So in January of 2015, it was settled and 36,000 elderberry cuttings were purchased from an elderberry orchard in Missouri. These cuttings, planted first in the greenhouse were transplanted to that infamous black gold 2 months later. With 16 acres planted in Orange City, another 8 acres were planted in neighboring Sioux Center, Iowa. With careful planning and irrigation development, West Branch Elderberries was anticipating its first elderberry harvest.

And in 2016 our first harvest knocked us off our feet. We weren’t anticipating so many berries. We scrambled to find community members, family members, anyone near to help us harvest. It was clear to us, seeing all those friends and family walking the rows, that this was a unique way to bring together and foster our community. Often families and church groups join for harvest to connect and earn revenue for projects.

After that first harvest, it was clear to us that we needed to find a way to automate the processing piece of harvest. So in their genius, Verlyn and Mark converted a blueberry processing line for elderberry processing.