Mama Bears Elderberries

Hello all! This page is transitioning to our new farm site for Wildwood Farmstead. Honestly, this year I have gone back & forth on whether to continue Mama Bears elderberry syrups especially after our elderberry field that was cleared + planted last year essentially failed.

My husband found a more suitable elderberry location at the bottom of a hill that naturally floods & has a dark, rich soil. Elderberries love wet swampy areas. So he recently cleared that location, prepped the site (we are learning a lot as we go) & my mom helped me add irrigation drain lines the last few weeks.

Planting new elderberries last month felt like a weight off my shoulders & reminded me all the things I love about growing them.

Our farm in South Carolina is planning to offer sheep & goat dairy early next year, provide educational farm experiences for kids (more on this soon!), focus on native plants & more in addition to elderberry syrup. So this is the page for all the updates that will be coming.

It has been a lot navigating the move to a South Carolina license but the finish line is near! Mama Bears will be going through a few ingredient changes to perfect the syrups & a label revamp (reveal coming soon!) Im hoping to reintroduce the SC Mama Bears Elderberry Syrups in the next month!

Next week is a big restock with Moms Organic Markets and a few other physical locations. For the first time in 4+ months, I am also planning to restock the website for ordering again + look out for a sale!

This week I was reflecting back on this almost 5 year old business + the journey its been. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of you who have followed Mama Bears from its beginnings in Maryland & we hope you'll continue to be part of our South Carolina farm adventures now!

(Thank you to Feathers & Freckles Photography who captured us planting our first elderberries in the new field)

It's been a while since I've posted anything here - sharing these delicious recipes for a comeback!

We have so many wild blackberries ripe along the trails right now & basketfuls of blueberries ready to pick each day so it was that time of year for homemade ice cream + blueberry cobbler!

This wild blackberry ice cream has the perfect balance of tangy berries & lemon mixed with sweet cream.
And this is our family's favorite gluten free cobbler recipe!

✨Wild blackberry ice cream✨

1.5 cups whole milk
2 cups pureed wild blackberries
1.5 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the milk and sugar in a saucepan and gently warm to just less than scalding.

Whisk egg yolks and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Slowly pour the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly. Next pour the egg/milk mix back into the saucepan.

Heat the milk/egg mix over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a spoon.
Combine the blackberry puree & lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cover with a strainer, pour the milk/egg mixture into the blackberry mixture through the strainer to catch any chunky egg bits. Stir in the heavy cream.
Stir, Cover & thoroughly chill in the refrigerator (at least a couple hours.)

Churn in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions (usually about 15 ~45 minutes but times will vary depending on ice cream maker).

🫐Blueberry cobbler🫐

4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 Tablespoons butter

For the batter:
1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
Tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9x13 inch baking dish or circular pie dish. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats, to allow the butter to melt. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven.
Add blueberries, sugar and zest to a bowl and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl mix together the batter ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined.
Pour blueberries over melted butter in pan. Drizzle batter over the top. Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes, or until lightly golden on top.
Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired!

I've had lots of messages asking about promo codes! For the next 3 days EVERYTHING on the website ships free with code FREESHIP 🌿

All products are 2023 harvested elderberries from our old Maryland farm (my husband was able to go back and harvest them this summer!) and the Maryland Eastern Shore's .river.aronia certified organic black aronia farm. Both native plants to the southeast ☺️

https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/?

This was the first summer in 4 years that I didn't spend harvesting black aronia berries on hot July + August days from the eastern shore and our own homegrown elderberries in St Leonard, Maryland. I've had so many mixed emotions about that as summer has passed.

However, last week Rodney ended up having a work trip up there in Maryland. Roy at Chester River Aronia contacted me to say they have had a huge crop this year, come pick! So on his day off Rodney drove to harvest beautiful august sun ripened aronia.

That same week, it would happen that he then got permission to pick from our old elderberry field after he got off work in the afternoons.

Both harvests were made possible from generous friends offering, friends picking & friends helping to package up the bounties for the trip back to South Carolina 🩷

You may have noticed my lack of presence on Mama Bear's social media these last months, and honestly I've been weighing what to do about this small business as life has been busy in so many ways. But after this meant-to-be week that somehow all the berries were able to be harvested, completely unplanned, with everything lining up almost too perfectly, I took it as a loving nudge to continue.

I'll be posting more regularly soon (we move into our new build farmhouse in South Carolina in the next month!) but keep an eye out for a 2023 harvest restock!

We're officially moved & after taking a much needed break from all the moving chaos, the website is back open! 🎉

Elderberry Gold + homemade elderberry kits are now available on the website; Original elderberry syrups should be added later this week.

Many stores sold out during the break so there will be restocks this week and next including Moms Organic Markets, Rutabega Juicery, Davids Natural Market Gambrills, Cotton & Co Vintage and PA Bowen where you can pick up locally (if that's an option for you ☺️)

P.S. - This picture is from August after an afternoon harvesting buckets of elderberries...with the cooler weather it's hard not to be dreaming of warm sunny days like this lately 🌼

https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/elderberrysyrupshop

It's been a long week full of packing, painting & getting things ready to move but picking these perfect November-ripe red aronia berries at Honeys Harvest Farm yesterday was a much needed break of peace.

The website is currently all sold out, but if you're looking for Maryland grown farm-to-bottle elderberry syrup check out one of the many amazing retailers:

Chesapeakes Bounty 
SAINT LEONARD & NORTH BEACH, MD

ALL MOMS ORGANIC MARKET LOCATIONS
https://momsorganicmarket.com/all-locations/
(NY, DE, NJ, PA, MD, DC & VA)

OK Natural Foods
BALTIMORE, MD

Davids Natural Market
GAMBRILLS, MD

Cotton & Co. Vintage Boutique
KEYMAR, MD

Common Market
2 locations in FREDERICK, MD

Roots Market
OLNEY & CLARKSVILLE, MD

Rutabega Juicery 
CROFTON & Annapolis, MD

The Lobby Cafe
HUNTINGTOWN, MD

Willey Farms
TOWNSEND, DE

Cross Street Market
GALENA, MD

Jefferson Patterson Museum Gift Shop
SAINT LEONARD, MD

Wildflower Stem & Sundry
Arnold & Glen Burnie, MD

Market at the Charles
La plata, MD

This is the bittersweet news I've been trying to figure out how to announce. So here it is...

We moved to this beautiful area of Maryland almost 6 years ago from South Carolina. We have made the most incredible friends, grew so much as individuals + as a family, truly became part of a community and started this business & elderberry farm that has received support beyond imagination. But the thing that has been missing in making it feel like home is our extended family.

So when the opportunity lined up for my husband to be able to do his job back to South Carolina living near grandparents and family it was the answer we had been waiting for.

Yes we are buying land and planting new elderberries this winter! In fact, I hope you'll continue to follow along on our journey 💓

I know there's going to be so many questions about Mama Bears Elderberries and there will be an email going out soon with lots more details.

We are truly going to miss Maryland and serving so many as the only licensed elderberry product in the state. For now, all locations are stocked (or should be stocked this week!) and you can still find our farm-to-bottle fresh elderberry syrups at your favorite locations!

Thank you for supporting Mama Bears these last 3 amazing years ❤️

✨Red Aronia Berries✨

While black aronia ripens in summertime, these antioxidant rich red aronia berries are ripe at peak fall in late October through November, adding beautiful color contrasts to the changing landscape.

These berries are native to the eastern U.S., and unlike black aronia, are not yet commercially available to purchase by any growers - making them even more of a treat in Elderberry Gold 💛

Aronia berries, also known as chokeberry, are a Native American superfruit. For hundreds of years, indigenous people have used all parts of the plant for fighting diseases, cold care, increasing nutrition, curing meats, and as a dying agent.

Modern research has backed these traditional uses in showing incredible benefits of aronia...from anti viral, anti cancer, anti inflammatory, anti diabetic, fights obesity, skin youthfulness & powerful immune support.

We have been fortunate to use the berries planted in the native plant fields at Honeys Harvest Farm for the last three years & this year's harvest time is almost here! ❤️

You may have already caught the news in stories, but time to officially announce it here - we're adding a new little one to our family in January!

Being at the final stretch in the last trimester, I've been really feeling the call to slow down (which is especially difficult in fall/winter since elderberry season is in full force).

With that said, 11/17 will be the last day I will be taking elderberry orders for now. My goal is to have stores stocked and any bulk personal orders completed by that time also, so if you are wanting to stock up for this winter please feel free to reach out!

This pregnancy has included raising and harvesting meat chickens together with 6 families, harvesting + processing our largest elderberry crop this summer (largely by myself), homeschooling two busy kids, keeping up with supplying elderberry syrup to almost 50 store locations from NY to VA... and maintaining the elder plants. So many things to be thankful for!

P.S. -There's more news coming this week too I will be announcing 🧡🧡

Moth in the Moon Photography

All the restocks made in the last week including a warehouse order for all Moms Organic Market stores - it's safe to say elderberry season has arrived! (Strob Apothecary dried elderberries delivery tomorrow)

As soon as fresh cases are made this time of year through winter, they are almost sent right out the door...it means so much that Mama Bears is an immune health staple in supporting individuals & families during cold + flu season 🙌

**if you've placed an order for pickup, please check your email 😉 This weeks shipped orders are being packed to go out today

Limited amounts (~30 bottles left!) were just made of the best selling Winter Tonic Blend featuring organic cranberries, cinnamon & fresh juices organic ginger powered with elderberries (+ wildflower honey)!

Automatic discount of 15% off through tomorrow ☺️

This is definitely our family's favorite - it was actually my son who has been asking me to make more! I'm hoping to bring this tonic back in January but these will be the last bottles made for this year with how busy things have been catching up on orders.

The organic cranberries are sourced from family owned Fresh Meadow Farm - fresh cranberry season is October through December!

https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/product-page/preorder-limited-edition-winter-tonic-elderberry-syrup

SHIPPING UPDATE

Apparently the shipping cost was recently being charged per each item in the order due to a website error - now only one flat rate shipping cost of $8 will be there when you place an order.

If you were charged for shipping more than once, I'm working to refund those orders today.

On another note, this was the sky this morning...wishing you a beautiful day 🧡

September's elderberry soft wood cuttings class happened to be on the most beautiful morning. Judging by the amount of cuttings that left in buckets that day, there should be some backyards filled with elderberries!

There's been a lot of requests for a second class, so the second weekend of November will be a hardwood cuttings session! This is when the plant is dormant or has lost its leaves. This makes for easy transplanting!

Sign up here: https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/product-page/class-elderberry-cuttings-at-the-farm

Photo: Moth in the Moon Photography

Today was a chilly, rainy day. The kind that's made for warm drinks, getting winter gear out from storage & staying cozy.

Which made it a perfect time to also get local foods at for all the soup recipes this week - like tonight's coconut chicken curry.

(Fresh cases of elderberry syrup were also delivered! ☺️)

Use code FALLHEALTH for 20% off through Monday 10/3 🍁

This week the cool temperatures + changing landscapes on the farm have been giving all the fall vibes!

It's the season of soups, sweaters, slowing down... and the perfect time for elderberry immune support 🧡

Last weekend I attended a conference on Nourishing Farmscapes with two people who continue to inspire me, Sally Fallon (founder, Weston A Price Foundation) and Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms.

Sally spoke on nourishing, healing traditional foods and how important farming techniques can be on nutrient content.

She ended in saying that "Children are our future. We need to nourish our children with nutrient rich foods and the way to do this is by preserving our farms."

This might sound incredibly simple, but it struck me. How often are we choosing to preserve our local farms that work with nature and natural cycles to produce nourishing, nutrient rich foods?

Traditional diets maximized nutrients from the soil up (something modern farming techniques have strayed from) - whenever we choose farms that consider this, we are working towards a healthier future in so many ways

Magic captured by

Today, on the last new moon before the Fall equinox, I finished harvesting all of the elderberries after weeks of work.

The new moon symbolizes a time to celebrate both the end of a phase and a time to embrace new beginnings.

Reflecting on the last few years, I couldn't wait to have our first BIG harvest year. And then when it came this summer, it felt exciting yet overwhelming and some days the work was absolutely exhausting.

Hundreds of pounds of elderberries later, I'm celebrating the end of this harvest and the start of a new season with a heart full of gratitude. 💛

Photo by the amazing

There's still a few spots left for the elderberry cutting workshop on September 17th!

I'll be showing you how to take both soft wood and hard wood cuttings, grow roots on runner cuttings, elderberry care & more to get your own backyard elderberries started!

You'll take home at least 10 cuttings of your own and be able to walk through the elderberry field.

Link to sign up: https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/product-page/class-elderberry-cuttings-at-the-farm

Dropped off freshly harvested & bottled elderberry syrup to today! You'll see a silver sticker on the top of the cap for these 2022 harvest bottles - and you can now find Elderberry Gold at the Bounty too featuring just-picked Chester River Farm's organic native black aronia berries 🙌✨

Every week at the Bounty always looks a little different, based on what local produce is in season and which plants are for sale. These beautiful mums out front were a bright reminder that Fall isn't far away 🧡

Sold Out!

What an exciting response for the first week launched! 🙌

The Gold SuperBerry Antioxidant ++ Elderberry Kit is temporarily out but more kits are being made that should be ready next week - thanks so much for all your orders!

🌟🌟🌟🌟

🙌🙌🙌

I got this message yesterday and it had me in tears. Working on getting orders out, making elderberry syrup, harvesting berries, processing & freezing, responding to emails while trying to balance all the other things...hearing testimonies like this makes all the work worth it!

As a small business, there's nothing better than getting feedback like this.

❤️

Elderberry Syrup Kits are here!

So much has gone into these the last few months and it's been hard not to share until now! Two blends have been released - Gold Antioxidant SuperBerry + and Herbal Immune Shield. Many tedious hours have gone into making & sourcing ingredients and cannot wait for you to try these!

Something I've found is that making healing medicine for my family is healing in itself for me. Another plus to these is they make 2-4x (depending on the blend selected and amount of honey added) that of a 12oz bottle of elderberry syrup giving you more elderberry goodness as we get into cold & flu season.

https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/elderberrysyrupshop

The All Local 2022 Harvest Batches are officially launched! 🎉

This is our first big harvest for our farm and we are overjoyed to be able to offer the first harvest of the year's elderberry syrup with locally grown Maryland elderberries + local raw wildflower honey!

The Elderberry Gold has our farm's freshly harvested elderberries, local honey and just-harvested black aronia from Maryland's eastern shore too.

Today is the last day all bottles are automatically 10% off on the website -
https://www.mamabearselderberries.com/elderberrysyrupshop

Have you ever heard of a refractometer?

It measures the antioxidant content of berries & fruits...

Roy at .river.aronia introduced us to this tool last year at the farm. They use it to measure antioxidants, nutrients & sugar content of their aronia - but what they discovered is that as sugar content increases (meaning the more ripe/longer the fruit sits on the plant) the antioxidant levels declined.

When I dug into this further, there is a ton of research/data on the perfect time to pick berries for peak antioxidants. And that window is typically as soon as the fruit turns. This is almost counterintuitive, as darker, riper fruit would appear to have more nutrients.

So there really is a science to when to harvest!

A lot of backyard elderberry growers ask me - how do the birds not get your berries?!

The location of our elderberries is the most important part since we have so many plants...

There are no trees close by, they are in the middle of a field, and because this is a healthy ecosystem full of lots of birds especially raptors, small birds will not venture to the middle of the field away from cover.

We learned the hard way a long time ago at our first house that if you plant elderberries in a yard full of cover & trees the birds won't leave many for you 😉😬🐦

Not all yard have the option of planting away from trees though, so I included some other helpful tips!

Hope these help...do you grow elderberries in your backyard and are the birds an issue for you?