Welsh growers are teaming up to tap into the booming elderberry market, using an industry programme to turn a bold idea into a potential new income stream.
Although many of the farms involved are located in west Wales and were already familiar with each other, the growers recognised the need for a more structured and collaborative approach.
Following support from Farming Connect’s Agrisgôp programme, the farmers are now working together to develop their enterprises and gain confidence and skills.
Under the guidance of Agrisgôp leader Jacqui Banks, the group explored the possibility of forming a joint venture focused on growing elderberries and other fruits.
The aim was to either establish a co-operative selling fruit under a shared brand or to pool their produce and sell wholesale for the best possible price.
The group ultimately decided to concentrate on growing and selling berries, rather than developing a finished product — although Jacqui notes this could still be considered in future.
Through the Agrisgôp initiative, the growers benefitted from expert-led meetings and site visits to learn from established commercial growers.
Some members have already begun planting elder, including Lauren Simpson and Phil Moore, who run their business from Parc y Dderwen in Llangolman, Pembrokeshire.
The couple already grow seed for the Real Seeds catalogue and the Wales Seed Hub, in addition to garlic, which they plait and sell locally.
Their main business, however, is producing and selling fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi using their own homegrown cabbage and flavourings like beetroot and chilli.
“We saw elderberries as a way to bring more diversity to our smallholding,” Lauren said. “For us, the incentive and interest of being part of Agrisgôp was to explore how we could add a bit more diversity to our smallholding.”
Josh and Abi Heyneke, who run a commercial blueberry operation on 10 acres near Hebron, also joined the group and have since begun propagating elder plants.
They had already been considering expanding into elderberries, and the programme helped strengthen their understanding of the market.
“Hearing from experts and learning more about the current demand for elderberries was really valuable,” said Josh. “We’re juggling a lot right now, but we’re much better informed when we’re ready to move in that direction.”
The group travelled to Somerset to visit a commercial elder grower, learning key techniques — such as the importance of pruning — that improve harvest efficiency.
Since elder only produces flowers on second- and third-year growth, keeping the trees well managed is essential for practical and profitable harvesting.
“The grower we visited had rows of trees pruned to head height so they were easy to manage and harvest,” Lauren explained. “That really showed us what was possible.”
While the group has built strong trust and established a clear vision, moving forward with a formal co-operative will depend on securing funding.
“Money has been the stumbling block,” Lauren said. “We’d need investment in trees, processing equipment and possibly someone’s time to co-ordinate sales and logistics.”
Still, some growers have taken early steps by planting a small number of trees — such as the 20 already in the ground at Parc y Dderwen — in anticipation of future opportunities.
Lauren added, “We are years away from harvesting, but the main thing is to get plants in the ground. If we can all do that informally while keeping an eye out for funding, when the time is right it might all come together.”
The group has also done significant groundwork on how they would structure a co-operative, including decision-making processes and member roles — essential steps in preparing for future collaboration.
Farming Connect leader Jacqui Banks praised the growers’ pragmatic approach to diversification.
“By the time the Agrisgôp group concluded, they were clear that getting trees in the ground was the priority and any product development would be quite far down the line,” she said.
“They were realistic about their goals and the long-term timeline — it’s a challenge when you’re already busy, but they’ve set a strong foundation.”
