HARTSBURG, Mo. (June 26, 2012)—Some farmers in the Midwest are hoping to into consumer demand for natural remedies and local food by cultivating the elderberry, which is more commonly found in roadside ditches than on supermarket shelves

Most elderberries used now in foods and herbal remedies come from Europe, but there's a push to grow more of them in the United States.

More than 150 prospective growers from eight states recently attended a workshop sponsored by the University of Missouri's Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center.

Another center at the university is one of five U.S. labs receiving a total of $37.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to explore possible medical benefits of elderberries, wild yams and other herbal