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Haskap U-Pick Orchards in Red Deer area of Alberta, Canada in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for haskaps that we know of in this area. Not all areas of any state, nor even every state, have haskaps orchards that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

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Red Deer area of Alberta

• Billyco Junction Gardens - Uses natural growing practices, apples, beans, broad beans, carrots, cucumbers, honeyberries, haskaps, onions, peas, pumpkins, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, Saskatoons, potatoes
  40110 - Range Road 260 RR#4, Lacombe, AB T4L 2N4. Phone: 403 782-4263. Email: info@billycojunction.com. Open: Daily from 10 am to 7:30 pm; from May to October. Directions: We are 8 kilometers east of Lacombe, Alberta on Highway 12, and 4.4 kilometers South on Prentiss Road. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque, MasterCard, Visa, Interact. . Fax: 403 782-4202. . Closed Tuesdays. We use natural practices, but are not seeking organic certification.
• Pinky's Organics - Uses natural growing practices, not yet certified, apples, haskaps, pears, red raspberries red, Yellow raspberries, Black raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, pie or tart cherries, sweet corn, pickling cucumbers, slicing cucumbers, garlic, kale, lettuce or salad greens, onions, snap peas (edible pod), snow peas (flat edible pod), hot peppers, sweet peppers, Swiss chard, summer squash, winter squash, Heirloom tomatoes, paste or Roma tomatoes, tomatoes, watermelons, daffodils, lavender, Lillies, sunflowers, tulips, zinnias, flowers, Basil, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Fresh eggs
  26040 highway 595, Red Deer County, AB t4e0t8. Phone: (403) 347-7148. Email: pinkysflowerfarm@xplore.net. Open: daily 9 am to 5 pm starting in July through to October. Directions: 8KM east of Red Deer on highway 595. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. . We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. (ADDED: April 17, 2024)
• Prairie Perfect Orchards - No pesticides are used, apples, cherries, haskaps, Other fruit or veg, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area
  Rural Road 3, Innisfail, AB T4G 1T8. Phone: 403-227-1301. Email: prairieorchards@gmail.com. Open: UPDATE for 2018, Their website is gone; Does anyone have current information, are they still offering pick your own or are even open? If so, please write me, their last reported hours were Wednesday to Monday, from 11 am to 5 pm; Closed on Tuesdays only. Directions: Take North Overpass through Innisfail and continue to Highway #54. At stop sign cross Highway #54 continue west on Little Red Deer Road - Twp Road 354 to Range Road 15. Watch for U-Pick Cherries and Prairie Perfect Orchards Sign on the right side. OR Take South Overpass at Innisfail west on Highway #54 to Little Red Deer Road - Twp Road #354 continue to Range Road 15. Watch for U-Pick Cherries and Prairie Perfect Orchards on the right side. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Cheque. . officially open each year on June 15th; Honeyberries are available for picking mid to late June; Tart Cherries are available for picking first week of August; Apples are available for picking first of September. We do not use pesticides on the crops. We invite you to stroll through our orchard and enjoy the fresh-off-the-tree fruit, experience the tastes, sights and sounds of country life. Pick fresh Saskatchewan Tart Cherries, Honeyberries, Apples or Rhubarb. Enjoy a guided tour of and it's beautiful landscaping or simply relax with a cup of tea, coffee or cool beverage, a homemade fruit tart and ice cream on our "Garden Patio" or eat your own picnic lunch under the shade trees.

 

Haskaps and Honeyberries

Haskap Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

What are they, where to find them and how to use them

Haskaps are similar to, but  not related to blueberries, but they are oblong berries that are blue! They are actually related to honeysuckle,(Lonicera caerulea) and go by other names. Haskaps and honeyberries commonly considered to be the same plant, but while they are related and both are found in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) they are divided into different subspecies. But unless you are a scientist, you'll probably never know the difference. .

Taste and description

• They are edible with an unusual sweet and tart flavor, described as a cross between raspberries and blueberries. The flavor is varies, from sour to bland to more sweet and sometimes like huckleberries.
• The berries range in size from less than half a gram to nearly two grams.
• They are shrubs that typically grow to a height of 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 m.). The plant produces a 1-inch (2.5 cm.), oblong, blue-colored berry.
• They are said to have a higher level of antioxidants and Vitamin C than blueberries
• Each plant produces 1 lb to 10 lbs of berries annually and the plants live 50 years plus.
• Since they are resistant to both disease and pests, they are ideal for organic gardening

Where are Haskaps grown?

Haskaps are native to cool temperate Northern Hemisphere areas such as Alaska, the northern Midwestern states, Canada, Japan, Russia, and Poland. Of course, they may also be grown in similar climates to which they are not native. They are very cold-hardy and can survive temperatures down to -55 degrees Fahrenheit (-48 C.).

You can get your own haskap plants to grow in your yard here.

Popular Varieties of Haskaps

• Blue Lightning - from Russia, a heavy producer with dark blue berries that are sweet and tart,
• Borealis - considered to be one of the best tasting haskap varieties with large fruit
• Indigo Gem - a smaller, more tart variety, also a very heavy producer, but it is susceptible to powdery mildew.
• Kamchatka - also from Russia, this variety produces large, dark blue fruit in heavy crops.
• Tundra - used in commercial production because the fruit is very firm and the plant is resistant to powdery mildew .

To find farms with Haskaps (also called Honeyberries!) see below:

 

Alaska

• Alaska

Minnesota

• Northwest Minnesota
• Minneapolis area

Missouri

• Southwestern Missouri

Pennsylvania

• Central PA

Canada

Alberta

• Edmonton area of Alberta,

• Search Results

  Web results

  Southwest Alberta

British Columbia

• Okanagan area

Manitoba

• Central Plains

Ontario

• London, Essex, Middlesex, Oxford, Elgin, Norfolk area

Saskatchewan

• Southwest Saskatchewan
• Western Saskatchewan

 

When are Haskaps ripe?

Haskaps are ripe in the early Spring, far ahead of blueberries and Saskatoons.  Keep in mind, the actual ripening dates and even the order can vary considerably from farm to farm, year to year, state to state; so take this as general order!

Other names for Haskaps

• honeyberries
• blue-berried honeysuckle,
• Fly honeysuckle,
• deepblue honeysuckle, and
• sweetberry honeysuckle

Berries that are similar to Haskaps

• Aroniaberries - also callled Chokecherries
• Bilberries - smaller cousins of the blueberry in Europe
• Blaeberry in Scotland and Ireland, smaller, intense flavor; like a bilberry-
• Huckleberries - larger blueberries, a bit less sweet, common to the northern US and Canada
• Saskatoons - Canadians know about Saskatoons. They are native to western Canada and the northwest of the U.S.. They are larger, a bit less sweet; almost identical to a Huckleberry, with a hint of apple.
• Serviceberries - another name for Saskatoons
• Whorlberry or whortleberry  grown in the United Kingdom.  Much like a bilberry.

Haskap Recipes - Cooking and Canning Haskaps

Being similar in many ways to blueberries, most blueberry recipes work well with Haskaps.

• The world's best Blueberry pie, recipe and directions and illustrated!
• Blueberry buckle coffee cake: illustrated directions for this great crumb-topping blueberry coffee cake
• Other easy directions to make blueberry desserts: cobblers, etc.

Canning and freezing Haskaps:

• How to Freeze Blueberries
• How to Can Blueberries
• How to Make Homemade Blueberry Jam
• How to make blueberry jelly
• How to make and can blueberry syrup (it works for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, too)
• blueberry pie filling to use later,
• blueberry butter

Other Local Farm Products (Honey, Horses, Milk, Meat, Eggs, Etc.)
(NOT pick-your-own, unless they are also listed above)

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children"s consignment sales
• Fruit and vegetable festivals
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed & Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms & lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources
• Resources for Farmers