Small Berry, Big Heart: Viroqua Aronia in The Heart Beet

Our little purple berries have made the pages of The Heart Beet, and we couldn’t be more delighted!

The January–February 2026 issue of the Viroqua Food Co+op’s magazine features a two-page conversation with Viroqua Aronia. It’s a peek at the people, care, and local roots behind every bottle.

A hometown story, from the ground up

The feature introduces the team behind Viroqua Aronia: multi-generational Viroqua farmer Craig Solverson, Viroqua native and emergency physician Dr. Tony Macaset, co-founder and production and operations teammate Jody Kliscz, and brand and creative teammate Carrie Branovan.

Different talents, one shared purpose: building something meaningful around a remarkable little berry, right here in Viroqua.

A whole lot of care in a little berry

In the interview, we share why Craig chose aronia as a perennial crop for his family’s land, and the patience and hands-on attention that go into growing it. From caring for the plants to navigating the natural rhythms of each harvest, there’s much more to the story than picking berries!

We also talk about keeping our juice simple: no added sweeteners, preservatives, or fillers. Just pure aronia juice, straight from the source.

Rooted here. Growing together.

One of our favorite parts of the conversation looks ahead: our vision for a regional network of family farms growing aronia together, anchored by a Viroqua-grown brand. For us, growing a business is also about growing connections to the land, to neighboring farmers, and to the people who bring our berries home.

A heartfelt thank-you to the Viroqua Food Co+op for sharing our story, and to everyone who supports local food. You’re a berry big part of what makes this possible.

Read our feature in The Heart Beet, on pages 4–5 of the January–February 2026 issue.

Small berry. Deep roots. A whole lot of heart.