JACKSON COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Could the next so-called “super fruit” be growing in Wisconsin?
That’s the hope of some farmers like Adam Nemitz, who’s cultivating an aronia crop on his Jackson County farm. Scientists say aronia is rich in antioxidants, while other health benefits are being studied.
“The aronia was kind of a new product. Looking to diversify, and find something new. We now have about 20 acres of it. So, roughly 24,000 plants in the ground,” Adam Nemitz, owner of J R Nemitz Cranberry Company, told FOX 11.
Nemitz, who’s a third-generation cranberry farmer, says growing aronia could help his bottom line.
“With the recent poor cranberry pricing, that kind of things changed. So, we thought it was the right time to invest further, and find something new to spread out the risk and stuff,” said Nemitz.
Nemitz turned to science for help. Chris Krueger’s consulting laboratory, Complete Phytochemical Solutions, put aronia under the microscope.
“We try to look more specifically at the unique properties of any given fruit. And then we work very closely to identify a health outcome that’s associated with that,” said Chris Krueger, Complete Phytochemical Solutions Chief Executive Officer.
“Yes, this is a berry that would have a high antioxidant capacity,” he said.
But selling the new product could be a challenge. Aronia is also known as chokeberry.
“Yes, chokeberry is more the native name. I always say chokeberry might be the native name, but we try to stick to aronia, because that’s a lot more marketable,” said Nemitz.
So what does the berry taste like?
“Your first couple of bites, there’s a sweetness to it. There’s kind of an earthy aftertaste. It’s really high in fibers in the berry, so it takes a while to chew it,” said Nemitz.
“I enjoy it. If it’s harvested at the right time, it does have a sweetness start. A sweetness to it. As Adam said, there’s some astringency to it, which is a little bit of the dryness,” said Krueger.
Producers say the aronia could be mixed in drinks, or made into powdered supplements. Nemitz says berries on these shrubs will be ready to pick, next year.
Producers say a lot of work needs to be done before aronia takes off. Farmer-based groups are forming throughout the Midwest to promote the product.
