All About Food | September 11th, 2019
By Kristin Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com
The High Plains Reader spoke to Chase Nelson of Nelson Farms about why his farm chose to specialize in the unique Aronia berry, and the upcoming festival celebrating it.
HPR: Can you tell us about Aronia berries, and how they came to be a focus of Nelson Farms?
Chase Nelson: The Aronia berry is full of antioxidants! It is actually the highest on the ORAC scale. Aronia berries grow on a shrub and produce a dark, purple berry. They are amazing in smoothies, waffles, cookies, muffins, breads, etc. We started raising Aronia because my dad was diagnosed with COPD a couple years ago and was desperate to find some relief. A friend of his told him to try some Aronia juice from his farm. After taking it for a few months he decided we could grow it ourselves and it kind of blossomed from there. We have roughly 33,000 Aronia berry bushes. We really believe in the health benefits that this berry has and we want to share that with everyone.
HPR: Are they becoming more popular?
CN: They are slowly gaining popularity, but they are still largely unknown to the general public. We are having our Aronia Berry Harvest Festival event to educate the public on how great these berries are and all the different ways they can be used. One of the harder “selling points” of Aronia Berries is that they are so tart in taste -- we have learned that if you use them the right way they can be very delicious and healthy! Ax Water is a company that my dad is a part of, this company and beverage was created to make a delicious way to get your Aronia Berry fix! Ax Water is a delicious and healthy beverage that highlights the Aronia Berry!
HPR: You sell the berries on the Nelson Farm website. I love that you can order them "de-stemmed" and "sterilized."
Why is it important to offer these options?
CN: Most people will buy berries right off the harvester from us -- it's much cheaper and a lot easier to do it that way. De-stemming and sterilizing the Aronia Berries allows them to be ready-to-use when bought (when the Aronia Berries come off the harvester, there are still a few stems and leaves that tag along). When we harvest our Aronia Berries this year, the bulk of our berries will get sold to Aronia Growers, LLC where they get de-stemmed and sterilized before they are used.
HPR: On to the Festival -- can you give us an overview of how it began, what people can expect there, and what makes it different or unique from other fall festivals?
CN: We started planning the berry festival to educate the average consumer on Aronia Berries and also because this type of harvest is so much different from anything you see in North Dakota. We really wanted to showcase the harvester that we use for the berries, but felt we needed to add other things to do. Guests can expect to see the Aronia Berries and bushes, the harvester, yoga with our free-range chickens, a variety of local artisans and vendors, musicians, food trucks, and the main event -- a local chef cook off! We have chefs from restaurants such as Toasted Frog and the Boiler Room battling out in different categories with our Aronia Berries. Guests will have tickets and can vote on who you think should win. The Aronia Berries themselves are going to make this event different and unique! Guests are going to learn about something that they may have never heard about before. We are excited and anxious as this is our first ever event. We hope to make this an annual event!
HPR: Is there anything else you would like to add? Where can people find more information about the festival?
CN: Nature of the North is our co-host -- we could not have planned such an amazing event without them!
People can find more information about the event on our Facebook page: Nelson Aronia Farm, or our website: www.nelsonaroniafarm.com. We will be updating the Facebook event constantly this week and throwing out some highlights each day until the event on Sunday, September 15th!
IF YOU GO:
Aronia Berry Harvest Festival
Nelson Aronia Farm
Sunday, Sept.15, 12-4 p.m.
15670 25th St. SE
Amenia, ND
April 16th 2025
March 26th 2025
March 15th 2025
February 19th 2025
January 15th 2025
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
__293px-wide.jpg)
By Alicia Underlee NelsonLocal groups will speak out against current and projected federal budget cuts in downtown Fargo this Saturday, April 26. The Red River Valley chapters of Fearless and Indivisible will lead a protest from…
By Prairie Rose Seminolems.prairierose@gmail.com I was a child who walked behind my parents into classrooms and kitchens, spaces of song and prayer, where teachings lived in the air and settled on my shoulders. I didn’t yet have…
Saturday, April 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m.Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, 521 Main Ave., MoorheadThings are coming up rosy at the Rourke in a true feast of the senses during the third annual “Gallery in Bloom” exhibit. The pop-up…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…
By Ed Raymondfargogadly@gmail.comThe wizards and kleagles in whites now wear blue suits and red tiesA hundred years ago, more than 30,000 members of the Ku Klux Klan from virtually every state in the Union wearing their white…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comRyan Coogler goes big and bold with “Sinners,” a sweaty, bloody vampire movie set in 1932. The filmmaker stuffs this universe with enough ideas to serve a limited-series season of episodic…
By Raul Gomez Modern Man was a gentle soul. If you were down or just wanted a friend, he’d be there for you. I remember the first day I met Modern Man. It was Jeremiah Fuglseth and me. He wanted to write about this legendary…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…
By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com In 2023, the Superintendent of Fargo Public Schools, Rupak Ghandi, gave a passionate plea to the Fargo School Board to follow federal law, because a recently passed state law would increase…