Sea buckthorn berries harvested on farm near Lucknow

After 30 years of raising cattle, pigs and chickens, and growing corn, wheat and beans on their farm, Jack and Sharon Wilkins are harvesting a different crop.

The couple, who operate a hog-finishing business, now have sea buckthorn berries available on their home farm, located on Zion Road in Ashfield Township, just southwest of Lucknow.

They planted the first 50 trees seven years ago but those were in the wrong area and were mostly destroyed by heavy snow. They then planted 50 more and began transplanting them, and now have a field of 250 trees.

The trees have to be planted a certain way, says Jack, with a row of males, followed by four rows of females, and so on, across the field.

Four years ago, they harvested their first berries. In 2015, the trees produced about 200 litres of fruit, and last year, they had 559 litres. They hope for an even better crop this year.

The berries have to be picked in a two-week time frame, says Sharon, usually at the end of August. They hire members of the local Mennonite community to help with the harvest.
 

“The best time to pick is in the evening, from about 6-9 p.m.,” says Jack. “You have to watch for the thorns all around the berries which grow along the branch of the tree.”

After they are picked, the berries are washed and cleaned of leaves and debris, put in pails and into the freezer. Once they are frozen, they are packed into containers and sold frozen.

Jack and Sharon became interested in the sea buckthorn berries because they heard the berries had a lot of health benefits, and they had a plot of ground that was not being utilized on their farm.

So, they went to an open house put on by Marlene Wynnyk of The Healing Arc’s Golden Orchard, just north of Wingham. They purchased the trees and now have a golden crop of their own.

The berries have more Vitamin C than oranges, says Sharon. They have 14 essential vitamins, Omega 3, 6, 9 and the rare Omega 7, anti-oxidants, hundreds of other nutrients, and anti-inflammation properties. The berries have 23 different health benefits, from decreasing cholesterol, to improving the look of your skin and hair.

They taste exceptionally bitter if eaten right from the tree, but are delicious frozen, in smoothies, desserts and preserves.

The sea buckthorn is native to northwestern Europe, through central Asia as well as northern China. It has been used for centuries as a food and for its pharmaceutical properties.

Jack says there is plenty to do besides just picking the berries. The trees have to be pruned properly so the berries grow centrally in the tree. As the trees produce shoots, those have to be transplanted, and the ground has to be kept free of debris.

The berries are available at the Wilkins farm from now until the spring. The cost is $13 per litre. For more information or to purchase sea buckthorn berries, contact Jack and Sharon at 519-395-5693, or by cell phone at 519-531-3993.