Although Blue Gables Acres was established in 2020, it has quickly made an impression throughout Brant County, especially by championing a relatively unknown berry.
Delano and Kimmy Osmond, the owners of the farm, have been dedicated in utilizing the Haskap, considered a ‘super berry,’ for producing unique wines, jams, jellies, and freeze-dried products.
Delano, a carpenter by trade, explained the start of their micro-winery enterprise on their farm.
“My wife started making some wine back around 2004 and found that she was good at it. She played around with some kits, and then we pressed some grapes to make some wine which many of our friends and family liked. That gave her the idea to consider [starting] a winery. We started to look around and found that grapes didn’t seem to be the best option,” Osmond said. “Kimmy saw some Haskap berries at a Toronto market [and after that] we met a man who grew them…she [then] started to do some research and that was the beginning of what led to where we are now.”
However, the Haskap is a berry which continues to be relatively unknown with the general public despite its amazing health benefits and flavorful taste.
“There’s not a lot of public awareness, which is a little bit [odd]…because it’s a tremendous berry. The Anti-Oxidant levels are super high [as well as the] Bioflavonoids [and] Vitamin C levels. It also has great flavor. Some of the varieties are a little tart for some people, but they all have a good level of sweetness, and many people say it reminds them of a cross between a raspberry and a blueberry. The tartness and the sweetness translate well into [our] wines,” said Osmond.
The couple have also been keen on learning more about Haskap berries from a specialist.
“Dr. Bob Bors of the University of Saskatchewan has been involved in helping the Haskap industry. He has spent close to 30 years working [and] helping to create new varieties, which are some of the ones that we have now which are larger [and] sweeter,” said Osmond.
However, Osmond’s have recently been focused on an earlier harvest time, which came in June.
“We’re a little bit ahead this year because we had an early spring. There are some places who have already finished their harvest, [because they have] commercial equipment… which obviously goes a lot faster. We handpick and vibrate berries off of our bushes [and] everything is put into trays and then put through a cleaning process,” Osmond explained. “We have three main varieties [including the] Beauty, Beast and Blizzard, which we primarily use for wine, and then, of course, for jams as well. And my wife also does chutney [and that’s] been well received.”
There also has been some milestones for Blue Gables Acres including getting their license to sell wine in June 2023 and their license to sell by the glass around Christmas 2023 as well as continuing to develop spaces on their land to accommodate camping and special events.
However, the Osmonds look to continue building their unique farm experience in the community.
“We aspire to create great wine and great products and to help increase awareness of Haskap berries because they are fabulous,” Osmond Osmond continued. “We’re very thankful for the support we’ve received, through local council members and small businesses as well the local people. They recognize that we’re trying to create a great product that everybody can enjoy, and that helps to create bigger communities. And we’re all about community and family.”
