Christopher Patton

Not only does American elderberry contain very low levels of cyanogenic glycosides (less than commercial apple juice), further: enzymes are required to break these compounds down into hydrogen cyanide.  Fact is that American elderberries do not even contain enough enzyme to break down ALL the cyanogenic glycosides present.  The cyanogenic glycosides present are natural organic compounds that also serve as anti-oxidants… Andrew Thomas, University of Missouri Extension, see linked published paper below:

https://www.midwest-elderberry.coop/small-orders-online/elderberry_cyanide_paper_20.pdf

New orders for thermally dried American elderberries are NOT being accepted at this time as we move our drying kitchen to a new farm. MEC has access to a sufficiently diverse set of producing farms with significantly more acres to provide more dependable supply subject to the various issues that affect all agricultural production. We do our best to match buyers with local growers. Volume pricing (1500 lb. or more) at the point of storage for 2023, 2024 and 2025 harvest bulk frozen elderberries:

• Sustainably grown American elderberries @ $2.50-4.00lb. 
• Certified organic American elderberries @ $3.50-5.50/lb.
• Pallet orders of bulk frozen organic juice by arrangement
• We are currently developing low temperature processed juice powders and flash frozen processing capacity for American elderberry. 
  
  

Being a native perennial, North American elderberry (Sambucus nigra canadensis) acts as a catalyst to better agricultural practices for many farmers. It can help revive rural economies and communities while providing nutrient dense flowers and berries that have healed humanity and the environment since earliest ages. It is a path to living in better harmony with the creation we call Nature. Growing native elder provides better pay for farm owners and labor as well as better health for people from many different ethnic traditions. 

Organized as an open cooperative, Midwest Elderberry Cooperative’s (MEC) network of 150+ small to mid-sized farmers, located across the USA from CA to VA, are our greatest resource. They go beyond the sharing of information towards solving common problems and challenges from the design of equipment and quality control processes to simply getting the berries or flowers picked and packed and delivered to hundreds of craft food and beverage producers. And that means we can run out of elder berries and flowers because we do not have enough growers and USA acreage cultivated with our native wild-selected cultivars. 

Our named cultivar American elderberries are wild selected. We just put them in a field so that they don't run away! We invest in the soil to bring your better, naturally nutrient dense native elderberry and elderflower ingredients - often certified organic and grown by farmers practicing regenerative agriculture. 

For health research on American elderberry please go to the Health tab.

To learn more about growing elderberry, please go to the Growers tab.

Click here to place consumer and smaller business orders online for available elder flower and berry products.

Click here to learn more about larger commercial orders for available elder flower and berry products.

Legal Disclaimer
The information posted on this web site represent the best efforts of the authors to express their views and perspectives on the cultivation, uses and potential benefits of elderberry consumption, but the information presented on this web site is not intended to constitute and should not be taken as any type of financial, nutritional, health, medical or legal advice.

First of all, we are only human and may be wrong when it comes to specific facts that someone might use in financial speculation, for example. Our methods of researching and understanding are founded on publicly available research dependant on the quality of the research team. It may turn out to be incomplete or wrong because medical research about health is very complex and constantly changing. 

Secondly, we are not in a position to and do not intend to offer guaranteed advice about the legal, health, business, farming or other material affairs of any person’s life. That is for each of us to decide and do responsibly for ourselves.