Aronia berries fight inflammation, grower says

When Lynn Verros decided to do some medium-scale planting as a side business, the Pella-area resident didn’t end up farming thousands of acres.

Verros decided to farm Aronia berries — an antioxidant that is becoming one of the fastest growing fruit crops farmed in Iowa — on 30 acres located along Highway F62, between Sully and Reasnor.

Unlike some farmers of small quantities of organic crops, however, who either have other items on a farm or who work in agriculture in some other way, Verros’ day job is relatively far from the fields of Jasper County: she’s an accountant for LBJ Manufacturing in Pella.

“I wanted to develop a form of supplemental income that wasn’t as labor-intensive as some forms of farming,” Verros said. “After I finished a farm apprenticeship in Missouri, I began looking for land. Aronia berries have several nutrition benefits, acknowledged by the USDA.”

Sometimes known as black chokeberries, Aronia berries are native to eastern North America, according to the USDA, though there has also been extensively grown in Russia, Denmark and eastern Europe for juice and wine production. Europeans have developed several varieties which are now available in the U.S. from commercial nurseries.

The berries have been found growing wild as far west as Montana and Idaho.

According to the Food Network, Aronia are among six berries that have antioxidant properties that fight inflammation and have other digestive benefits. The berries are somewhat tart to eat by themselves, but are used as ingredients in everything from wine, jam, syrup, juice, soft spreads, tea, marinades, salsa and chili starters to extracts, beer, ice cream and gum.

The berries are not quite as well-known as the Acai berry, especially in the “superfood” craze but have grown in popularity as farmers look to diversify their planting.

Aronia bushes are deciduous and range from about four to seven feet tall. There will be clusters of white flowers in the spring, usually a lossy dark green summer foliage and then large blue-black fruit clusters and a bright red color in late summer to early fall.

Verros sells her berries to Sawmill Hollow, an organic farm located in the Loess Hills, near Missouri Valley, Iowa.

Verros’ father was a farmer, so the concept is not completely foreign to her, but her early 2010 purchase of land was just the beginning of much work to get her Aronia bushes to start producing fruit. The first acre was planted in the fall of 2010, and it took the hard work of helpers and others to help the farm become productive.

Aided by the Iowa State University Extension Service and the Midwest Aronia Association, Verros’ fruit crop has become a side business that not only provides a supplement to her income, but also gives her a good feeling that she’s part of an overall farming solution.

“My belief is that many of our health problems can be traced to some type of inflammation,” Verros said. “It would be great to know I’m helping contribute to fighting illnesses.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com