Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Booneville, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #436357
Research Project: Innovations for Small Farms Pasture and Silvopasture

Location: Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center

Title: Market engagement among US elderberry growers: unpacking influences on market participation and product diversification

Author
item KHATIWADA, DIKSHYA - Colorado State University
item SKEVAS, THEODOROS - University Of Missouri
item THOMAS, ANDREW - University Of Missouri

Submitted to: Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2025
Publication Date: 2/4/2026
Citation: Khatiwada, D., Skevas, T., Thomas, A.L. 2026. Market engagement among US elderberry growers: unpacking influences on market participation and product diversification. Journal of International Food and Agribusiness Marketing. https://doi.org/10.22434/ifamr.1152.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22434/ifamr.1152

Interpretive Summary: The American elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis) is a deciduous fruit-bearing shrub native to eastern and midwestern North America. While its European counterpart (Sambucus nigra subsp. nigra) has a long history of commercial cultivation in Europe, the American elderberry has historically been less recognized in public and agricultural spheres in the United States (US) (Charlebois et al., 2010). Its commercial production remains relatively small compared to European elderberry (Thomas et al., 2020), but interest in cultivating and marketing American elderberry has grown in recent years. Over the past two decades, elderberries have transitioned into a commercial crop in the US. Historically, Oregon was a major producer of both European and American elderberries (Finn et al., 2008), although production there has since declined. Today, Missouri leads US production, with approximately 607 acres dedicated to elderberry (USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022).

Technical Abstract: This study examines the marketing practices and attitudes of a sample of US elderberry (Sambucus spp.) producers and explores the factors influencing market participation and product diversification. Using data from an online survey, a factor analysis and a double-hurdle econometric model were applied. Factor analysis condensed interrelated attitudinal variables about growers’ opinions on challenges in elderberry production into a smaller set of factors to better understand constraints faced by farmers. These factors along with farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics were used as determinants in the hurdle model to analyze market engagement and diversification decisions. Results indicate that 40% of the surveyed farmers did not market their elderberries, while the 60% who did primarily sold berries, followed by propagules and other products. On-farm sales were the primary market outlet for two-thirds of marketers. Major challenges included government regulations limiting medicinal promotion, a shortage of specialized equipment for mechanical harvesting, pests and diseases, and limited market access. Larger, more experienced farmers in the Southeast and Northeast were more likely to market elderberries, while regulatory and market concerns reduced participation. Product diversification was more prevalent among experienced, higher income farmers, and those engaged in farmers’ markets.