Saskatoon or juneberry | Some U.S. growers choose to market berries under a different name
In late August, Time magazine ran an article on saskatoon berries with a provocative headline: This Berry is Causing a Super-Food War Between America and Canada.
The story said Americans want to change the name of the purple berry to juneberry because that moniker is more marketable than saskatoons.
While written in a tongue-in-cheek style, the article suggested the proposed name change is deeply offensive to Canadians, particularly residents of the Prairies.
Steve DuCheney, who grows saskatoons on an acre of land near Williamsburg, Michigan, said any publicity is good publicity, but the story in Time was ridiculous.
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“I did read that article.… I really think it was unfair. (It said) the U.S. was wanting to change the name from saskatoon to juneberry,” he said. “It is not the U.S. that is wanting to do that. As far as I know, it is one person in New York that is wanting to do that.”
Jim Ochterski, a researcher with Cornell University co-operative extension, has said Canadians may want to rebrand saskatoons as juneberries to boost U.S. sales because Americans are more familiar with that name.
DuCheney doesn’t buy the argument.
“He says the name juneberry sells and saskatoons don’t. I would like to know what he has to back his claim,” he said.
“Personally, I like the name saskatoon. I think it’s a cool name.”
DuCheney began growing saskatoons commercially in 2011 because he was looking for a career change and had three acres of idle land near his home. He initially thought of growing blueberries, but his soil wasn’t suitable for that fruit.
A Michigan State University extension agent suggested saskatoons, and the berry’s anti-oxidants and other beneficial properties convinced DuCheney to grow the berries.
“I really do see a great future for these things,” said DuCheney, who produced only 500 pounds of saskatoons this summer because most of his bushes are still immature.
Guy Lister, a berry grower from Ovid, New York, also envisions a bright future for saskatoons. However, the name juneberry resonates with consumers in his area.
“I understand it (saskatoon) is very meaningful for Canadians, but in New York there’s no connection. They (consumers) find juneberry easy to remember,” said Lister, who has planted 500 bushes on his farm and intends to plant 1,500 more this fall.
“I’m sold on them. I think they are a tremendous fruit.”
Sixteen commercial saskatoon growers operate in northern Michigan, according to the Saskatoon Berry Institute of North America website.
DuCheney said the industry remains in its infancy because most consumers have never heard of saskatoons and most growers have planted a small number of bushes.
Nonetheless, he is convinced that food processors will want to use saskatoons as an ingredient because the berries are rich in antioxidants and micronutrients.
“I keep telling people (other growers)… we need to produce some volume so we can take that next step,” he said.
