Our customers are our family – Eva
1- Tell us about Eva . Where do you live, occupation, family etc ?
Thanks, Willie. I grew up in Ontario but now live out west in Alberta. I am a teacher/intervention therapist at a private literacy (and math) clinic in Edmonton. My four children grew up here, and I have two grandsons, 11 and 8.
2- Everyone has a health journey. My ongoing health journey is to lose a few pounds. That’s right, I am a chubby wild blueberry farmer. Tell us about your health journey.
Health journeys are important. My health journey is to eat clean, avoid additives and added sugar, and work out almost daily to stay in good condition to “do life.” I’m constantly trying to lose weight, which comes back whenever I’m overworked or stressed, so I’m a WIP, haha.
3- Small family farms were once the backbone of civilization, but now, they are disappearing at an astonishing rate. How do you support family farms ?
When I find out about a family farm, I buy from them. Their food is always fresher, better quality, and not tampered with. I want them to survive. If we want health for ourselves, the soil, and the planet, we must support family farms. It’s about quality of life. Besides, you often get to meet the owners, and they’re always kind and have great stories to tell.
4- Ella’s Forest specializes in organic wild blueberries, which we sell fresh, frozen and of course in powder form ( Wowder). What is your favorite way to eat wild blueberries.
I eat blueberries any way I can get them! A bowl of blueberries a day (or more) keeps the doctor away. And they are a low glycemic fruit, as well. Fresh organic blueberries with unsweetened skyr or Greek yogurt topped with Wowder are a delicacy!
5- My favorite way to use Wowder is in a cheesecake. (hence chubby farmer) What is your favorite way to use organic wild blueberry powder?
Well, I have to say cheesecake is hard to turn down. My favourite way to eat Wowder is sprinkled on skyr or Greek yogurt. And it never hurts to taste a bit of Wowder on its own!
6-Even though we firmly believe the future of farming may be a blend of organic and conventional practices, we still make a great effort to produce a certified organic product. Are organically grown products important to your diet ?
Yes, organically grown products are very important to me, so if a family farm offers this choice, I buy those products preferentially.
7-Medical Medium touts wild blueberries as having the highest portion of antioxidants on the planet. Do you believe they are a nutritional powerhouse?
I’m sure they are! It’s a good thing I love blueberries so much.
8- Due to our disdain for large corporations, we are considering delisting our products from Amazon and moving our tea and powder into a subscription format from our website. What do you think of this idea and would you use it ?
I buy the Wowder whenever I can (and sometimes tea), and when I do, it’s through the Ella’s Forest website, not Amazon. It might be nice to have different subscription types, with one option being every three months and another more often.
9- Our first book Mother Nature’s Plan was recently released. Have you read it ?
Oh yes, I certainly have! It was delightful and at times humorous, with a great message that was delivered through the personal experiences of the characters. I live far away from Ella’s Forest family farm, but I felt like I was there.
10- Thank you for answering the above questions. Please share with us your favorite Wowder smoothie recipe and pictures if you can.
Favourite Wowder smoothie (approximately 24 oz.):
– Unsweetened almond milk (adjust amount as needed for consistency)
– Fresh organic baby spinach
– A couple blobs of plain, unsweetened Skyr (Siggi’s Icelandic yogurt, additive free)
– 1/4 to 1/2 organic avocado
– One mandarin, peeled
– 1/2 organic banana
– A few strawberries, raspberries, mango cubes, pineapple, or apple pieces if you have them
– Fresh or frozen organic Canadian blueberries (I use frozen blueberries as the ice when I don’t have fresh)
– Good quality vanilla protein powder, low carb
– Wowder powder
– Optional: chia seeds
– Ice if you didn’t use frozen fruit
