Ben is the founder of Popple Tree Creek Farms and an American elderberry farmer in northern Minnesota. He’s earned the nickname “The Elderberry Guy” for good reason. Get him started on American elderberries and he can talk anthocyanins, plant compounds, berry potency, and farming practices until the cows come home (and probably well after).

And he can because he grows Sambucus canadensis, produces farm-made elderberry products, and has spent years learning firsthand what it takes to grow, harvest, process, and use American elderberries.

His writing draws on that real-world experience, from regenerative farming and elderberry cultivation to the differences between elderberry varieties and what goes into making a quality elderberry product.