217 Today: Elderberries are a successful niche crop at a crossroads

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Mature elderberries grown in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. The berries have become more in demand in recent years, putting the industry at a crossroads.
  • Photo: USDA

July 17, 2023

Today’s headlines:

  • The Reverend Jesse Jackson says he’s stepping down as president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
  • A recent report from the non-profit Bee Informed Partnership found beekeepers across the U.S. lost nearly half of the honey bees last year.
  • Black drivers in Illinois are nearly twice as likely as white motorists to be stopped by police.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture gave two companies the green light last month to produce and sell their lab-grown chicken meat across the country.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about the growing popularity of elderberries in the country and what that means for elderberry farmers.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting contributed by Owen Henderson, Tim Shelley, Xcaret Nuñez and Jonathan Ahl.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.