In 2020 we embarked on a small incubator program for Open Farm Days as an extension of the Open Farm Days collaborative beer program launched in 2019. The group decided to explore a juice option utilizing fruit from a local U-Pick Farm.
DNA Gardens, a fruit tree nursery orchard in Elnora, was selected given the abundance of juice from the year prior. Working with a small team comprising of Tannis from Food Tourism Strategies and Chef Andrea Harling , DNA to explored the processing and development of the juice.
The team worked with DNA gardens out in the kitchens at Elnora, and a blend of tart cherry, black currant, and local honey was created. The team explored new ways of packaging this for Open Farm Days and canning was selected. Annex Ales partnered with Open Farm Days to lead the team with their canning and processing expertise, and a small batch was created.
We look forward to seeing the DNA Gardens and their team do with this year’s crops! Open Farm Days will be exploring a few new small scale capacity building initiatives for 2021- stay tuned!
This product is available at DNA Gardens and select Open Farm Days farms throughout Open Farm Days.
