If you love local berries you will love saskatoon berries, grown in the Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers of Watauga County Educational Garden. N.C. Cooperative Extension of Watauga County invites the public to come by for a tasting of these delicious berries on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, from noon–2 p.m. The tasting will be held at the High-Country Food Hub’s pickup location: 252 Poplar Grove Rd, Boone, NC 28607.  These berries have a sweet taste with slightly nutty notes. Saskatoon shrubs are native to North America and have the ability to reach up to 16 ft in height. N.C. Cooperative Extension of Watauga County has successfully grown saskatoon berries in their educational garden to test their viability in the area. Saskatoon berries have an earlier season than other local berries such as blueberries and blackberries, making them ideal for lengthening harvest. N.C. Cooperative Extension of Watauga County will sell saskatoon plants next year as part of their annual fruit plant sale. For more information on saskatoon berries we recommend visiting the Saskatoon Berry Institute website.