Looking for a unique crop to grow, hardy kiwi was Dave's choice, and Kiwi Korners was founded in 1988.

The farm consists of forty plus acres, twenty of which were designated to grow hardy kiwi.  This area, separated into eight different arbors, presents three distinct micro-climates.

Kiwi Korners was built from the ground up, it wasn’t something constructed by others or purchased.  Building a first generation family farm, and being the caretakers of the land – we are obsessed with putting out a quality product.

It began with a two acre block of trellis built on a no-till corn field. 

Our test trials contained the largest assortment of hardy kiwi assembled in the Northern Hemisphere. Over fifty named and numbered varieties, from all over the world, were trialed in conjunction with a breeding program.

Our goal was to:  A) Identify the best varieties, B) Implement a breeding program, C) Develop the best management systems for chosen varieties,   D) Create a market for our fruit we named KiwiBerries. 

We outlined the qualities that would determine the best varieties which were: flavor value, sugar level, appearance, and marketability.  We have learned that it takes 8-12 years to bring a vine into "full" production.

There is no farm on the face of the earth that has done the amount of research that we have to become sustainable.  We have refined a multitude of aspects that contribute to the successful production and marketing of this unique, specialized berry. 

There have been countless exploratory hands-on trips visiting scores of growers, farms, and research stations evaluating hardy kiwi varieties and cultural methods. 

We visited the Pacific Northwest to research trellising, were invited by the Ministry of Canada to visit their trial plantings, and David had opportunity to visit both islands of New Zealand to research hardy kiwi varieties, meet with a peer group of breeders and researchers, and visit old plantings, growers, and pack line facilities.

We have provided vine material to numerous land grant universities, and have shared our research  internationally.

From 1988 to 1992, we increased our plantings, half of the farm was planted in test trials, and the other half was planted in Annas to produce a fruit crop for the market.

Of the fifty named and numbered varieties test trialed in our arbor, only four were deemed to be commercially viable varieties, and made the grade to qualify as KiwiBerries.

We can boast many firsts...one of which was marketing hardy kiwi under the name "KiwiBerries" in 1998.  We also developed the Passion Popper, our popular variety that normally sells out even before the crop is picked.

2001 was a real odyssey for us:

We erected our farm building, and purchased our first of two pack lines.

We marketed four “branded” KiwiBerries varieties.

Conducted a SARE Grant titled "Hardy Kiwi Pollination & Production" testing various pollination methods.  As much as we have tested females, we have also tested male varieties.

We made the decision to become certified organic. We transcended into organic certification, without the three year transitional period, as we had been utilizing like management methods from the beginning.

In 2003, we added a walk-in cooler to refine post harvest fruit management.

In 2006, we added another three arbors over six acres. There are now 20 acres under trellis and dedicated to hardy kiwi. Passion Poppers were planted in the new arbors, and in the original test trial arbor that we transitioned into a commercial production block.

We also added a wind machine to protect our vines against spring frost.

In 2007, we reduced the number of cultivars that we package for the fresh fruit market to two.  These are our Passion Poppers, and the Aloha Annas. 

We have maintained a few vines of various cultivars, which we did not select as commercial varieties, for germplasm material.

We currently maintain two juvenile rows that will hold 400 plus vines for test trials, and breeding evaluation.

Breeding and trials are an ongoing endeavor.  We continue to establish the next generations “best of the best”...perhaps a variety that rivals the Passion Popper.  Presently we are testing three new hybrids.  The "Quest for the Best" continues...