We are American Heartland Elderberry Collaborative

Farmers Mickey Gallagher—known as the “Johnny Elderberry Seed” of KC Farmyard—and Bevin Brooks of LionBerry Regenerative serve as co-chairs of the American Heartland Elderberry Collaborative.

Together, they’ve been touring AgriCluster member farms across the region, working to cultivate and expand American elderberry production.

This week, they visited with Jeremy Fyler of Fyler Farms, helping launch his elderberry orchard. Jeremy, who operates a flour mill and is building an impressive fruit orchard, received 500 elderberry cuttings sourced from fellow AgriCluster member Michael Hursey of Casa Somerset.

The newly formed American Heartland Elderberry AgriCluster continued its tour with visits to fellow members including Colonial Gardens, KC Good Oak LLC, and Powell Gardens—sharing knowledge around elderberry’s role in regenerative agriculture and its ability to restore marginal soils.

Mickey Gallagher also serves as the in-house farmer at Casa Somerset’s elderberry orchard while operating KC Farmyard, known for specialty crops like ginger.

Later that evening, members crossed back into Kansas to attend a lecture on agritourism at Gieringer’s Family Orchard & Berry Farm. There, AgriCluster members—including Lori Trojan of Wild Ivy Herb Farm, Siri and Robert Leonard, and new member Tom Buller of Kansas Rural Center—gathered to discuss soil health, specialty crops, and opportunities for regional agriculture.