For Members
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • November 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • September 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013

© 2021 Saskatoon Berry Institute, All Rights Reserved

Website Design and Development by: Pro Web Marketing

© 2021 Saskatoon Berry Institute, All Rights Reserved

Saskatoon Berry Institute

Website Design and Development by: Pro Web Marketing

  • Home
  • About Saskatoon Berries
  • The Institute
  • Sponsors
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Become A Member
  • Grow your Wealth
  • MSU Extension Slides
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map