First quarter 2016 Newsletter
A Message from the President:
Dear MAA Members:
Contents
Despite the trials and tribulations of the past year, the Conference
went off with flying colors and high reviews from
participants. Thank you to Board Members Steve Nabity and
Addie Kinghorn for making it happen! In addition, thank you to the
rest of the Board for your attentive support to our Event planners!
Besides the many and various educational presentations (now
available at the MAA website: midwestaronia.org), many Aronia
enhanced foods were available and vendors were accessible
during breaks, etc.
Members elected new Board Members: Amy Mykisen, Craig
Winquist and Matt Helgeson at the Annual Membership Meeting. I
think we have a good team and am looking forward to working with
all the Board Members this year!
Additionally, the membership approved motions to allow the Board
to hire an Executive Director part-time contract position. Note, the
application deadline has been extended to April 16. Application
details are available on the MAA website Calendar. Members also
approved a proposed $25 dues increase to $100 starting January
2017.
Another exciting development since the Annual Conference - an
MAA member brought the Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG)
opportunity to our attention. A grant writer has been hired to
pursue the application for MAA!
With this grant application (and hopefully others), as well as
assistance with day-to-day organizational demands, we expect to
be able to make some headway toward developing a more longterm plan for MAA. Members might want to send suggestions to
the [email protected] email address for consideration. A
member survey may also be developed to acquire other ideas.
Page 1 of 6
1. A message from
our president.
2. Annual conference
overview
3. Meet the new
board Members!
4. Jam/Jelly Update
5. Spring Agronomic
Tip
6. Membership
Update
7. Iowa State Fair
Booth Update
8. Don’t forget your
member discount
on Aronia Recipe
Books!
I would also like to highlight that we are actively posting articles in multiple categories (Health & nutrition,
planting, harvesting, grants, pests, FAQ’s, etc.) on our new Research page. PLEASE take some time to
look at this valuable page. Many grant ideas for growers are being posted there.
Additionally, the Aronia Berry Recipe Book is still available on CreateSpace and Amazon.com. See
accompanying article for details - and member discount information.
Consider posting a modestly priced advertisement on the Resources page (application details below). We
are getting more Aronia related inquiries via the [email protected] email. We could more effectively
direct people to your business through this page.
Sincerely,
Roberta Barham
MAA President
Meet the new board members!
Top, left to right; Corey Hillebo (IA-Membership), Craig Winquist(SD-Vice President), Roberta Barham(WI-President), Steve
Nabity(NE-Events Chair), Addie Kinghorn(NE-Secretary), Bottom, left to right; Rich Voyek(IA-IT), Matt Helgeson(IAResearch), Vickie York(IL-Treasurer), Amy Mykisen(WI-Research)
Amy Mykisen was brought on last fall as an interim board member to help fill some gaps. There was a
very good feature on her in the last newsletter. She has been working diligently on the research,
particularly the research and education page on our website. She is striving to be a one-stop shop for
good articles or information on aronia. She was officially voted into a board role at the annual meeting in
Des Moines.
Meet Board Member: Craig Winquist (Vice-President);
I was born and raised on a dairy farm in southeast South Dakota. I was raised milking cows, harvesting feed
and developing a genuine love for agriculture. I attended South Dakota State University where I majored in
Agriculture Education. I began farming and teaching agriculture to high school kids in 1999 at Akron-Westfield
High School in Akron, IA where I developed a 2nd passion, music. In 2003, I rented out my farm and took a job
teaching agriculture education in Gallatin, TN a suburb of Nashville, TN where I began to not only teach young
people about agriculture but to write country songs. It was in Tennessee that I realized the overall importance
to our society of health and well-being. In the "big city" there was a disconnect between agriculture and our
food system. The question was always asked, "what is healthy and what is not"? It was in Nashville that I
began to understand the importance of a consumer friendly, safe and secure food system that all people could
believe in.
In 2011 my wife and I and our three boys decided to move back to the Midwest. Our family has ended up on a
small farm near Canton, SD closer to our families. It is here that we first came in contact with Aronia. Our
story is one of personal experience with the fruit. In late 2013 we began eating the berries every day and
drinking juice and saw near immediate results with the health of our family in both joint and muscle health
and the overall ability to fight off common colds etc. In October of 2013 my wife's father had been diagnosed
with Leukemia. We attended our first Midwest Aronia Association conference in March of 2014 where we
heard about the powerful effects of the berry on certain blood diseases and cancers. After the conference we
gave some Aronia berries and juice to my wife's father and his numbers dropped and two and a half years later
are fairly stable. That's when we decided it was time to plant something that could potentially make a
difference in this world.
We now live on a 40-acre farm where we raise 1700 aronia, beef and alfalfa. I am currently an Agriculture
Education teacher at West Lyon High School in Inwood, IA. I am honored to be a part of the Board of
Directors for the Midwest Aronia Association where I can make a positive difference promoting a product
that I believe in and that is safe and healthy for my family.
Meet Board Member: Matt Helgeson (Research co-chair);
My interest in aronia began in 2014 just as my wife and I were considering a move back my family’s farm in
Lake Mills, IA. We had little knowledge of the crop or even its health benefits at the time. Both being
horticulturalists, Julie and I knew if we were going to live on the farm we would want to diversify and grow
some different crops besides corn and soybeans. We stumbled across aronia on the web and began learning
of the developing aronia industry in the Midwest. We joined the MAA and attended our first conference in
2015. To make a long story short, we quickly followed up the conference with the birth of our second child,
then quit our jobs, sold our home, moved to northern Iowa, bought and remodeled a new home, I started a
full time job at Albert Lea Seed House, and last but not least planting 4 acres of aronia berries! Whew, what a
year.
2016 came along and I knew my commitment to the aronia industry was stronger than putting plants in the
ground and waiting for something to happen. I reached out to the MAA board to see how I could become
involved. A few months later and I’m ready to start making a difference as your board member.
I received my Bachelors and Master’s degree in horticulture from Iowa State University. After college, I
worked as a landscaper, arborist, and plant-heath care technician. My last 4 years were spent at DuPont
Pioneer in the soybean research division, and I'm not working in sales and research at Albert Lea Seed. I hope
my experiences as a horticulturalist and researcher can lend a useful hand to the board and I look forward to
serving you. Our three year old daughter Mae loves her “Awonia” in her yogurt every day and with all our
commitments other kids and (and adults) will too!
We still need Jam/Jelly Samples to ISU Dietetics!
Dear Aronia Growers,
My name is Mariah Dougherty and I am writing on behalf of Dr. Wilson and the Aronia Berry Jams and Jellies
project at Iowa State University.
As you may know, aronia berries are currently not listed on the approved fruit list to make a jam or jelly, as set
by the FDA. The mission of this project is to research aronia berries, collect jams and jellies produced by
various aronia berry growers, and test them to determine if they meet the Standard of Identity based upon
composition and quality federal standards. As a result of this project, aronia growers may be able to utilize the
name jam or jelly on their label and it will be acceptable to sell at a farmer’s market.
We would like to invite you to submit an aronia jelly or jam sample to help further research and establish a
standard of identity for aronia jams and jellies. Please submit ALL of the following:
1. An aronia jam or jelly sample
2. The recipe used: ingredients, instructions and yield
3. At least 250 grams of aronia berries used to make the jam or jelly
4. Your name, email, phone number and address
5. Date berries harvested
6. Date jam or jelly was made
Upon receiving all components (jam/jelly, recipe, and aronia berries) you will be compensated $30. We also
want to remind those who have not sent in recipes and/or a sample of aronia berries (the ones used to make
the jam/jelly if available) to do so, in order for us to complete the analysis of your first submission. Once we
have received your berries you will receive compensation of $30. Please feel free to share this email with any
other aronia growers you know.
Samples may be mailed to:
Dr. Lester Wilson
2541 Food Science Building
Ames, IA 50011
Thank you so much,
Mariah Dougherty
Iowa State University Dietetics
Spring Agronomic Tip- Kent Friedrichsen: Perry, IA
Spring has finally arrived and the aronia is starting to leaf out, in some southern areas this is well under
way. Now is the time most growers start thinking about the crop needs and thinking about their yields for
harvest. The three most important elements to have, in my opinion, are available calcium, available
phosphorus, and healthy biology. Without these 3 components progress will be limited no matter what your
other elements show on a good soil test. With a good fertility program, soil applied and foliar, your plants can
get photosynthesis off to a fast start. This will get you growth plus there should be plenty to share in the soil
to feed the billions of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, etc. Remember, a teaspoon of good, healthy, biologically
active soil can have 1,000,000,000 bacteria with 20,000 to 30,000 different species! They need to be fed...and
that is your job. Dr. Jerry Hatfield from the National Soil Tilth Laboratory, figures a good soil has the equivalent
in weight of 2 African elephants per acre. How much do you think an elephant eats daily? Don't starve your
little livestock. This is where the real work gets done, in the soil - something most people fail to manage, or
even think about! This job of growing aronia isn't as easy as "plant it and come back later and harvest". Like
any job, you get out only as good as you put into it. It's called farming. Here's to a successful season...now get
to work.
Membership Update-Corey Hillebo
MAA Membership numbers have fluctuated between 100-190 members over the years. In 2015 we ended up
at 170 paid memberships. Currently we are sitting at the low end with 102 paid memberships. We definitely
would like to see and need to see this number increase. Membership dues is where we get almost 100% of
our funds to operate. We are trying to become a better value for our members and for the industry and have
many plans in the works to make this happen but we will need membership to stay strong. We are at a
turning point in the MAA and the industry and good things are on the horizon. Please don’t leave now after
we are so close. If you grow aronia berries or have a general interest in seeing the industry grow and thrive
please do your part in helping the MAA see that this happens.
Iowa State Fair Booth Update-Corey Hillebo
Yes, we are 125 days away from the Iowa State Fair, but this event for the MAA takes a lot of volunteer power
and time. We have had a booth in the Agriculture Building (Butter Cow, Egg on a stick, Honey Lemonade
Building) for 2 years now. This is one of the largest public events the MAA does to help educate and inform
the public of our super berry. The fair hosts over 100,000 people/day from all over the country and even the
world. This year’s fair is August 11-21, 2016. Our booth is ran 12 hours per day with 4-hour shifts and
normally 2-3 volunteers per shift. Obviously this is a large endeavor for a volunteer organization to take on
especially during potentially one of our busiest times, but we feel it is a value to keep spreading the good word
about aronia. We have had some sign up at conference but we are in need of a lot of volunteers to help man
the booth for the work shifts. If you are interested, please send me an email to [email protected] In
June we will set up the “Sign Up Genius” online to start filling slots. We are also working out the details to
possibly purchase tickets to the fair for our volunteers. We will inform you once we iron out the details. For
more info about the fair in general, go to www.iowastatefair.org
Remember
your discount!
The Midwest
Aronia
Association
(MAA) has
published the
first edition of
the Aronia Berry Recipe book!
Many MAA members have
contributed to the 90 recipes in
this book. Celebrate the value
and taste of this incredible fruit
with your family and friends
today! Members qualify for a 20%
discount from
https://www.createspace.com/5
404658 by entering the discount
code of WXC2Y5MU. You may
wish to purchase copies for
resale at your Field and/or
Harvest Days or events. This is
one way income can be earned
for your business or local chapter
or future events!
The book can also be can be
found on Amazon.com for $9.95
(this site offers no discount) plus
shipping and tax.
Recipe
Aronia-Rhubarb-Apple Pizza Bars
Filling:
3 cups slice apples
3 cups rhubarb
2 cups fresh or frozen Aronia Berries
2 tsp. Cinnamon
¼ cup of flour (or use tapioca)
Crust:
2 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup shortening
Mix 2 egg yolks(beaten) and 1 T. vinegar. Add
enough milk to the egg yolks and vinegar to
make ¾ cup.
Cut together the flour, salt, and shortening. Add
the egg yolk mixture to form dough. Divide
dough into two parts for bottom and top crusts.
Roll out each crust on floured board.
Put half the crust into the bottom of cookie
sheet. Place filling on top of this crust. Place top
crust over filling. Seal and bake at 375 degrees
Fahrenheit until brown. Frost with powdered
sugar and drizzle when done.
Current Board Positions and contact info:
President – Roberta Barham (WI) [email protected] 608-438-7254
Vice-President - Craig Winquist (SD) [email protected] 615-969-8795
Secretary - Addie Kinghorn (NE) [email protected] 402-578-4678
Treasurer – Vickie York (IL) [email protected] 618-237-5632
Membership/Newsletter - Corey Hillebo (IA) [email protected] 515-351-9095
Technology Committee Chair - Rich Voyek (IA) [email protected] 515-577-4314
Public Relations Committee – Currently open and being shared among board
Events Committee Chair - Seve Nabity (NE) [email protected] 402-740-7115
Research and Education Chair – Amy Mykisen (WI) [email protected]
Research and Education Co-Chai r- Matt Helgeson (IA) [email protected]
641-425-1515
Midwest Aronia Association
61817 650th St
Atlantic, IA 50022
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/Midwest-Aronia-Association-138303332858696/timeline/
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