Health Awareness Berry Good Smoothie

Berries, It's Kinda What We Do

Berries, it's our power house. Not only do we love berries, but we are committed to growing the most nutrient dense berries we possibly can. We stand vigilant in our fields over seeing the soils, the leafs, the growth, the quality of our plants. All so we can continue to improve our already great berries. (We might be a bit of perfectionists!) 

Each of our berries have their own set of health benefits, but they all work harmoniously as well. If you want to learn more about the berries we currently sell check out our website!

Berry Good Smoothie

Ingredients: 
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup fresh or frozen SVO strawberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen SVO blackberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen SVO blueberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen SVO raspberries
2-4 cups fresh kale, stems removed
1-2 tablespoons flaxseed
1 cup ice

Directions:
1. Blend well in high-powdered blender until you see vortex in the middle
2. Serve, sip, & enjoy! 

Stress Awareness Month

Our culture is fast paced, and we all have a million things going on all at once. Not to mention when things go wrong or something makes a hiccup. We all get stressed out, but eating right and taking care of our bodies can help us relieve some of that stress. I know after a bad day some people reach for chocolate or other comfort foods, but that might actually be doing more harm than good. 

If your looking for some stress relieve its best to avoid things that will give your body extreme highs and lows, things like caffeine and alcohol. Avoiding sugars is also good because sugars can cause your blood sugar to spike then fall quickly, which reflects upon your energy level. Which can leave you still feeling stressed and outta energy, not fun. 

So there is a lot that you should avoid when stressed, but what about the things you can eat? Luckily there are a ton of healthy, delicious things that help you keep you stress levels down. When your stressed your body releases hormones that affect your mood. Eating certain vitamins and minerals such as folic acid (found in asparagus) and B vitamins can help keep your mood steady because they're needed to make serotonin, which is a chemical that directly affects mood in a positive way.

Things that are on the "to eat" list include:

• Beef, high in zinc, iron, and B vitamins which can help stablize your mood. If your concened about fat content you can always ask your grocery store butcher for a lean cut. 
• Milk, high in antioxidants, vitamins B2 & B12, protein, and calcium. Grabbing a bowl of whole grain cereal and low fat milk in the morning is a great way to start your day with a stress fighting breakfast. 
• Cottage Cheese and Fruit, packed with protein and calcium. Foods with high protein content that aren't loaded with sugar won't cause a spike in blood sugar and will keep you satiated for a longer time. Mixing Cottage Cheese with fruits that are high in vitamin C (such as oranges) is not only delicious but super healthy,  as vitamin C is thought to play a role in fighting stress and is also an antioxidant that fights free radicals that get released when stressed. These radicals have been shown as a cause for cancer. 
• Almonds, a good source for vitamin B2 & E as well as magnesium and zinc. Plus you can really crunch into them and get some aggression out! 
• Blueberries, super rich in antoixidants but also offer high fiber, low calorie fruit opetion, that also is full of Vitamin C. Makes great to throw in cereal or Cottage cheese.
• Tuna, A great lunch option, tuna is high in stress-fighting vitamins B6 and B12. Tuna is also a good low-fat protein source.
•  Cornflakes or Crispy Rice Cereal, Although they aren't low in sugar, cornflakes and crispy rice cereal are fortified with B vitamins and folic acid to help reduce stress. Have them for breakfast with milk. Geise also recommends having them dry as an afternoon snack.

Delicious Snacks for Back to School

Back to school is such an exciting time of the year, but with school comes early mornings which some may not enjoy when they have come a custom to sleeping later. We have gathered up some yummy and creative ways to have fun when it comes to snacks, treats, and meals. 

 1) An Animal Snack Attack from sugarpop.com
There are 17 awesome works of art that are easy to create at home, while we can show you all 17 here are a few of our favorites. The only down side to these wonderful images is there are no recipes to go off of, however everything seems to be able to be recreated from just looking at the images. Have fun making these delicious treats!

2) Blueberry Pancakes from Baker by Nature
We might be a bit bias on this one, but blueberry pancakes are a great way to start the day! 

Ingredients:

• *Makes about 14 pancakes
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2/3 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 4 tablespoons butter, for the pan
• Maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and baking powder.
2. In a separate large bowl add flour and blueberries and toss to combine, making sure berries are fully coated in the flour.
3. Add flour mixture to the wet milk mixture, and stir just to combine; do not over mix! The batter will be thick, so don't worry if there's a lot of clumps left.
4. Add egg whites to a large bowl or the body of a stand mixer. Beat using a handheld mixer or the whisk attachment until the whites begin to form soft peaks.
5. With a rubber spatula fold egg whites into flour/cheese mixture, stirring until fully incorporated.
6. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
7. Ladle 1/3 cup scoops of the batter into the skillet, only cooking a few at a time so they don't blend together.
8. Cook pancakes until the edges begin to brown and the top of the batter bubbles, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat for all pancake batter.
9. Top pancakes with syrup and extra blueberries, or anything else your heart desires! Serve at once.

3) Homemade Goldfish Crackers

Sure you can buy them at the store, but if you make them at home, you can make them organic, and healthier. Adapted from food4tots

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (120g) plain flour.As an alternative you can use 1/4 cup plain flour, and 3/4 cup coconut flour (or even certified organic flour or certified organic coconut flour).
• 8oz (220g) sharp/extra sharp certified organic cheddar cheese, shredded.
• 60g cold butter cut into cubes
• 1/4-1/2 teaspooon sea salt
• 2 tbs cold water

Directions:

1. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour until it forms coarse crumbs.
2. Add sea salt to mixture.
3. Add shredded cheese and cut into the mixture.
4. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. use hand to form dough and divide into 2 portions. Wrap them in plastic and chill for 20 minutes (or longer).
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking trays with parchment paper. 
7. Take out one portion of the dough from the fridge. Work with one portion at a time. Place dough in between two sheets of wax paper or cling wrap. Roll dough out to 3mm (1/8 in) thickness. Cut out shapes with your choice of cookie cutters and transfer to baking tray. 
8. Use chopstick or toothpick to make the eye balls, and the prong of a for to carve a curvy lip. (this step is optional)
9. Gather all the trimmings and re-roll. Repeat until all the dough is used up. 
10. Bake or approximately 15-17 minutes, until the crackers are crispy and golden around edges. Timing will vary according to size and shape of your crackers. Cool for 10 minutes on baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sore in an airtight container. 

Notes: 

1. You can substitute it with 50-100% whole wheat flour.
2. Shred the cheese finer than what is shown in the photo so that you can easily cut them into the mixture.
3. Get orange cheese if you can.
4. If you have food processor, pulse everything (except water) together until the dough resembles coarse sand. Then follow with step 4.
5. Thinner dough means crispier crackers; thicker dough means puffier, more bread-like crackers. But, the dough must not be too thin or else the crackers will be difficult to handle.
6. Crackers will turn soft pretty fast even they are kept inside an airtight container. Best to be eaten immediately or within a day or two. To extend them for a week or so, I keep them in the fridge. Lightly warm them up in the toaster oven when I want to eat them.

Need Inspiration for the 4th of July?

Then let us inspire you! Here are some of our favorite recipes that use berries and will help celebrate our independence day! All of these recipes can be found on our Pinterest board under Harmonious Berry Blends.

First up is Blueberry, Strawberry, & Jicama Salsa adapted from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

Yeild: About 3 Cups of Salsa
Prep: 5 Minutes
Total: 5 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh Sunset Valley Organics blueberries
1 cup diced Sunset strawberries
1 cup diced jicama
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded
Juice of 1 large lime
Salt, to taste
Tortilla chips, for serving

 Directions:
 In a medium bowl, combine blueberries, strawberries, jicama, cilantro, red onion, jalapeno, and lime juice. Stir until well combined. Season with salt, to taste. Serve with tortilla chips at room temperature or chilled.

Note-this salsa is also great with grilled fish or chicken. It is best eaten the day it is made.

Tiramisu Mixed Berry Trifle from Driscoll's
Prep: 40 
Servings: 6
 Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 ounces) Sunset Valley Organics Strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 1 packages (8 ounce each) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1 packages (3 ounces) lady finger cookies
• 2 packages (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups each) Sunset Valley Organics Raspberries
• 1 package (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups each) Sunset Valley Organics Blackberries
• 1 package (6 ounces or 1 1/4 cups each) Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries

 Directions: 

1. Reserve 6 small strawberries for garnish. Hull and puree remaining strawberries in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups puree). Set aside. Whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Place mascarpone in a large bowl and beat with a rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in whipped cream in three additions until evenly blended.
2. To assemble trifles: Reserve about 1/2 cup each raspberries, blackberries and blueberries for trifle topping.
3. Dip one-half lady fingers in strawberry puree until lightly soaked and layer on bottom of 6 serving glasses. Top each with an even layer of remaining blackberries and blueberries. Top each with layer of about 1/4 cup whipped cream mixture, spreading evenly. Top each with second layer of remaining lady fingers dipped in strawberry puree. Top each with even layer of remaining raspberries. Top each with even layer of remaining whipped cream mixture. Top each with even layer of reserved raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Garnish each serving with 1 reserved strawberry. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4th of July Trifle from Fancy Frugal Life

Ingredients: 

• Pint of Sunset Valley Organics Strawberries
• Pint of Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries
• Loaf of Sara Lee Pound Cake (CUT IT LONG WAYS!)
• Star cookie cutter
• Whip Cream

Directions: 

1. Cut out stars from the pound cake with the cookie cutter.
2.  Arrange the Strawberries, Blueberries, Pound Cake, and Whip Cream to look pretty.
3. Refrigerate until serving or serve immediately.   

Blueberry Yogurt Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

In need of a delicious & healthy snack? How about some delicious blueberry yogurt cookies! I found these surprisingly delicious! I ran across this recipe on Pintrest, and adapted it just a little bit when I was making it. 

Enjoy!

Blueberry Yogurt Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

For the blueberry yogurt cookies:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 Large Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Blueberries (from Sunset Valley Organics, of course!) 

Frosting:
1 (8oz) Package cream Cheese, softened
2 3/4 Cups Powder Sugar
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Teaspoons Grated Lemon Zest

Make The Cookies:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats and set aside. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and yogurt, then blend in the egg and vanilla. 

3. In a Separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then blend it into the wet yogurt mixture. Gently fold in blueberries.

4. Drop tablespoonfuls of cookies dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each cookies. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies start to barely brown at the edges remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes, then move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely  

Note: Some of the blueberries will burst during baking, this is to be expected and will not effect the taste. 

Make The Frosting:
1. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest. Spread on top of the cooled cookies. 

Note: These cookies are best eaten within 1 to 2 days. 

Lavender-Scented Summer Fruit Salad

The delicious lavender flavor you get in each bite is what makes this fruit salad different from other similar dishes. Plus, with less than 150 calories and 6 grams of fiber per serving, it’s a delectable dish that will keep you bikini ready.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 3/4 teaspoon dried lavender
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 peach, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 1 nectarine, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 1 large plum, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 1 cup Sunset Valley Organic's certified organic fresh raspberries
• 1 cup Sunset Valley Organic's certified organic fresh blackberries
• 3/4 cup Sunset Valley Organic's certified organic fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon small whole mint leaves
  
  Preparation: 
  1. Combine honey, 1/3 cup water, lavender, pepper, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until honey has dissolved. Remove from heat, and cover; let steep 10–15 minutes or until room temperature. Strain into a serving bowl; discard lavender and stir in lime juice.
  2. Add peach, nectarine, and plum slices to honey mixture, and toss well. Add berries and mint, and toss gently to combine. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled. Serve.

Source

 

Blueberry Salsa

This fruity salsa is a refreshing side to grilled meats and fish.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped fresh blueberries 
• 1 cup whole fresh blueberries 
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 seeded and minced jalapeño peppers
• 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper 
• 1/4 cup chopped onion 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Coarsely chop 2 cups fresh blueberries. Stir together chopped fresh blueberries, 1 cup whole blueberries, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 seeded and minced jalapeño peppers, 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped onion, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Source

Lemon Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

Tangy lemon balances out the tart blueberry flavors for a great tasting dessert under 250 calories. Plus edible flowers make an easy, pretty decoration for any outdoor party you may have.

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 10 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1 large egg 
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
• Frosting:
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened 
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
• Fresh blueberries (optional) 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.
3. To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Source

Blueberry Blackberry Shortcakes

Blueberry Blackberry Shortcakes!

Ingredients:

• Shortcakes:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Filling:
• 3 cups fresh wild blueberries, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed 

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2.To prepare shortcakes, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir just until moist.

3.Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times. Pat dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter to form 8 dough rounds. Place dough rounds 2 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Combine water and egg white, stirring with a whisk; brush over dough rounds. Sprinkle evenly with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake at 400° for 13 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.

4.To prepare filling, combine 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Place in a large bowl; add remaining 2 cups blueberries and blackberries, stirring to coat. Cover and chill.

5.Using a serrated knife, cut each shortcake in half horizontally; spoon 1/2 cup blueberry mixture over bottom half of each shortcake. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons whipped topping and top half of shortcake.

Source

 

 

Summer's Finally Heating Up!

Saturdays are always a busy day for us here on the farm. Today is no different. The U-Pick field is busy with people coming out of the field with huge gorgeous berries. We are still on the first pick of the field, and plan on doing a second, however those berries look to be just as large as the first pick, and it’s pretty amazing! Our U-Pick price is $2.65 per pound, and we are open from 8am to 6pm daily.

We have another berry that is just coming into season, blackberries that are plump and as large as my thumb! We have two sizes available at the farm stand and at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers Market which is one pound for $5.00 and five pounds for $18.00. This is the first weekend we are having them and we expect the season to go for at least three weeks. If you are wanting to get a lot we in courage you to place an order, or wait until we are mid season and have a lot more of a supply.

This weekend’s heat is sure to help ripen every crop, and we are anticipating the start of our frozen picking season to start this coming week. Which also means we are going to start packing this year’s crop in our frozen boxes, please call ahead to find out if we are indeed packing or if your wanting to pick up more than 2 boxes (30 pounds per box) at a time.

Have a great weekend everyone! Keep cool!

Go Organic!

If you want to maximize your antioxidant benefits from blueberries, go organic. A recent study has directly compared the total antioxidant capacity of organically grown versus non-organically grown high bush blueberries  and found some very impressive results for the organically grown berries. Organically grown blueberries turned out to have significantly higher concentrations of total phenol antioxidants and total anthocyanin antioxidants than conventionally grown blueberries, as well as significantly higher total antioxidant capacity. Numerous specific antioxidant anthocyanins were measured in the study, including delphinidins, malvidins, and petunidins. The antioxidant flavonoid quercetin was also measured.

To Read More Click On The Following Link
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

Passionate for Pies? We are too!

This Year's Crop of Blueberries are Picked, and Frozen for Fall!  

Which gets us thinking about baking.
Our Frozen Blueberries are perfect for baking, as evidence by one of our most enthusiastic customers:

Passionate for Pies Bakery 

on Orcas Island Washington!

They not only make amazing looking pies, but they're delicious, and healthy too!
Their philosophy is:

Health begins within. All of our ingredients are carefully chosen with the intention to maintain balance in our body, our mind, and our planet. This means knowing the people and farmers. Organic and Local. 90% of our ingredients come directly from Northwest farms, including produce, flour, and dairy.

 We got a chance to taste one this summer, and loved it!  Let us know if you get the pleasure of traveling to the San Juans to sample some of their amazing wares!

2011 Berry Health Benefits Symposium in June

Berries are increasingly viewed as having a profound impact against the diseases of aging including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and age related mental decline.

Organic Blueberry Powder-
Full of Healthy Nutrition

Are berries truly a superfood with health benefits for everyone? The evidence was heard at the 4th Biennial Berry Health Benefits Symposium, which was held June 27-29. 

The 2011 Berry Health Benefits Symposium is the only event solely dedicated to bringing together worldwide researchers in the field of berries and human health. Over twenty of the most renown scientists will discuss their most recent work and reveal how this most basic of foods can have a profound impact on many of the important diseases of aging. Topics to be showcased include Cancer, Metabolism, Gut Health, Heart Health, Brain Aging and Compositional Chemistry and Biological Effects.
The symposium is sponsored by every major berry organization in the United States, who join together in an effort to make this vital message of berries and health available to media, industry, academia and the public. The symposium is presented by the National Berry Crops Initiative, a nationwide organization whose mission is to develop a strategic plan for the continued growth and sustainability of berry crop production in the United States.

http://www.berryhealth.org/news.html

Abstracts from the conference on the health benefits of Berries can be found here:

Britt Burton Freeman NCFST, IIT, UCD	"Health Promoting Foods:The Strawberry"
Iris Erlund National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland	"Berry Consumption in Humans: Bioavailability of Polyphenols and Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Factors"
Roger Corder William Harvey Research Institute of London	“Cardiovascular Actions of Procyanidin-rich Foods and Beverages”
Francisco Tomas-Barberan University of Murica, Spain	“Exploring the Biological Activity of Berry Ellagitannin Metabolites”
Alan Crozier University of Glasgow, Scotland	"Healthy Eating: Bioavailability of Dietary Flavonoids and Phenolics”
Paul Milbury Tufts University	“Xenobiotic Metabolism and Berry Flavonoid Transport Across the Blood Brain Barrier”
Ron Prior USDA-ARS at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, U of Arkansas	“Anthocyanins and Other Factors in Berries that Affect Development of Obesity"
Tatiana Oberyszyn Ohio State University	"Topical Black Raspberry Extract and Skin Cancer"
Xiao-Ming Yin University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine	"Anthocyanidins and Cancer Therapy, Different Routes to the Demise"
Gary Stoner Ohio State University	"Prevention of Aerodigestive Tract Cancers in Humans with Berries"
Peter Ferguson University of Western Ontario	"Cranberry Phytochemicals as Potential Anticancer Agents"
Martha Clare Morris Rush Institute for Healthy Aging	"Epidemiological Evidence of Antioxidant Nutrients and Brain Health"
Thomas B. Kuhn Universtiy of Fairbanks, Alaska	"Alaska Wild Blueberries and Neuroinflammatory Signaling: Disrupting NADPH oxidase Assembly in Lipid Rafts"
Barbara Shukitt-Hale USDA-ARS at Tufts University	“Behavioral Effects of Berries in Aging and Aging Radiation Models”
Dr. Jim Joseph USDA-ARS at Tufts University	Quenching the “Fires” of Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress: “Food Parings for Healthy Brain Aging”
Robert Krikorian Universtiy of Cincinnati, College of Medicine	“Interventions in Cognitive Aging”
Jess Reed University of Wisconsin	“Berry Tannins and Gut Health”
Luke Howard University of Arkansas	“Effect of Jam Processing and Storage on Polyphenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of Blueberries”
Venket Rao University of Toronto	”Raspberries and Human Health:Time for Recognition"
Amy Howell Rutgers University	"Bacterial Anti-adhesion Activity of Cranberry Proanthocyanidins "
Wilhemina Kalt Agriculture and AgriFoods Canada	"Recent Research on Blueberries and Vision"
Mary Ann Lila North Carolina Research Campus at Kanapolis	“Berry Resources and Human Health Under the Cloud of Climate Change”

Summer's Going to be Late--and Blueberries too!

As we launch into Memorial Day weekend we've gotten a couple of calls about when fresh blueberries will be ready for picking. 

Good Question.   Late-- which right now means sometime in July for the first blueberries.

Cold, Wet Spring
As anyone who is in Oregon may have noticed, its been a very cold and wet spring.  That means that we've had fewer warm sunny hours to encourage the blueberries to grow.   Our blueberry plants are still in flower this week, with the bees doing their work. The bad news is that that's really late, but the good news is, there are lots of flowers. 

We think its going to be a good, but late crop this year.  Here's wishing for a warmer, but not hot, June, so we can make up a little growing time.

Keep checking in here, or our facebook page   (http://www.facebook.com/SunsetValleyOrganics)  to get the status of u-pick and fresh organic blueberries for the farmer's market. In the meantime, we've got great dried organic blueberries, and frozen organic blueberries to satisfy that great blueberry craving.  I'm finding that a blueberry smoothie made very simply with a banana, some juice, some ice and a cup of our frozen blueberries really hits the spot this time of year!  Its a little taste of the summer to come.   Enjoy your memorial day weekend!  Stay dry and warm.

Organic Berries More Nutritious: Proof from Wash State Univ

A comprehensive Washington State University study broke new ground in proving the superior nutrition and soil health, among other benefits from organic berry farming.



"PULLMAN, Wash.—Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier and more genetically diverse.

"Our findings have global implications and advance what we know about the sustainability benefits of organic farming systems," said John Reganold, Washington State University Regents professor of soil science and lead author of a paper published today in the peer-reviewed online journal, PLoS ONE. "We also show you can have high quality, healthy produce without resorting to an arsenal of pesticides."

Washington State news article

Among their findings:

• The organic strawberries had significantly higher antioxidant activity and concentrations of ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds.
• The organic strawberries had longer shelf life.
• The organic strawberries had more dry matter, or, "more strawberry in the strawberry."
• Anonymous testers, working at times under red light so the fruit color would not bias them, found one variety of organic strawberries was sweeter, had better flavor, and once a white light was turned on, appearance. The testers judged the other two varieties to be similar.
The researchers also found the organic soils excelled in a variety of key chemical and biological properties, including carbon sequestration, nitrogen, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and micronutrients.

This is exactly what Bob Wilt has been saying and promoting with Sunset Valley Organics for years. The tests on our own blueberries show the superior nutrition- and we even beat conventional organics, and our customers always tell us a bout our longer shelf life, and everyone can taste the more blueberry in our blueberries.

Its wonderful to have a peer reviewed study show that what we know is true.

Frozen Blueberries- Nutrition and Flavor Year Round

In the spectrum of healthy fruits, Blueberries stand out—for their delicious taste, small size and big health benefits. With more antioxidant capacity per serving than most other fruits, frozen Organic Blueberries have a lot of what it takes to combat disease and promote healthy aging. Just a ½ cup of frozen Organic Blueberries satisfies one fruit serving and is a good source of dietary fiber. Visit the nutrition section of our site to get the scoop on the testing we've done to learn how nutrient-dense our organic blueberries are.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient and available year-round. What’s more, frozen makes it easy to get the colorful variety needed to ensure the widest range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Plus, the FDA has concluded that frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh and may even retain its nutritional value longer—all of which makes frozen an excellent value for consumers wanting to increase their intake while making the most of their food dollar.

So take a tip from the nutrition specialists...get your winter share of fiber, anti-oxidants AND a taste of summer, with Frozen Blueberries. Check out our recipes for many ways to use frozen blueberries

Are organic blueberries better for you?

A collaborative project between the US Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University attempted to determine the nutritional difference between organic and conventional blueberries.
By Yun Xie | Last updated July 7, 2008 6:59 AM CT

Blueberries, one of my favorite fruits, have a wonderful combination of tastiness and nutritional benefits. They are low in calories and have high antioxidant content, enabling them to scavenge radicals that might otherwise damage the body. Blueberries in general have health benefits, but are organic blueberries even better than conventionally grown ones? A collaborative project between the US Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University attempted to answer that question, and the results came in the form of a recent publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry...

click here to read the full article:
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2008/07/are-organic-blueberries-better-for-you.ars

Health Benefits of Blueberries - Nutrition and more Nutrition

Recent studies show that of all fresh fruits and blueberries provide the most health-protecting antioxidants. Blueberries are rich in Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene as well as rich in the minerals potassium, manganese, magnesium. They are very high in fiber and low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries are even more nutritious than most. Independent testing shows that our berries have double the Vitamin A and C, and more Calcium and minerals than other organic berries and wild blueberries.

The properties of blueberries cross the blood brain barrier to effect these benefits. Antioxidants help to stop the production of free radicals. Free radicals are groups of atoms that impair the cells and the immune system which leads to disease. Anti-oxidants bind the the free electrons in free radicals.

Anthocyanins create the blue color in blueberries. They are water-soluble and will bleed into water (or on mouths and clothes). Anthocyanins are antioxidants, known to reduce heart disease and cancer in humans. They are found throughout the plant world, but blueberries are the highest of any fruit or vegetable. This substance is believed to combat E. Coli.

Chlorogenic acid is another antioxidant which may also slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal. Chlorogenic acid's antioxidant properties may help fight damaging free radicals.

Ellagic acid also appears to bind cancer-causing body chemicals,rendering them inactive.

Catechins are the phytochemical compounds that helped make a nutritional star out of green tea which is so rich in them. Current belief holds that their antioxidant effect diminishes the formation of plaque in the arteries. Further research is being done to see if they combat and/or suppress cancerous tumors and cell proliferation, but to date no evidence is solid.

Resveratrol is a substance that is produced by several plants. A number of beneficial health effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-viral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and life-prolonging effects have been reported for this substance. It is found in the skin of red grapes.

Pterostilbene is yet another antioxidant found in blueberries. Current belief holds that it may fight cancer and may also help lower cholesterol.