If you live close to Aldergrove, British Columbia and want to see how a goji berry farm looks like, you only have to go as far as Gojoy Berry Farm, the first successful goji farm in Canada. Wait until July, and you can pick the berries yourself, to take home, of course, because once harvesting season kicks in, the farm operates events called Goji Berry U-Pick every day including weekends.
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You can also buy fresh and/or dried goji at Gojoy farm store and starting May goji plants are available also. Richter’s may be selling goji seeds and plants as well, or have a look at what’s available at a nursery or garden center where you live. They should be stocking them plentifully, now that Gojoy farm proved everyone that Goji love Canada.
Why should you think about buying goji trees and growing your own berries? Well, if you eat a lot of them, and you have room in your garden for another perennial, it’s an investment worth making.
The majority of people eat dried Goji, but fresh are good too. And overall, it’s a cheaper alternative always to be buying them.
So here are some reasons to convince you that it’s worth growing your very own Goji berries, especially if you already grow trees or are at least somewhat familiar with gardening.
- A mature tree can produce as much as 300 berries every year, but usually, the plant yields fruits starting from the first year.
- Goji plants are tolerant to both heat and cold, making them ideal to grow in diverse climates including drought and snow.
- Goji can be successfully grown in containers if you need to save space.
- Goji trees respond well to pruning, which is recommended when you need them to grow a certain size but also to encourage a healthier plant.
- Fresh goji berries are as fragile as raspberries, so eating them fresh off the vine comes in handier when you have your own crop.
- You can start your own business once you get the hang of soil, sun, and drainage, the three most relevant aspects to cultivate goji berries properly.
- Goji berries can be picked by hand or using fruit-picking machines, making it easier to harvest if you have a large crop.
- Goji berries pack a lot of protein – 4 grams per 100 calories.
- They are extremely nutritious and have health benefits for the eyes, the memory, and heart.
- They are healthier than a majority of the berries imported from China due to the industrial pollution there.
- Goji berries make nutrient-rich shakes and multivitamin fruit salads perfect for before or after working out, hiking or performing intense physical activities when the body needs replenishment.
Goji berries along with any other type of berries are on top of the list when it comes to antioxidant support and overall health, so say doctors who are also confirming traditional Chinese medicine which is thousands of years old and still very much practiced in China.