Young entrepreneur enjoying the fruits of his labour
Upper Branch haskap berry operation thriving
David Eisnor is having a berry good time with his latest entrepreneurial venture.
Five years ago, with the help of 60 volunteers, including family and friends, Eisnor planted 5,000 haskap plants on his five-acre South Shore Farms in Upper Branch over the course of one weekend.
He knew nothing about farming, but taking on unfamiliar business opportunities is in Eisnor’s DNA.
“I had always had an interest in the land, and I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Both my father and grandfather owned businesses, including the old service station on Main Street in Mahone Bay, the current site of a popular brewing company,” he said.
“I grew up in Mahone Bay, then after high school I studied business at Acadia,” he added.
Eisnor said his first foray into the business world was a backpacking company. He eventually sold that business and turned his attention to real estate.
The farm idea surfaced at a student pitch competition six years ago.
“That’s when I heard about haskap. Honestly, I didn’t even know what it was, so I did my research, examined a company’s business model, then got really excited about the idea,” said Eisnor.
The growing process presented a steep learning curve for Eisnor, including the fact haskap berries grow on bushes that take a number of years to mature. The berries vary in size, from as small as a pinky nail to more than an inch long.
“My berries aren’t quite mature yet. Every year the plants get a little larger, and the berries grow on the second-year branches,” said Eisnor. “Two years ago we used half the orchard for our first u-pick, and ended up selling 200 pounds of berries.
Farming of any kind is at the mercy of Mother Nature. Eisnor experienced his first setback last year, when a killer frost decimated his berries. Most farmers suffered the same misfortune.
Eisnor’s haskap yield this year was 500 pounds, including u-pick and his first commercial harvest.
“We lost berries to animals that got under the netting, so I have to deal with that problem,” he said.
When all goes well, the ripe berries are picked and placed directly in the freezer, where they are de-leafed and prepared for market.
“With improvements to our harvesting process, the projection for 2020 is 2,000 pounds. There were challenges I wish
I had known about earlier, because I would have done a few things differently. I’m happy though, because every year our business grows,” said Eisnor.
Believing there is strength in numbers, Eisnor and other like-minded farmers formed the Haskap Growers Association of Nova Scotia, now 55 members strong. Everyone learns from each other.
Association members have access to researchers who compile and provide key data to the growers.
Eisnor learned that while blueberries flourish in acidic soil, haskap berries prefer a sweeter soil. Like a high-bush blueberry, haskap bushes grow tall, too. And the blueberry blight that some farmers experienced this year did not affect his haskap operation.
“My haskap farm provides a great opportunity for me because my original goal was agritourism. And the reason I do u-pick is because I want people to come to the farm to see the bees, pick and taste the berries, and have a satisfying and fun family destination experience,” said Eisnor.
“Children are most definitely allowed to eat some of the berries they pick. I am not concerned about that like some u-pick operators. It’s all about the joy of experiencing new things,” he said.
“I don’t want to get to the point where we have machines to do everything. I want the experience of seeing people, meeting people, talking to people. That’s what is pleasurable to me,” Eisnor added.
At the association’s annual meeting, haskap growers from the three Maritimes provinces discussed making their own value-added haskap products, but with limited marketing resources it would be difficult for each of them to do it independently.
Also, the growers wanted to ensure they received fair prices for their products.
A collective involving 28 growers was formed and branded Hazzberry Farms. When the product line was launched, all the restaurants in Mahone Bay used haskap in their recipes. Examples include scones, salad dressing, cheesecake, ice cream and tarts.
“The first three products we launched are the jam-like Haskap Berry Preserve; the Scotia Blend, which is a mix of haskap, blueberry and cranberry; and our dessert sauce,” said Eisnor.
“We will soon launch a juice line, perhaps within a month, then we will be introducing additional products on a regular basis. There are so many things you can do with haskap,” he said.
Hazzberry Farms products are sold at the Teazer in Mahone Bay and at the farmers markets in Lunenburg, Wolfville and Earltown.
According to Hazzberry
Farms literature, a 100-gram serving of haskap berries supplies double the vitamin A and more vitamin C than an orange, as well as higher contents of calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium than blueberries, oranges, grapes and apples.