One experimental bush and some online research five years ago has turned into a fullfledged effort by farmers Della James and Ron Ingram to supply a growing local demand for a berry native to the Himalayas in China.
Goji berries, also known as wolf berries, have been dubbed a "superfood", and with that designation interest among the general public has been on the rise for this small, mild-flavoured fruit.
"They’re supposed to be the most nutritionally dense fruit on the planet," said Ingram. "So they’re really a health food."
Gojis contain 11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals. They are a good source of antioxidants, packed with fibre and a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene.
And you don’t have to worry about slogging through a giant bowl full to get the benefits – a dozen or so on your cereal in the morning is plenty, Ingram said.
Ingram and James are smallscale farmers, but prove you don’t need to have a big plot of land to make an impact.
In fact, they rent their patch of earth at Old Road Farm. They’ve delved into garlic and heirloom tomatoes, strawberries and blueberries, as well as novelties such as small melons and peppers, but one of their most successful crops and the one they hope to continue to expand on is gojis.
The duo learned from that one first bush that gojis were going to work.
Ingram and James both sound surprised when they describe just how well these small bushes thrive in the Cowichan climate.
Both cancer survivors, James said they were attracted to goji growing because of a niche they saw in the market, but also because of the nutritional and health benefits of the berries themselves and the idea of creating a local supply.
Chinese agricultural practices and standards make James wary of the imports.
