Pasture weed watch

The most delicious weed of all

There aren’t many weeds that have such great benefits. One of my favourite things to do as a child was filling an ice cream container with berries, which my Nana then turned into a delicious pie for six people.

There are a number of medicinal uses for blackberry due mostly to its high levels of vitamin C and its dark colour, synonymous with high levels of antioxidants.

Some cultures believe that berries have the ability to lower intestinal inflammation due to their high tannin content.

Blackberries can be used to make wines, liqueurs, jams, syrups and preserves.

STEPHANIE SLOAN grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Wairarapa. She is now part of PGG Wrightson’s agronomy team, identifying weeds on a daily basis.