The Holidays are right around the corner and here at Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast we want to help with your planning and cooking for healthy eating and entertaining this season!

An easy and delicious way to add interest and taste to the standard Thanksgiving meal is the addition of premium dried fruit.  Try adding Montmorency red tart cherries to your family’s favorite turkey dressing recipe or spice up the molded jello salad with dried blueberries.  Another welcome surprise for guests are Brownwood Acre’s dark and milk chocolate covered cherries, which also make much-appreciated gifts any time of year.

Just in time for the Holidays, we are offering customers a savings of $2.00 per bag on all of our one-pound bags of dried fruit – that’s USA grown Montmorency red tart cherries, balaton cherries and wild blueberries.

If you are looking for tried and true, tasty recipes, you have come to the right place.  Gourmet cook Debbie Colaianni shares her world of culinary delights on the FruitFast Recipe blog.  She welcomes your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, too, at Debbie@fruitfast.com.

Order today by calling toll free 1-877-599-3101.  We’re here to help you!

Tart Cherries were touted again this weekend when Parade Magazine ran an article regarding a study of runners who drank tart cherry juice before a relay race and experienced less discomfort after the relay than those that drank a placebo.  Parade Magazine reported, “Researchers believe the difference may be attributed to flavonoids and anthocyanins with high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers.”

These are important findings and sound very familiar to those of us at Brownwood Acres/FruitFast®. These study findings are similar to the research results from Winona State University’s double blind study conducted on our CherryFlex® softgel product in 2008.  The Winona State study results found that our CherryFlex softgels, (Montmorency red tart cherry fruit supplement) significantly altered muscle soreness following strenuous exercise.

Science continues to unlock the secrets to why dark-skinned fruits – like tart cherries, wild blueberries and wonderful pomegranates hold so many beneficial properties. In the case of the Winona study, the subjects were not aging seniors, but active, healthy college students.

It’s always reaffirming to have our studies confirmed by notable and independent sources.

In the meantime, check out the many ways you can enjoy and benefit from FruitFast’s dark-skinned fruit supplements, including our juice concentrates, potent liquids and full line of super fruit softgels.

As long-time cherry farmers, it gives Janet and I a special sense of pride when one of Traverse City’s National Cherry Queens comes from a farming background.  That’s the case this year with queen Angela Sayler of Elk Rapids, whose family has over a hundred year history on the land they have farmed.   We want to introduce you to Angela and learn a bit about her.  We’re proud of her and her family, and prouder yet of our long term friendship.  And one more thing—there must be something special in the fruit grown by the Sayler family.  Angela’s younger sister, Sonya, is also a queen—Miss Elk Rapids.

Bob Underwood
FruitFast

How has life on a farm influenced you and your goals in life?
Angela:

Angela operates a fork lift, loading tanks on semi-trucks for cherry juice concentrate and softgels.

Definitely in a positive manner!  I couldn’t be more proud to be the sixth generation on our family farm.  I am grateful for the generations before me because they have shaped my life and love for the land.  I have a huge sense of pride knowing that the fruit we grow reaches many others.  Working together with my family has taught me how vital hard work and determination are.   It is equally important to be good stewards of the land because I hope to continue our family legacy for future generations.

What would you say to other young people (particularly girls) about pursuing their dreams, no matter how lofty?
My advice to everyone would be to live life and don’t hesitate to take chances!  I truly believe that whatever happens; happens for a reason. If you have faith in yourself and what you want out of life, there is no slowing you down. Find something that makes you happy and don’t be afraid to stand up for it. You will meet people along the way that will support you and guide you along a helpful path.  There is something to be gained from every single life experience, and you have to be ready for whatever is thrown your way.

Angela gives her dad a progress report while running the cherry shaker.

What made you decide to compete for the Cherry Queen title?  And what do you hope to gain from this experience?
Growing up in the area, I have seen the many benefits that cherries bring and I knew that I would love nothing more than to help promote them as well as the industry.  As  the sixth generation of our farm, I recognize how important it is to get involved in something you feel passionate about, and I truly have a passion for cherries! This is a huge honor and I am so excited to see what this year will bring.

How will the title help the cherry industry and the future of agriculture in Northwest Michigan and beyond?
My first goal is to promote cherries.  I am eager to utilize this title by representing the Cherry Capital of the World, the tradition of family farms, and the industry as a whole. I hope to reach out and raise awareness about the importance of cherries to this area as well as nationwide. It is such an amazing source of nutrition, it really is a ‘super fruit’ and through marketing and special promotions others will be able to clearly see the benefits of being involved.  I am also honored to be representing the area farmers that are dedicated to educating people.

How does working on a farm impact you?
First of all, working on our farm has been so rewarding.  I have always appreciated the fact that I was born into this valued way of life.  It has taught me that anything is possible through our strong sense of family pride. I have been given so many opportunities to meet truly outstanding individuals in the industry, and I am excited that my experiences on the farm may help me reach out further to educate others.

Queens Angela (far left) and Sonya take an orchard break with their dad, Rick, and Bob Underwood/FruitFast owner and longtime farming friend.

Anything else you would like to comment about as you get into your year-long reign as the National Cherry Queen?
I am really hoping to get out there and do whatever is necessary to help promote the industry. I am eager to in some way, repay all of the wonderful people who have made a difference in my life thus far.

“Whatever possessed you to do that?” was the question from a longtime friend who heard we have introduced a new product, CherryFlex® for Dogs.

It may surprise some people but the truth is we have been actively planning for this new venture for some time. The idea began 10 years ago when Janet and I retired from farming and closed our retail farm market operation. We seriously searched for a way to capture the health benefits of fruits in a convenient form that would make them available year-round. It took years of trial and error, but the process we have developed is effective and innovative and we are the only company anywhere with this technology.

The concept of fruit being good for animals is not far-fetched. As lifelong fruit growers, our domestic pets and barnyard animals had fruit in their diets, much like their wild counterparts – deer, bear, birds, raccoons – that depend on berries and seeds for sustenance.

My strong desire has always been to improve the quality of life – and not just for people, but for animals as well. Since discovering the way to lock the fruits’ phytonutrients in a softgel, it only made sense to take it a step further and develop a quality product for animals, too.  We call it the “Power of Fruit.”

After all, our CherryFlex customers have been feeding our softgels to their pets for years!   So we took the same human grade fruit, carefully researched, adapted and tested the formula for canines, and added a natural beef flavor coating.

We’re convinced the pet world is going to like CherryFlex for Dogs, too.

And a reminder during August…customers will receive a CherryFlex dog leash FREE with every order of CherryFlex for Dogs!  So order yours soon.

For generations long distance runners and weekend joggers have had their favorite elixirs — those special mixes that can resemble a potion from a Harry Potter book.

From honey-infused electrolyte replacements to an “eye of newt, bee’s knees and a bat wing,” the tonics are as diverse as the ages of the runners who tout them.

An article in our regional daily newspaper caught my eye, probably because it confirms what we discovered with the recent double blind Winona State University pilot study of our CherryFlex softgel products.

The article appeared in one of Europe’s oldest and most respected daily newspapers: the “London Telegraph,” and touts cherry juice as a way to ease discomfort distance runners frequently experience after training runs and races.

“People who drank the unsweetened cherry juice while training for a long distance relay reported much less duress after exercise than those who did not,” the paper reports.

“Scientists believe cherries’ benefits are likely because of the fruit’s antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins which also give cherries their bright red colour.”

“In the study, 60 healthy adults aged between 18 and 50 years, and who drank 10.5 ounces of cherry juice twice daily in the week before the long distance race, had far less muscle soreness than those who consumed another juice.”

Well there you have it.

And though too many hours on the tractor will probably keep me off the distance running circuit, you might want to tell your running friends about cherry juice and the article in the “London Telegraph.”

In the meantime, keep taking that path less traveled…..

Bob

Colder spring and summer temperatures have delayed the fruit harvest by several weeks, here in the Cherry Capitol of the World.  But farmers and processors are predicting a bountiful crop this year.  The hillsides in the Grand Traverse region in our corner of Michigan have a visible red hue to them as the tart cherries deepen in color.  Although predicted to begin a bit later than usual, cherry picking and shaking should start close to the end of July.

Mother Nature has impacted other commodities, too, with farmers guessing the sweet corn harvest may extend as late as the first of October. The summer mainstay – corn on the cob at summer picnics and barbeques – will have us all anxiously waiting.  ‘Knee high by the Fourth of July’ didn’t hold true this season.

From all accounts, 2009 will yield a bountiful harvest of fruit.  As always, we look forward to bringing you Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast products made from quality fruits that are healthy, affordable and – when it comes to tart cherries -  grown locally.

As American as motherhood, the Fourth of July and Cherry Pie …

This patriotic holiday is all about traditions and, with summer in full swing, family and friends come together to enjoy favorite activities.  Doesn’t matter which coast you live on or where you are in between, I hope you’ll have the opportunity to kick back for a few minutes and have some fun.

This year marks the 83rd running of the National Cherry Festival and its full calendar of parades, queen coronation, cherry pit spitting and pie eating contests, concerts, foot races, air shows and more attracts people from around the globe.  With red tart cherries in the spotlight, it’s the perfect time to “salute the fruit” with a Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast harvest special.

The cherry harvest will soon begin and, even though the crop is about two weeks behind schedule due to a cool spring, growers are predicting a bumper crop.
We hope the abundance of fruit will allow us to pass along some cost savings to you, our customers.  Since the federal government regulates the tart cherry industry, only a portion of the crop will be available for sale, but any savings we can negotiate will be reflected in our pricing.

For the month of July, customers can save $1.00 on each quart of Tart Cherry Concentrate.  When you buy 6 or more bottles, you will save $1.50 a quart, and $2.00 a quart when you buy a case of 12 bottles. This is our once-a-year special on our best selling concentrate, so stock up during July.  It keeps for up to two years in the freezer, so why not take advantage of the savings now.  We have many customers who place a single order with friends so they can take advantage of this offering.  Click here to order.

As we kick off the festivities on July 4th, my family and I will be celebrating not only cherries, but also the fact that we live in the greatest Country in the World, and I hope that you will too!

Well, I can’t say we were surprised when the Upper Peninsula team, Crystal Falls/Forest Park, beat our Central Lake/Ellsworth Trojans in quarter final play last weekend – just a bit disappointed.

On the upside, our team stayed in the game until the third quarter. We are hanging our hats or helmets on the positive fact that this is the FIRST time we have made it to quarter-finals TWO years in a row! We wish Crystal Falls luck and hope they make it to the finals and are victorious.

Actually, it’s intense watching from the sidelines and hoping that any injuries are minimal, so I am glad the season has ended. Now we can all focus on Thanksgiving and the holidays, especially since my gridiron son just bagged a 6 pt deer.

That means food for the men in my life. It will be turkey and not venison as the entrée, complete with all the fixin’s. My dressing always receives rave reviews. What makes it special are the nuts and dried cherries that I use…now a family favorite and tradition.

Try adding dried cherries to your stuffing this holiday season – guaranteed to add flavor and nutrients. A bowl of dried cherries is the perfect, nutritious snack for the grandkids, too. Add a few walnuts or pecans and it becomes festive fare for adults.

Only premium grade cherries are sold at FruitFast with no preservatives and I’ll make sure your order goes out quickly. Hope to hear from you.