EDIT: read the latest article about our Haskap berry operation here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-haskap-berry-1.5221843

Another successful spring season is in the books at VanKampen's Greenhouses. We still have many different floral, tree, shrub, and houseplant varieties in-stock, so be sure to come check out our Allen St. location!

As discussed in our last blog post, we wanted to use this post to write more about the field work we have been involved with and our Haskap berry operation. Known as the 'berry of long life and good vision', Haskap berries are a blue, oblong berry that has a sweet, tangy taste. Haskap berries are also known for their numerous health benefits and are up to 4 times higher in antioxidants than traditional high-bush blueberries.

In Spring 2019, over 4 hectares of land was prepared and 10,500 Haskap plants were planted. As the Haskap is a perennial crop that will yield a harvest each year, there are many environmental and land use benefits to planting Haskap.

In July 2019, the first Haskap berries were harvested off of the plants. The berries will be on sale for a limited time at our retail store on Allen St. and also at the Cavendish Tourist Mart!

Our plans for the Haskap plants will continue throughout the summer and fall, as we continue to research the health benefits of the plants and test different methods of cultivating the berries. The hope is that lessons learned from this initial acerage will prove useful for those in the agricultural industry that are interested in planting a commercially viable perennial crop.

This just about wraps up our latest post, be sure to check out the full article published on CBC Online for more details on our Haskap operation and the state of the industry in PEI: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-haskap-berry-1.5221843

Happy growing, 

 - The VanKampen's Team 

60 years and counting (est. 1959)