MINTO: A baker and partly retired cooper just outside of Harriston is working to establish Western Canadian cuisine in Ontario by growing a specialized berry.
The Saskatoon Berry is not too dissimilar from serviceberries already found in Ontario; they are both part of the genus Amelanchier.
However, the Saskatoons are a unique variety which natively inhabit the Western provinces and extend into a couple Territories.
Pete Bradford is one Ontario resident trying to establish a Saskatoon Berry population right here in Wellington County.
With the help of his wife, Marla, the Bradfords run The Barrel House which is an artisan shop stocking organic baked goods, barrel-aged foods, wood carvings and hand-crafted culinary ingredients.
Pete Bradford takes great care in using home-grown and local ingredients and said growing the Saskatoons would be an interesting experiment.
Saskatoon Berry leaves ‘cup’ during rain to hold onto moisture | Mik Horvath
Bradford got the chance to try the Saskatoon Berries a few years back and from then on he made it a mission to influence a successful harvest of the berries.
As detailed in their 2025 Project Outlines report the County of Wellington’s Experimental Acres grant program partnered with Pete Bradford at The Barrel House to work out the best way to grow Saskatoon Berries in Ontario.
In April of 2025 The Barrel House planted 50 Saskatoon Berry plants into an organic field and grown using three different methods: trellised like grapes, protected with netting and the rest were left to grow naturally.
Bradford said protecting the berries is important because birds enjoy the fruit and deer snack on the leaves and bark during the winter.
Another reason try and grow the berries here in Southern Ontario is due to their hardiness; the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources said Saskatoons can endure winter lows of -60 C and grow well in very sunny conditions.
Bradford said the plants did not have an overly successful first year, but have shown promising results so far in 2026.
Bradford said the shrubs produced a few white berries this year, Saskatoons are ripe when they turn purple, but he thinks animals got to the fruit first | Mik Horvath
A guide prepared by the Government of Alberta said rapid temperature fluctuations can be particularly damaging to an orchard and not to exceed 40 C for covered growing conditions.
He acquired the plants from the Whiffletree Farm and Nursery which is located by Elmira; Bradford is growing the ‘Martin’ variety of Saskatoons.
Bradford is a cooper, which are barrel makers, and is a rare trade in 2026.
As someone with decades of experience handcrafting COACH (Canadian Oak, Ash, Cherry and Hickory) barrels and aging food and drink within them, Bradford understands that patience is key.
According to the University of Saskatchewan the berries host high amounts of Vitamin C and Pectin just before ripening and the shrubs provide habitats for deer and moose when they grow in thickets.
Next season Bradford said he will try and install an irrigation system and add more nutrients to the soil to promote stronger growth.
