February 2023 - 8

Growers harvest aronia berries
in Iowa. The berries are ready in
Iowa just before row crops are
harvested. Photos: Dean DuVal
Midwest grain growers add aronia berries
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
S
ome Midwest grain growers
are diversifying their crops by
adding a different type of berry.
Aronia berries, also known as
chokeberries, grow on a deciduous
woody shrub native to the eastern U.S.
In the U.S., approximately 200,000
aronia berry bushes are planted on
an estimated 1,100 acres. Plantings
are considered a more accurate
measurement than acres, because
the number of plants can vary by
grower. Plants per-acre can range
from 700 to 1,000.
Most commercial aronias are
grown in the Midwest, primarily
in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota,
Wisconsin and Missouri. Iowa
has the most growers, though
the American Aronia Berry
Association's membership also
includes growers in North Dakota,
Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, New
York, Mississippi and California.
Aronia berries are hardy and
easy to grow. Because they require
a period of cold temperatures for
dormancy, they do not do well in
the Deep South, said Dean DuVal, a
retired scientist with an Iowa State
University analytical chemistry
8 | FEBRUARY 2023
doctorate, who grows aronias
near Castana, Iowa, southeast of
Sioux City.
" They also represent a perennial
crop that you can simply cut off at
ground level every eight to 10 years,
and they come back quickly and are
producing berries again within three
to four years, " he said. " Further, they
do not grow well in low-lying areas
where the roots stay wet. They are
quite cold-hearty, growing well in
North Dakota, Canada, Poland, and
Russia with no problems. "
Program crop addition
Dale Hilgenkamp, an Arlington,
Nebraska, corn and soybean
grower northwest of Omaha, is the
association's president. He heard
about aronias from other growers.
Hilgenkamp's brother planted a
few acres of grapes near their
father's place.
" It looked like aronias had some
good profit potential and was a way
to diversify, to spread your labor
a bit better throughout the year, "
Dale Hilgencamp said. " That's how
we got started. "
Aronias bloom later than apples,
pears and cherries, so they're less
susceptible to late-season freezes,
Midwestern row crop growers have
added aronia berries, a new crop to
the region that helps diversify their
grain crop production.
said DuVal, who worked 32 years in
consumer products for Procter &
Gamble. In northwest Iowa, growing
degree days should be between 2,700
and 2,900, he said.
" From a grower viewpoint, they
complement other berry crops
in terms of seasons as well as
traditional row crops, " DuVal said.
" The nice part about this is that this
season fits in just before other small
fruit, such as cranberries and apples.
It's kind of an off-season crop. "

February 2023

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