The Aronia plants are here!

YAY!!! The Aronia acres are now planted. Ellickson Organics will have multitudes of these amazing antioxidant berries in about 3 years. We have planted approximately 2100 bushes in 2 acres, hopefully expanding to many more in the future.

Unfortunately in the first night after planting we discovered the bushes were especially tasty to our Sattre Ridge, organic soybean-fed deer population as we lost hundreds of plants. Extreme deer pressure motivated Glen to be especially creative. Check out his multi-layer, multi-dimensional electrified deer fence. 

So far working wonderfully...

Preview of things to come! 2014 Shitaake Mushroom Crop

The eagerly anticipated mushroom crop never fails to amaze. All at once they just seem to "pop" and then grow exponentially. One must watch closely, examining the underbelly for the perfect pick - not too soon, just before it starts flattening and drying out.... Admittedly we let them go a bit too long for our personal use, past the perfect button shape. But hey it's more mushroom to eat and is still awesome!

We were surprised just so when touring our mushroom logs with one of my visiting jewelry customers wwww.earloops.com. "Oh - there's a mushroom" she exclaimed. "Oh golly, good to know" we replied and thereafter vowed to check a bit more often...

All of the 2014 crop is spoken for, but stay tuned for next summer when listings of availability will be posted via facebook, here on this website, or if you want to receive the first word sign up for our email list email to!

And Two Chemists Join Forces - Ellickson Organics Expands

On June 14, 2014 Ellickson Organics gained an invaluable resource AND we welcomed one of the kindest, most genuine and energetic people I have ever met into our fold. Ian (Ellickson) and Sakinah (Haque), both Coe College Chemistry majors, were married at Backbone State Park. Our scientific field knowledge, our orchard, and our hearts all grew a gazillion sizes larger that day.

A possible bit of foreshadowing.... there just happened to be a tractor-cade going through the park just on that particular day and one kind soul was kind enough to allow use of his prize tractor for a bit of wedding imagery. Yes Sakinah is driving... to be expected.

Watch in the future for her jams, jellies and I am sure more to come. She is the master of many things academic but also especially so in her culinary concoctions. Her Aronia/rasberry jam is currently my special taste treat.