The Business of Blueberries (U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council)

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Mollie Van Lieu, vice president of nutrition and health at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). Her work centers on increasing access and consumption of fruits and vegetables, and improving overall dietary quality through effective public policy. Van Lieu and Cronquist take a look at the current state of nutrition and health in the United States, and discuss the upcoming White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health. 

 “Our nutrition challenges have changed dramatically in the last 50 years, with more than three-quarters of the country overweight or obese. We applaud the White House for recognizing the importance and urgency of addressing dietary quality, especially as the consequences of nutritional insecurity are so far reaching. The fresh produce industry has long advocated for increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, but success will require a bold and coordinated strategy and public-private partnership. We look forward to bringing the industry’s expertise and insights to this process as it moves forward.” - Mollie Van Lieu

“We would like to see a dedicated fruit and vegetable benefit in the SNAP program, the way you see in WIC. … We'd be happy to grow more product, but we need people to buy it and to eat it... Everybody knows fruits and vegetables are good for you, but kind of telling our overall story and really showcasing the need for some additional demand creation from the go.” - Mollie Van Lieu

Topics covered include: 

• Van Lieu’s role with IFPA. 
•  An overview of current health and nutritional concerns in the U.S., and the topics and issues that will be covered at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
• The role producers and industry stakeholders can play in gaining support through government guidelines, and programs that drive demand creation.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Rex Schultz in Michigan, Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Doug Krahmer in Oregon and Bryan Sakuma in Washington. This was recorded on July 27, 2022.

Blueberry Boost

Discover the latest data on the blueberry market! USHBC/NABC Director of Business Intelligence Joe Vargas shares the most recent Nielson data on blueberry volumes. And for more category insights, visit the data and insights center on the USHBC website. 

In 1980, Mark Hurst purchased a modest farm with 3.5 acres of raspberries, loganberries and boysenberries in Sheridan, Oregon. Since planting his first blueberries in 1982, Hurst’s company has grown exponentially, becoming a leading fresh berry shipper worldwide from farms in Oregon, California, Chile, Canada, Washington and Mexico. In this episode, we have a conversation with Hurst about where the blueberry industry has been and where it’s going. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Mark Hurst of Hurst’s Berry Farm and HBF International. 

“I think we’ve got to really make sure that is our focus: that we are unified as an industry.” - Mark Hurst

HBF International was started in 2011 to mark the growth of Hurst’s Berry Farm into a renowned brand. Today, Hurst splits his time between his farm and the day-to-day operation of HBF International. HBF is trusted across the globe as a year-round source for fresh berries.

This episode features a conversation with Hurst about his decades of experience in the blueberry industry. Topics include: 

• The Hurst family’s modest beginnings.
• Benefits of being in the blueberry industry.
• Establishing USHBC and how it grew the category.
• Maintaining growth in the blueberry industry. 
• Changes in blueberry genetics.
• What it will take to launch the next blue wave.

Crop Report - September 16, 2020 

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Jason Smith in British Columbia, Rex Schultz in Michigan, Doug Krahmer in Oregon and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on September 16, 2020. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Amanda Griffin, vice president of education and engagement, and Shelly Hartmann, chair of the USHBC and owner of True Blue Farms. They sit down to discuss the changes to the USHBC committee process, and why they think the new process will make participating in USHBC more accessible to all who would like to get involved. 

“We need to focus on engagement opportunities and how to get people involved when they ask those questions. … So I think it's a great process as we move forward into the new year and get ready to decide the next step for aligning the right people with the committee structures that we have in place.” - Shelly Hartmann

“To be able to indicate your passion and where you would like to serve … it's sort of like a database of volunteers for service throughout the year.” -  Amanda Griffin

Topics covered include: 

• A review of the new process for applying to serve on USHBC committees and task forces.
• An explanation of the changes, objectives and possibilities this new process provides to the blueberry industry. 
• Where to view the application and complete it by the Dec. 30 deadline.
• The ability to email info@nabcblues.org with any questions about the new volunteer process.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru and Nestor Vega in Mexico. This was recorded on December 14, 2022.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and co-host Alicia Adler, USHBC and NABC vice president of global business development, are joined by Kelly Ewen, partner at Rose Research. Adler and Cronquist bring Ewen on to discuss the overall intention and findings of the recent USHBC-funded global consumer research study.

“Consumption is extremely strong and high [in Southeast Asia]. They’re familiar with blueberries, they eat them often, they buy them often, when they run out of blueberries they make a special trip the store to buy more ... that is different than what we see with a lot of other commodities we work with.” - Kelly Ewen

“Country of origin is important when purchasing blueberries in general and rolling into that, the U.S. itself has a favorable perception in all of these countries.” - Kelly Ewen

Topics covered include:

• The methods used to determine the study questions. 
• Current perception of blueberries in Southeast Asia.
• Results of the study, and what Southeast Asian markets have in common.
• The favorable perception of U.S. blueberries in global markets.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru and, making his debut on the USHBC Crop Report, Federico Bayá from Argentina. This was recorded on October 6, 2021.

Marketing Boost

November is American Diabetes Month and it’s the perfect time to promote the health benefits of blueberries! In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks details how USHBC is helping marketers promote the month with the American Diabetes Month toolkit.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Josh Miers-Jones and James French of TOMRA. Miers-Jones is the global category director for blueberries at TOMRA, and French is the company’s head of innovation. Together, they discuss the latest technology, their approach to innovation, and the role of data and artificial intelligence in the future of blueberries.

“You have to be able to pay attention to each individual berry to maximize the value of what you're looking at because you can have one bad berry in that package and that might spoil that experience for the consumer.” James French

“Where can you be more efficient? Where can you save labor? Where can you maybe unlock other ways of doing business that you haven't in the past? Can you enable machine harvest for fresh by doing things a particular way and look for those really value-add type transformations in business by using technology in the right way?” - Josh Miers-Jones

Topics covered include: 

• An overview of TOMRA’s business and what led them to blueberries.
• The important role data can play in personalizing the blueberry experience for individual consumers. 
• How advancements in artificial intelligence technology can unlock new value opportunities for the blueberry industry. 
• The new technology TOMRA plans to showcase at The Blueberry Convention in February. 

We look forward to seeing you at The Blueberry Convention in San Diego Feb. 21-24!

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on January 6, 2023. 

Ridley Bell, a familiar name to many in the blueberry industry, is a pioneering grower in Australia. Bell expanded commercial blueberry production in Australia several years ago, and his research helped develop blueberry genetics that are now used around the world. On this episode, we pick Bell’s brain about blueberries in Australia and the blueberry industry in general. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Ridley Bell, owner of Mountain Blue Orchards in New South Wales, Australia, and a blueberry genetics pioneer. 

“Don’t ever get away from the humanness [of blueberries] … at the end of the day, it’s going to be the kids saying to mom. ‘Mom, have you got the pint of blueberries?’ That’s where the growth is going to be.” - Ridley Bell

“People are more and more aware these days of their health … [health] is the message that the [blueberry industry] should keep selling.” - Ridley Bell

Topics covered include: 

• Bell’s background and the history of Mountain Blue Orchards. 
• How Bell selected seedlings that were ideal for the Australian growing climate. 
• Improving global blueberry genetics, and what consumers are looking for in blueberries.
• Where does the industry go from here? 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Mario Ramírez in Mexico, Bill Steed in California, and Eric Stafne in Mississippi. This was recorded on May 12, 2021.

Marketing Boost

On this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses how QR codes can help marketers quickly and easily share information with consumers across all marketing channels. Go to USHBC.org/QRcodes for more information. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Alvaro Luque, president and CEO of Avocados From Mexico. Luque brings over 30 years of experience in the marketing field to his role with avocados. His strategic vision has not only propelled Avocados From Mexico to its current status as a globally recognized brand, but has also made it a beacon of environmental responsibility in the agricultural industry. He’s renowned for spotlighting the famous jingle “Avocados From Mexico” in the 49th Super Bowl Commercial in 2015. 

“It takes money to make money … . We use a good part of our dollars to create promotions and create that acceleration of the market that we need, but we are also sure to create the value and this brand story and the emotions around it so consumers can feel confident paying whatever price they need to pay to get our category and our brand. And the only way of doing that is by doing good marketing and by keeping good quality in our product.” – Alvaro Luque

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Alvaro Luque, president and CEO of Avocados From Mexico.
• A look at the goals and successes of the “Avocados from Mexico” campaign.
• The strategy and journey Luque explored while building the avocado market globally.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Jason Smith in British Columbia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on July 25, 2024.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), shares some highlights from the flavor panel at Spring Forward, which featured Patricio Munoz, Ph.D., blueberry breeder at the University of Florida, and Gonzalo de Elizalde, senior director of product leadership at Driscoll’s.

Topics include:

●     The evolution of blueberries and what led to the focus on flavor.

●     Current blueberry market dynamics between price and flavor.

●     Why shifting toward a focus on flavor isn’t straightforward.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Brandon Wade in Georgia, Mario Ramírez in Mexico, and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 30, 2022.

Marketing Boost

Spring is here and peak season is around the corner (or already here) for growers in North America! On this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks explains why peak season is the best time to give consumers an experience, like inviting them to the farm or sharing photos and videos of fresh blueberries on social media.

Agronometrics is a platform that provides market performance analysis for the fresh produce industry. The firm helps clients make informed, data-driven decisions and identify marketing opportunities by leveraging data and analytics. Founder and CEO Colin Fain began his company “to help people not feel helpless” when studying data trends, and to offer a great tool for easier analysis and decision-making. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), reports from Guadalajara, Mexico, where he was attending the annual meeting for Mexico’s berry trade association, the Aneberries Congress. While there, Fain shared how data is helping to grow the blueberry industry, provided insight into his event remarks and explained where he sees the blueberry category going in the future.

“The place to start off with building any kind of data system is looking at the value that you want to drive with said data system. … As an industry starts to grow, uncertainty becomes a more and more expensive thing to deal with. Supply shocks, overstocking and not having enough inventory to move through the system becomes harder and harder to manage, and really a cost at the end of the day to the entire industry. So where you're able to consolidate the information from all the different players involved and reduce that level of uncertainty, that is a value added.” - Colin Fain

“From where I’m standing … there is still hunger for this growth. And I think there is a good organization and structure to improve upon these factors and drive the consumption of blueberries.That's going to increase demand … so I'm incredibly optimistic for blueberries.” - Colin Fain 

Topics covered include:

• Fain’s background in market analysis and the value of Agronometrics for the produce industry.
• The development of the Mexican blueberry industry and its effects on the American market.
• The benefits and insights in the new report Agronometrics is creating, and how it can help blueberry producers make critical decisions.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Rex Schultz in Michigan, Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, and Jason Smith in British Columbia. This was recorded on August 11, 2021. 

Fall Event Registration

Have you registered yet for Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings? The action takes place at The Grand Hotel in Salem, Oregon, September 27-October 1, with a virtual attendance option also available. Register today at blueberryevents.org.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by co-CEOs Cort Brazelton and Oscar Verges of Fall Creek Nursery. They discuss the origin of the Fall Creek, the current state of blueberry genetics, their Sekoya platform and their support of the USHBC’s leadership development program.

“We're a big believer that best genetics don't come from one place. They come from lots of places. And then on the genetic side, we're also a breeding organization and bring those products to market as well. So we're a nursery, we're a breeding company and we serve growers.” - Cort Brazelton

“Blueberries are moving up a notch or a magnitude when it comes to the produce industry. … Blueberries are on everybody's radar, and we do have a tremendous opportunity in front of us to go in this virtuous circle of better blueberries that lead to not just trial, but also repeat and people staying in that category and growing it.” - Oscar Verges

 Topics covered include:

• How Fall Creek’s co-CEOs collaborate to promote Fall Creek, and where they see blueberry genetics heading.
• The unique opportunities provided by the Sekoya platform and what they offer members.
• The current state of the blueberry industry and the potential Fall Creek sees for the future.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 1, 2023.

Hello, all you blueberry enthusiasts! We will be back next month in July, just in time for National Blueberry Month. We have a jam-packed schedule full of guests from all different backgrounds. In the meantime, here is the latest crop report for you to listen to. We will be back again very soon!

Go, Blueberries!

Travel with us to the USHBC Spring Forward event in Tampa with “The Business of Blueberries” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC). In this episode, we hear highlights from the B2B Targets Panel with Adam Croissant of Chobani, Shane Schaibly of First Watch and moderator Amy Shipley of Sterling Rice Group (SRG). 

Topics include:

• The value of blueberries to food manufacturers and consumers.
• How the panelists are thinking about the health and flavor properties of blueberries.
• How the pandemic has affected Chobani and First Watch.
• What might impact the blueberry industry in the future.  

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Brandon Wade in Georgia and Ken Patterson in Florida. This was recorded on April 20, 2022.

Marketing Boost

Although it's only April, the USHBC promotions team has been working hard to develop a host of programs and activations to engage our consumer audience throughout the month of July. This includes planning a kickoff event for the media in New York City the last week of June to start national blueberry month off with a boost. We'll promote a 31-day challenge for consumers to grab a boost of blue, and post about their love for blueberries all throughout the month of July, which in turn helps raise funds to feed kids through our partnership with No Kid Hungry.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by North Carolina University Associate Professor Massimo Iorizzo, Ph.D. He was also featured in episode 31 where he helped introduce the Vaccinium Coordinated Ag Project (VacCAP). This program is a nationwide effort to address bottlenecks that limit the advancement of breeding programs in both blueberries and cranberries. He returns to give us an update on the program's progress in blueberry genetics. 

“We ran a survey nationwide … asking the question, what are the breeding priorities that you see need to be advanced? And we collected about 500 responses and the majority said food quality, quality in particular, shelf life, texture and flavor and taste. So that's why we are focusing on those characteristics for blueberries.” - Massimo Iorizzo, Ph.D. 

 Topics covered include: 

• An update on VacCAP, and what the future holds for blueberry genetics. 
• Producers’ priorities for future blueberry genetics. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Elise Oliver in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on May 10, 2023.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), shares the responses, comments and questions from industry stakeholders about the data platform provided by USHBC. Joe Vargas, director of business intelligence for the USHBC, joins Cronquist to share how we can develop this platform to help drive our category and ensure that blueberries continue to be recognized for the value they bring to every produce department.

“I think to sum it up in one word really, it's the future. You know data is the lifeblood of every organization. It's kind of at the top of a lot of people's minds and the tip of the tongue in a lot of these industries. And I think with the project that we've got going on, we're trying to fill those gaps.” - Joe Vargas

“The value that comes from eliminating those blind spots in business, those are gonna be what bring home the margins. Those are gonna be what keeps businesses operating. And that's what we have to focus on, is to make sure we can bring in the data to make sure that we avoid some of the other destinations that we've seen some other commodities roll into. And I think that blueberries have a fantastic trajectory, but we just need to make sure that we understand what that trajectory is going to look like and what the future holds.” - Joe Vargas

Topics covered include:

• Review of the data program USHBC is launching, and a description of the benefits it will offer industry stakeholders.
• Feedback and questions about the program from participants at The Blueberry Summit.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today, you’ll hear from Nestor Vega in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on November 30, 2022.

Jill Scofield recently joined the NABC and USHBC as the director of communications and industry relations. In this newly created role, Jill is responsible for planning, directing and overseeing USHBC and NABC industry communications programs involving growers, marketers, exporters, importers, distributors and other stakeholders. In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” we sit down with Jill to chat about all things industry relations. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Jill Scofield, director of communications and industry relations for USHBC and NABC. 

“I’m really excited to not just bring my experience to the table, but that passion for working on the behalf of agriculture. Again, [blueberries] may be a different commodity, but men and women are still working really hard to produce a really nutritious product and one I wholeheartedly believe in. ” - Jill Scofield

“Having that opportunity to both represent the industry in that consumer-facing message and continuing to boost and grow that consumer demand for a product that just continues to increase in quality and consistency.” - Jill Scofield

Topics covered include: 

• Jill’s experience in the beef industry and how it relates to blueberries. 
• Engaging both the USHBC and NABC sides of blueberries. 
• Historical context of the industry relations aspect of USHBC. 
• Moving forward with a hybrid of in-person and digital communication methods. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Bill Steed in California, and Ken Patterson in Florida. This was recorded on April 14, 2021.

Marketing Boost

USHBC’s new strategic positioning and call-to-action, Grab a Boost of Blue, taps into consumers’ passion for blueberries and motivates them to enjoy more of the fruit they love. On this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses one of the consumer touch points for the 2021 Grab a Boost of Blue campaign: YouTube advertisements. To watch the new Grab a Boost of Blue YouTube advertisements, visit ushbc.org/BoostAds. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Leslie Wada, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition and health research at USHBC/NABC, and Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D., chair in nutrition and preventive medicine and director for interdisciplinary research at the Institute for Global Food Security.

Last month, the USHBC hosted a Blueberry Research Roundtable in Washington, D.C., where a group of experts discussed topics related to the five primary health research pillars: brain health, cardiovascular health, gut health, diabetes and prediabetes, and healthy living.

“The idea was: Could we bring some of these experts together in one room, talk about what we know about blueberries and health, and what do we need to know? Where are we going to go in our pipeline of research that we'll be continually funding in the next five years or more? And who better to discuss this than people who have been doing research in blueberries or are excited about starting some research in blueberries?” - Leslie Wada, Ph.D.

“The quality of data that we have now is so much better than we had even five years ago, particularly in relation to blueberries. And that's really thanks to the USHBC committee because they spent a lot of time thinking about what to fund and focusing on a few key areas. So that investment is really starting to pay off.” - Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D.

 Topics covered include:

• The work of the blueberry industry’s scientific advisory board.
• Highlights from the Blueberry Health Research Roundtable that took place in December.
• Details on the latest health and nutrition research on blueberries.
• Opportunities for future blueberry health research.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on February 8, 2023.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Shelly Hartmann, owner of True Blue Farms and USHBC chair, to discuss the results of the recent referendum vote and where the USHBC goes from here.

“We really need to encourage grower participation. This is a grower’s program. They need to be involved and they need to be up to speed on the strategic plan and the direction that this organization is going. ...I only see it getting better for growers and I’m so excited to be able to say that.” - Shelly Hartmann

Topics covered include:

• An overview of the referendum results and how they were tabulated. 
• A look at the blueberry industry’s next five years.
• How to get involved and keep the positive momentum going.  
• The importance of staying unified and respecting varying opinions in the industry. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on November 17, 2021.

Marketing Boost

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s important to express gratitude to your customers. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks talks about how expressing gratitude can build brand loyalty.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Luis Vegas, general manager of Proarándanos, the Peruvian Blueberry Growers and Exporters Association. They discuss the significant impacts of the El Niño phenomenon on Peru's blueberry production, the industry's strategic shift towards more resilient varieties and Proarándanos' role in promoting and supporting Peru's blueberry exports. The conversation also covers the potential of the Chinese market, logistical improvements and opportunities for global blueberry demand.

“We are seeing July, August and maybe some part of September with a volume similar to last year, so still this year we are expecting a late peak. And also (we are) very excited because in Peru right now we're going through a phase of a lot of switching varieties. So, we are seeing new varieties coming into commercial production and I think that's going to be exciting for the market.” – Luis Vegas

 Topics covered include: 

• The continued impacts of last year’s El Niño phenomenon on Perurvian blueberry production.
• A glimpse at the forecast for this season’s production in Peru.
• Efforts in Peru to build a more resilient blueberry industry that can continue to satisfy growing world demand.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Brody Schropp in Michigan, Alan Schreiber in Washington, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Jason Smith in British Columbia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on August 1, 2024.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the America’s, for a wide-ranging conversation about the blueberry industry. This episode is part two of a two-part interview. 

“Human beings are attracted to the best tasting fruits … so I think at this stage, the most important thing for the industry is to continue to push the consumer experience up. ” - Soren Bjorn

“A consumer that gets a really good experience with blueberries, there are no marketing dollars that can offset that … those are the best marketing dollars.” - Soren Bjorn

Topics covered include:

• Improving the sometimes “uneven” consumer experience of blueberries. 
• Importance of improving blueberry genetics and the places where blueberries might grow in the future. 
• The success of the Driscoll’s “Sweetest Batch” line, and how it creates an elevated experience for consumers. 
• How accuracy of blueberry data can help the whole industry. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Ken Patterson in Florida and Mario Ramírez in Mexico. This was recorded on March 9, 2022.

Marketing Boost

Last week in Tampa, attendees who visited the Wish Farms packing center saw the Wish Farms logo right alongside USHBC’s Grab a Boost of Blue logo. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses strategic positioning, Grab a Boost of Blue, and how to use it.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), welcomes back Cort Brazelton of Fall Creek Farms and Nursery. The conversation covers key developments in global blueberry production, especially in Peru, and discusses the role of new genetics in addressing growers’ challenges. Cronquist and Brazelton also share their perspectives on what’s ahead for blueberry production, the potential of automation in harvesting, and the importance of industry collaboration to drive consumer demand and category segmentation. 

“The next phase for our industry is category segmentation, and my hope is that we can do a better job in service of our customers in empowering that. We hope that everyone does that. We would love to see our competitors do that. We have an opportunity to make the pie bigger.” – Cort Brazelton

 Topics covered include: 

• Important developments in global blueberry production, particularly in Peru.
• The role of new genetics in addressing the needs of growers and consumers.
• What’s ahead for blueberry production, and the importance of industry collaboration to drive consumer demand.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from TJ Hafner in Oregon. This was recorded on August 8, 2024.

There’s no question that when consumers wanted to fill their freezers during the pandemic, many of them bought frozen blueberries. While this was great to see, we had to wonder: What does it mean for frozen blueberry markets and supply chains going forward? 

In today’s episode, host Kasey Cronquist, USHBC/NABC president, sits down with John Shelford, a consultant to the industry and strategic adviser to Naturipe Value Added Foods, and Kimberlee Chambers, director of business development and sustainability at RainSweet. 

“We’ve had an 8% annual growth rate on average for the frozen pack.” - John Shelford

“We can’t do what we did five years ago … we have to always be innovating and looking forward, and be willing to work together to offer new products to new markets.” - Kimberlee Chambers

Topics covered include: 

• Background on the frozen blueberry industry.
• The importance of food safety in frozen blueberries.
• How the events of 2020 have impacted consumer demand for frozen blueberries.
• Trends in cold storage and how it affects frozen blueberry markets.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, and Juan Soria Morales in Mexico. This was recorded on Dec. 2, 2020. 

Marketing Boost - Blueberries for the Holidays

Holiday festivities will look different this year, but people will still be seeking fun and interesting ways to create a warm, cozy, connected feel to the holiday season. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses how to get blueberries onto consumers’ holiday shopping lists! 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Bruce Summers, administrator for the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). In this role, Summers works on policy issues and oversight of a variety of programs, including grading of commodities, the USDA Market News Service and the National Organic Program. Prior to being named the administrator, Summer served in the AMS’ Fruit & Vegetable Program.   

“It's been a really rewarding career and, you know, working with people in the produce industry, they're kind of special. They're kind of unique. It's something about that perishable product that has to move very quickly to get to the market. And it just makes it different and exciting and dynamic.” - Bruce Summers

Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Summers, and a discussion on his background and current role with the AMS.
• An exploration of the benefits the AMS provides for producers. 
• A discussion of the protective properties and benefits the PACA trust provides for producers.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Alan Schreiber in Washington, Jason Smith in British Columbia, Brody Shropp in Michigan, Elise Oliver in California, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Jody McPherson in North Carolina and Matt Macrie in New Jersey. This was recorded on July 5, 2023. 

With nearly forty years of experience in agriculture, Tom Avinelis is one of the foremost experts on sustainable and organic agriculture at scale in the United States. Today, we sit down with Tom and pick his brain on growing two successful companies and leading the blueberry industry in sustainable innovation.

“Our working together is what will make us all prosperous in the long term. Togetherness needs to be our focus. ” - Tom Avinelis

Host Kasey Cronquist (president of USHBC and NABC) is joined by Tom Avinelis (Founder and Managing Partner at Agriculture Capital).

With each passing year, consumers care more about where and how their food is sourced. Tom is a leader in bringing sustainable products to the marketplace and is one of the most insightful marketing minds in the blueberry industry.

Tom is a Founder and Managing Partner at Agriculture Capital, an investment fund that invests in permanent cropland and midstream assets to create customer-driven, appropriately scaled, vertically integrated, regenerative farming enterprises to grow, pack and market high-value produce.

Prior to Agriculture Capital, Tom harnessed his expertise in table grapes, blueberries and citrus to grow a world-class marketing enterprise, HomeGrown Farms, into one of the largest organic produce marketing firms in California.

This episode features a conversation with Tom and his experience in the blueberry industry. Topics include:

● Importance of culture across the supply chain

● Tom’s journey to the blueberry industry

● Transparency in the marketplace

● Expectations for the Virtual Conference & Expo

● Challenges of COVID-19

Crop Report - August 12, 2020

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. Today, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, Jason Smith in British Columbia, Denny Doyle in New Jersey and Rex Schultz in Michigan. This report was recorded on August 12, 2020.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Amanda Griffin, our VP of Industry Engagement and Education and Dr. Jennifer McEntire, founder of Food Safety Strategies.  Amanda is leading our BerrySmart platform and helping us better address and provide leadership and resources for issues like food safety within our industry. In her more than 20 years in the industry, McEntire has become one of the most highly respected leaders in food safety, providing insights and guidance to member companies, regulatory partners and policy makers.

“The best thing I think we can do is teach people how to think about food safety risks, how to have an awareness and be able to make informed decisions when environments do change, when things are changing, and at least have that ability to ask the question, is this changing my food safety risk profile? To at least keep food safety part of the conversation and not allow for complacency. ” - Dr. Jennifer McEntire

 Topics covered include: 

• Join Amanda Griffin, our VP of Industry Engagement and Education and Dr. Jennifer McEntire, founder of Food Safety Strategies
• Explore food safety resources available to blueberry stakeholders 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru, T.J. Hafner in Oregon, Jason Smith in British Columbia and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on August 23, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Brandon Casteel, SPINS vice president of channel and retail partnerships, and Joe Vargas, USHBC/NABC director of business intelligence. Last year's attitudes and usage study found that growers and retailers could benefit from more detailed blueberry sales information. This led USHBC to make the strategic decision to switch from Nielson to SPINS data. With the new SPINS contract, USHBC gets an improved understanding of blueberry sales performance in grocery retail relative to other produce items by pack-size, by brand and measured by household buying rate and volume. 

“SPINS is a syndicated data provider. That's kind of fancy words for saying we track what is selling across hundreds of thousands of grocery stores all over the United States. … And then once we get that data, we're not done there, we add literally thousands of attributes on top of that information so that everyone can get smarter about what's on shelf, not just the retailers, but also the manufacturers, and then really everybody in the ecosystem.” - Brandon Casteel

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Casteel and Vargas.
• A discussion of the value SPINS offers blueberry producers.
• An explanation of the added insights SPINS provides and details on how blueberry stakeholders can access the data. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Jason Smith in British Columbia, Pat Goin in Indiana, Broady Schropp in Michigan, TJ Hafner in Oregon, and Alan Schreiber in Washington. This was recorded on August 9, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), recaps the genetics panel that recently took place as a part of Innovate 2021. Cronquist takes you through an audio version of the panel that highlights technology and how it informs the consumer experience with blueberries.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:

• Ridley Bell, owner of Mountain Blue Orchards in New South Wales, Australia, and a blueberry genetics pioneer.
• Patricio Munoz, assistant professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida.
• Adam Wagner, breeding manager at Oregon Blueberry Farms and Nursery.
• Paul Sandefur, breeding manager at Fall Creek Farm & Nursery. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru and Federico Bayá from Argentina. This was recorded on October 28, 2021.

Marketing Boost

Storytelling is critical in effectively marketing a product, service or company. It’s no longer about simply selling. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks details the importance of storytelling and how it can be used in your marketing plans.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Daniel Bustamante, president of Proarándanos and chief commercial officer at Agricola Cerro Prieto S.A. (ACP); Luis Vegas, general manager at Proarándanos; and Ryan Lockman, vice president of sales and procurement at North Bay Produce, to talk about the start of the Peruvian blueberry season and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for growth in the country. 

“The growth that the Preruivan industry has experienced is very impressive … this growth started, basically, with the traditional varieties, and now it’s changing toward new genetics that make better [export] arrivals and that are more suitable for whatever the market is demanding.” - Daniel Bustamante

“There are many different options in the produce aisle these days … to be relevant, we have to be [in grocery stores] 52 weeks a year with supply, price and product.” - Ryan Lockman

Topics covered include: 

• The backgrounds of Bustamante, Vegas and Lockman, and what they do for ACP, Proarándanos and North Bay Produce, respectively. 
• The rapid growth of the blueberry industry in Peru, the arrival of better genetics and potential challenges of continued growth. 
• Comparisons between the avocado industry and blueberry industry.
• The importance of having a year-round crop and creating habitual customers. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Jason Smith in British Columbia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on September 15, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

The foodservice sector is critical to promoting blueberry consumption. In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks talks about how getting blueberries on restaurant menus drives volume and so much more!  

Fall Event Registration

There’s still time to register to attend Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings, Sept. 27-Oct.1, virtually! The virtual attendance option includes the Tech Symposium, Tech Tours and a host of USHBC committee meetings. While the event is at capacity for in-person attendance, interested stakeholders can register to participate virtually via a la carte pricing, listed here.

While any blueberry grower knows orchards aren’t synonymous with blueberries, there are key similarities between fruit grown in orchards and highbush blueberries. With that in mind, the innovations happening in orchards can potentially have implications for blueberry cultivation. Today, we talk to two experts about the Pacific Northwest collaborative “Smart Orchard” project and how it can be applied to blueberry production. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and Rod Cook, industry veteran and the chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, are joined by Steve Mantle, founder and CEO of innov8.ag, and Ines Hanrahan, Ph.D., executive director at the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission. 

“[Growers] need more data, we think, to help better inform how to really start producing at the most potential down the road.” - Steve Mantle

“This is the easiest way to improve your product and to establish yourself in the market … ultimately, the goal is to create and maintain sustainable businesses for our stakeholders. ” - Ines Hanrahan, Ph.D.

Topics covered include: 

• Backgrounds of Mantle, Hanrahan, innov8.ag and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission.
• How the Smart Orchard project came together in conjunction with the commission.
• Types of data being collected and how it’s being applied in the field.
• Creating a dashboard and sharing data that fosters a collaborative industry environment. 

Read more about the Smart Orchard project here. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Bill Steed in California, and Ken Patterson in Florida. This was recorded on April 21, 2021.

Marketing Boost

Creative promotion is what turns blueberry awareness into a blueberry purchase and eventually a blueberry passion, which turns consumers into blueberry enthusiasts. On this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC vice president of marketing and communications Jennifer Sparks discusses how blueberry-specific days can help create enthusiasts. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), shares a few highlights from the first 100 episodes of the podcast. These sound bites emphasize the importance of unity and collaboration to delight blueberry customers and consumers every single time. You’ll hear from industry leaders Denny Doyle, Shelly Hartmann and Tom Avinelis. 

“If you do nothing at all, that’s worse than doing something wrong. So (USHBC) really started with (us going out to) promote in traditional ways, and then - BANG - the health research started to hover and we embraced that.” - Denny Doyle

“I think we really need to encourage grower participation. This is the growers’ program. They need to be involved and they need to be up to speed on the strategic plan and the direction that this organization is going. …I only see it getting better for growers and I’m so excited to be able to say that.” - Shelly Hartmann

“We need to recognize what we, as farmers, what we’re nourishing and what we’re growing and what we’re so proud of is quality blueberries that are going to have to delight our customers consistently to be successful.” - Tom Avinelis

Topics covered include: 

• The history behind the formation of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.
• A vision for what’s ahead for the blueberry industry.
• What it takes to delight customers and consumers every time they experience blueberries.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Brandon Wade in Georgia, Neil Moore in North Carolina, and Elizabeth Carranza in California. This was recorded on June 1, 2022.

Blueberry Boost

What we’ve been calling the “Marketing Boost” has become the “Blueberry Boost!” This change reflects an expanded direction for this segment, which will still include marketing information, with the addition of industry-related updates and resources. For the first Blueberry Boost, Amanda Griffin, USHBC vice president of engagement and education, shares details on The Blueberry Summit, Oct. 5-7 in Nashville. Learn more at register here!  

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and co-host Alicia Adler, USHBC and NABC vice president of global business development, are joined by Mario Flores, director of product management for blueberries at Naturipe Farms, and Matt Lantz, vice president for global access at Bryant Christie, to discuss how the blueberry industry navigates the regulatory environment when marketing blueberries internationally.

“In the last year-and-a-half, we have been able to open the Vietnam market for U.S. blueberries, the Philippines market for U.S. blueberries, and the Chinese market for U.S. blueberries … that is a lightning pace for the type of work [Bryant Christie does].” - Matt Lantz

“[Export market development] is a very important part of our overall marketing plan for our growers’ blueberries because we’re trying to find the best value that we can return back to the farm. And whether that is domestic or international sales, we’re going to try to find the market that can bring the most value back to the growers.” - Mario Flores

Topics covered include: 

• Flores and Lantz’s backgrounds and their roles and experience at their companies.
• The importance of developing export markets for Naturipe. 
• Why different regions have different work plans and protocols for entering their market.
• Inside negotiations between governments. 
• Managing maximum residue limits (MRLs). 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on September 1, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

USHBC’s Fall & Winter Holidays Toolkit is now available for industry stakeholders! In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks talks about USHBC’s latest toolkit and how it can be useful for your marketing plan throughout the fall and winter holiday seasons.  

Fall Event Registration

While in-person attendance is at capacity, virtual registration is still available for Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings! You don’t want to miss the tech-focused learning, opportunities to network and critical information shared in the meetings. Register today at blueberryevents.org.

For this technology themed episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” we’re diving into a topic that sounds so futuristic, it could be straight from a science fiction movie. That topic is vertical farming. While the method and technology has mainly been used in growing leafy greens, vertical farming companies are partnering with berry production companies like Hortifrut to explore the viability for blueberries. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and Rod Cook, industry veteran and the chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, are joined by David Rosenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of AeroFarms for a riveting conversation about the potential for blueberries being grown in vertical farming operations.

“The idea is we could grow plants on the equator or the North Pole or anywhere in the world so anyone has access to fresh, great tasting produce, fruits and vegetables any time of the year.” - David Rosenberg

“I truly hope there are ways we can grow plants that are beneficial to the field farmers. We’ve done it before and I think we’ll do it again...there’s a lot of ways we can work together to solve problems and grow better plants for people. ” - David Rosenberg

Topics covered include: 

• The inception of AeroFarms and their success in farming leafy greens
• Viability of growing blueberries using AeroFarms’ vertical farming technology 
• AeroFarms and their collaboration with experts across agriculture

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria in Mexico, Elizabeth Carranza in California, and Eric Stafne in Mississippi. This was recorded on June 9, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

With July just around the corner, that can mean only one thing: National Blueberry Month! USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks gives a preview of the best month of the year and details how you can get involved. Please join our FREE WEBINAR on Tuesday, June 15 (12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET), to learn how you can leverage USHBC resources to engage your customers and drive blueberry demand throughout July. Click here to register. 

Reminder: Complete Our ‘Business of Blueberries’ Survey

Don’t forget to share your feedback with us! This brief survey is your chance to share what you like about the podcast, what we could do better and what topics you’d like us to explore further. Plus, by completing the survey, you’ll be entered to win a “Business of Blueberries” YETI tumbler!

Last week, growers Doug Krahmer and Mark Hurst visited USHBC headquarters. It was the first in-person meeting with USHBC staff in over a year. On this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” we sit down with Doug and Mark for a conversation about what took place during these productive meetings, and the overall status of USBHC. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Doug Krahmer, president of Berries Northwest in Oregon and a member of the NABC Finance Committee, and Mark Hurst, owner of Hurst Berry Farm in Oregon and a member of the USHBC Innovation & Technology Committee.

“Coming in, being able to see staff, see the open layout … better acquaint ourselves with the staff and their responsibilities … I think that is important for those of us who are members of these organizations.” - Mark Hurst

“Even though our industry has grown by leaps and bounds, our integrity is still there. We’re still hitting the high marks that we expect and it was great to see that. ” - Doug Krahmer

Topics covered include: 

• Recap of the day’s meetings and what it was like to meet in person again. 
• First impressions of the new USHBC offices in Folsom, California.
• Standout moments from meeting the USHBC staff. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Neil Moore in North Carolina, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Eric Stafne in Mississippi and Bill Steed in California. This was recorded on June 16, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

With National Blueberry Month just around the corner, it’s time to search for America’s Best Blueberry Pie Recipe! USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks explains the contest for consumers, which includes a grand prize of $10,000! To request FREE flyers and/or postcards to promote the contest at your operation, fill out this simple form and we’ll ship them to you at no cost. The blueberry pie contest is open now through July 12, so order your materials today. Digital versions are also available!

Reminder: Complete Our ‘Business of Blueberries’ Survey

This is the last week to share your feedback with us! This brief survey is your chance to share what you like about the podcast, what we could do better and what topics you’d like us to explore further. Plus, by completing the survey, you’ll be entered to win a “Business of Blueberries” YETI tumbler!

USHBC’s new strategic positioning and call-to-action, Grab a Boost of Blue, is focused on driving blueberry demand and increasing sales. Coupled with smart promotions throughout the year and designed to tap into consumers’ passion for blueberries, this message seeks to inspire and motivate them to enjoy more of the fruit they love, in more ways and more often. In this episode, we sit down with two blueberry marketing experts to talk through what Grab a Boost of Blue brings to the table. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Cindy Jewell, president of Jewell Marketing, and Jeff Malensky, president of Oregon Berry Packing and chair of the USHBC Promotions Committee. Malensky and Jewel join Cronquist for a discussion about all things related to Grab a Boost of Blue. 

To access Grab a Boost of Blue assets and more, and to see what else is coming, visit our Grab of Boost of Blue Industry Resources page. 

“I think what I’m excited about is the doors that [Grab a Boost of Blue] is going to open up for the industry … we have so many folks that are committed to moving the needle forward more, but we haven’t done it as a set effort.” - Jeff Malensky

“The interesting thing about [Grab a Boost of Blue] is it’s a conversation that everyone can have together … it’s an overlying message that everyone can benefit from.”  - Cindy Jewell

Topics covered include: 

• How Grab a Boost of Blue originated. 
• The ways Grab a Boost of Blue benefits each industry segment.
• Importance of collaboration within the blueberry industry.
• A preview of what’s ahead for Grab a Boost of Blue.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Andres Armstrong in Chile, and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on Jan. 27, 2021.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined again by Steve Mantle of Innov8 Ag and the BerrySmartProject. We previously heard from Mantle in episodes 44, 100 and 133. He joins us in this episode to share the latest details on the BerrySmart project, his insights on harvest automation and what the future holds for his work with blueberries.

“The focus really was to bring together the growers, the researchers and the tech providers to help with optimizing blueberry farming operations, with a focus on soils, nutrients, yield, distribution, weather, chemicals, nutrients and, all importantly, labor. … And, so, weaving that together is the journey.” - Steve Mantle

Topics covered include: 

• The latest and greatest on the BerrySmartProject and the benefits it’s providing to blueberry producers industrywide. 
• Advances in leaf sampling for evaluating the health, nutrients and mineral availability present in both new and old plant growth.
• Mantle’s insights on harvest innovations. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Elise Oliver in California, and Brody Schropp in Michigan. This was recorded on May 16, 2024. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Kevin Hamilton, vice president of global marketing for USHBC. Hamilton has over 20 years of marketing experience with a number of brands and commodities, and is bringing that expertise to the blueberry industry. In this episode, Hamilton and Cronquist discuss the current state of blueberry marketing promotion programs and the opportunities ahead to empower the industry to make blueberries the world’s favorite fruit. 

“ The notion of 'world's favorite fruit' … favorite is an adjective that is associated with a point of view; with an attitude inside a person's mind. We're not going to get there just trying to sell blueberries. We're not going to get to that notion of favorite fruit. We need to impact how people think about that fruit as they're buying it. Think about that fruit as they're consuming it, right? We need to merge that with the market side of things.” - Kevin Hamilton

Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Hamilton and his new role with USHBC. 
• What Hamilton brings to the blueberry industry based on his background in  consumer packaged goods (CPG), his role with Avocados from Mexico and other marketing roles. 
• The importance of data and understanding the consumer’s thought process in global marketing efforts.
• The barriers and opportunities ahead for growing the volume and value of blueberries globally.

As the blueberry industry can attest, health research has been vital to the growth of the global blueberry market. While we’ve touched on blueberry health research in past episodes, it’s time to do a deep dive to better understand the current and potential health research that has been so critical to increased demand for blueberries..

Host Kasey Cronquist, USHBC and NABC president, is joined by Eric Rimm, Sc.D., professor of epidemiology and nutrition, director of the program in cardiovascular epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Rimm also sits on the USHBC Health Research Committee science advisory board. 

“This study would not have been possible, not just for the packets, but this was actually funded by the USHBC.” - Eric Rimm, Sc.D.

“Blueberries can actually be there for swapping something out of breakfast, it can be a side for a lunch or a dinner, and it could be a replacement for dessert. Where you still get all of the satisfaction of (taking) out something, but you still get to put blueberries in.” - Eric Rimm, Sc.D. 

Topics covered include: 

• Results and methods of the latest clinical trial with blueberries.
• Difficulties of a large-scale study.
• The concept of healthy swaps.
• The difference between “fad” diets and the research USHBC funds. 
• The next frontier for blueberry health research. 

Crop Report - October 21, 2020 

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Jose Luis Bustamante in Mexico. This was recorded October 2020.

Heart health is integral to the blueberry marketing message. With Heart Health Month in full swing, we bring on two guests — one health researcher and one marketer — to tell the story of the heart-healthy properties of blueberries.

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Brian Klumpp, director of marketing and strategic development at North Bay Produce, and Leslie Wada, Ph.D.,health research administrator for USHBC. 

“Let’s not forget the basic nutritional benefits of blueberries, such as being a good source of dietary fiber, they’re low in sodium, essentially fat free, they’re a source of vitamins and minerals … and a cup only has about 85 calories. It’s qualities like these that help blueberries earn the ‘heart’ checkmark from the American Heart Association.”  - Leslie Wada, Ph.D.

“It’s easy to feel like you’re preaching to the choir - that we all know this stuff - but the fact is … it’s one thing to have the healthy crowd know it, but there’s the up-and-coming shoppers that are new to [healthy shopping]. And there’s also the crowd that we want to expand this marketplace to … those looking to change their lifestyle.” - Brian Klumpp

Topics covered include: 

• The function of the USHBC Health & Research Committee. 
• Cardiovascular studies conducted by USHBC. 
• The inherent nutritional value of blueberries.
• Using the American Heart Association seal in packaging. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru, Andres Armstrong in Chile, and Juan Soria Morales in Mexico. This was recorded on Feb. 17, 2021.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Joe Vargas, director of business intelligence at the USHBC and NABC, Joe Powell of Wish Farms and Michael Hill of H&A Farms. These industry leaders discuss the recently launched BerrySmart Insights Fresh Platform. The platform helps the industry more accurately measure production, inventory and pricing with a weekly report on supply, demand, inventory and shipments. It’s an important part of the USHBC strategic plan to help growers and marketers become more efficient, resilient and innovative. 

“There's really three big pieces to this new launch that's going to provide the industry value. I think the first thing is bringing together data from throughout the industry for an accurate, timely understanding of the market. Number two, it provides more than just past and present data. It's also including a critical piece, which is forecasting, which will … help guide the industry, which is critical. And three, it's industry owned. It's governed by the USHBC and overseen by the USDA, and the industry decides on what's important and necessary to help innovate and encourage a more data-driven industry.” - Joe Vargas

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Vargas, Powell and Hill. 
• A look at the launch and value of the BerrySmart Insights Fresh Platform by its developers and participants. 
• The role the industry plays in the platform’s success and accuracy. 
• How to contact “Data Joe” Vargas with questions about the platform. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Pat Goin in Indiana, TJ Hafner in Oregon and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on June 14, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by David Magaña of Rabobank, who is responsible for covering and analyzing the U.S. and North American fresh fruit and vegetable industries. Tune in to learn about what’s happening with blueberry supply and demand globally, trends in the fresh and frozen markets, and what Magaña sees as the drivers that will impact blueberry economics in the future. 

“Over the past decade, global fresh blueberry exports expanded steadily, driven by (a) diversifying base of growing regions … countries with the highest growth rates in recent years include Peru, South Africa, Morocco, Mexico, Poland and Spain. (The) 2023-24 marketing season will be the first marketing year in recent history to see a negative year-on-year variation in global exports.” - David Magaña

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Magaña and his role with Rabobank. 
• A look at his updated global blueberry report (Blueberry Update 2023: Operational efficiency and premiumization will transform the blueberry industry).
• What Magaña sees for the future of the blueberry industry, and what producers and stakeholders have to look forward to.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Daniel Bustamante in Peru. This was recorded on November 9, 2023. 

Meeting with and interviewing stakeholders to take the pulse of an industry is critical to any business sector or organization. To achieve this for the blueberry industry, USBHC contracted with public relations veteran David Rockland. In this episode of the “Business of Blueberries” we have a conversation with Rockland about his communications philosophy, insights from the recent USBHC industry survey, and how companies can best transition to the next phase of their journeys. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by David Rockland, partner and CEO of Rockland Dutton Research & Consulting.

“The focus needs to be to build the industry. Supply has begun to outpace demand, we’ve got to get demand up. Demand goes up, [then] price goes up, people are in a better place. And that’s really got to be the focus.” - David Rockland

“You don’t always know that you've heard from everybody. You want make sure you do the best job you can, but you also want to put it on the people [to speak up] … whatever any of the people who listen to this podcast want to see out of USHBC — doing, funding, being for the next five years — right about now would be a good time to say something.” - David Rockland

Topics covered include: 

• Rockland’s background and experience in the public relations sector.
• How the Barcelona Principles became the industry standard for communications. 
• Results and observations from recent industry surveys conducted by USHBC. 
• How USHBC and NABC can work in conjunction to achieve industry goals.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Bill Steed in California, Ken Patterson in Florida and Alex Cornelius in Georgia. This was recorded on April 28, 2021.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Noel Sakuma, farm manager at Oregon Berry Packing, for a conversation about farm-level technology. 

“Right now, we’re at a very unique time where a lot of new varieties are coming through the pipeline and if you are having the same varieties in the ground - besides Duke - in the next five to ten years and you’re not upgrading, you’re going to be in a bad spot.” - Noel Sakuma

“I’d encourage everyone to make sure we’re doing the right things on [machine harvesters], that we’re not picking when it’s too hot and I would really encourage as many people to try to [install] any kind of soft fresh kit on any machine because it really is a game-changer.” - Noel Sakuma 

Topics covered include:

• Noel’s lifelong background in the blueberry industry and with Oregon Berry Packing. 
• Fostering bumblebee hive development in Oregon. 
• How machine harvesting helped Oregon Berry Packing crews navigate the historic Pacific Northwest heatwave last summer. 
• Adopting new varieties and how that plays into ag technology. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Ken Patterson in Florida, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 16, 2022.

Marketing Boost

March is National Nutrition Month! In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses how blueberries fit into this month and how you can leverage it to your customers.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Rachel Petraglia, culinary specialist for the fifth largest school nutrition program in the nation at the Georgia Department of Education. Petraglia spent almost 14 years working for the Gwinnett School Nutrition Program, developing recipes and menus for the district’s 182,000 students. While working for Gwinnett, she facilitated a blueberry partnership through the Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kids Collaborative program, and helped develop several new menu items featuring frozen blueberries. 

“I think that when you use fruit like blueberries and incorporate them into breakfast staples,  you end up with a product that is really delicious. That's where I want to see school nutrition and school breakfast get to. That's the direction I believe it's going to start moving in. ” - Rachel Petraglia

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Petraglia and her work for the Georgia Department of Education. 
• An explanation of the collaboration between local school districts and the blueberry industry, and  how students responded to it.
• What Petraglia sees for the future of school nutrition and how she is getting students excited about this progress.

Visit blueberryevents.org to learn more and register for the Blueberry Convention, Feb. 28-March 1 in Tucson, Arizona. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Daniel Bustamante in Peru, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on January 18, 2024.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Walmart Merchandising Director Melissa Byland. As one of the world’s largest blueberry buyers, Walmart relies on experts like Byland to ensure customers receive great quality and value with each purchase. Byland plays a pivotal role in understanding and fulfilling customer needs, and ensuring that the highest quality produce reaches shoppers nationwide. 

“I think when you have a full case full of fresh berries, I believe that sets the tone for the entire customer's experience within the produce department. And so not only is Walmart focused on produce. Walmart is really, really focused on making sure that we carry the best quality, have great availability for our customers every day, because it really does set the tone.” — Melissa Byland

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Melissa Byland, Walmart merchandising director and a keynote speaker at the 2024 Blueberry Convention in Tucson.
• An exploration of the value Walmart puts on the “berry patch” in their stores, and the quality expectation they provide to customers.
• The various opportunities and obstacles for marketing blueberries to increase consumption in the Walmart produce department.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Jason Smith in British Columbia, Brody Schropp in Michigan, Luis Vegas in Peru and T.J. Hafner in Oregon. This was recorded on July 18, 2024. 

After rethinking the mechanical harvester, FineField created a tool it deemed “The Harvy.” As opposed to mechanical over-the-row (OTR) harvesting machines, The Harvy has low investment costs and provides higher quality berries. In this episode, we talk to two industry members who were involved with the development of the Harvy and discuss how FineField came up with its innovative mechanical harvesting solution. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and Rod Cook, industry veteran and the chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, are joined by Marcel Beelen, director of FineField in the Netherlands, and Dean Maerz of Klaassen Farms in Abbotsford, B.C.

“It was obvious [the industry] needed a product that could increase productivity, but could solve the main problem of mechanical harvesters — which is quality and loss of product. With that in mind, we said ‘OK, we need to have a guiding design principle … no bruising no losing’” - Marcel Beelen

“Nobody had really rethought [mechanical harvesting] from the ground up. And that’s what I was looking for; I was looking for a different approach, something groundbreaking. Eventually, I narrowed my search down to three companies — all three were in Europe — but the innovation at FineField stood out above the crowd to me. ” - Dean Maerz

Topics covered include: 

• Maerz and Beelen’s backgrounds. 
• How FineField was founded.
• The design principles of FineField’s mechanical harvester.
• The importance of industry feedback when developing machinery for the blueberry industry. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 10, 2021.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Luis Vegas of Proarandanos. Vegas shares the challenges and successes the blueberry industry has faced in Peru this past year, and his optimism for the bright future ahead.

“I would say this has been the most challenging season for Peru in blueberries. … So the margins of the business have been tightening and tightening, and this has been a really challenging season for many companies.” - Luis Vegas

“We need a 52-week a year supply, we need good quality, and also we need to promote consumption of blueberries worldwide.” - Luis Vegas

“We are lucky that we have a great product with these amazing benefits. So we need champions. And I think the USHBC has great tools to arm these champions to go and start creating awareness for blueberries.” - Luis Vegas

 Topics covered include:

• A review of Peru’s 2022 season.
• Specific challenges and success Peru has experienced in the past year.
• The collaboration between the USHBC and industry partners like Proarandanos to promote blueberry consumption globally.
• Optimism for the future of blueberries around the world.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 11, 2023.

True leadership means leaving things better than how you found them, and that’s certainly been the case with Chris Barnhill serving as chair of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). Chris recently stepped down from this role, handing the reins over to Michigan blueberry grower Shelly Hartmann, who previously served as the organization’s vice chair. Both are longtime industry leaders who have worked selflessly over the years to serve and improve the blueberry industry. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), speaks with Chris and Shelly about their leadership roles, the importance of unity and collaboration in the blueberry industry, and ways we can continue to work together to improve and strengthen the industry. 

“I think the unity of the industry and the willingness to help each other is awesome in this industry. If we lose that, then we’ve lost the game.” - Chris Barnhill

“Blueberries are our livelihood, and farming is our way of life. And part of that proud tradition of being a farmer is the stewardship of the land, but it’s also the cultivation of the relationships and the respect and the care that we have for one another. That’s what this organization is about.” - Shelly Hartmann

Topics covered include: 

• The impact and legacy of two longtime industry leaders.
• Importance of engagement and opportunities for involvement in the blueberry industry.
• Perspective from two industry leaders about what’s ahead for blueberries.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Rex Schultz in Michigan, Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, and Jason Smith in British Columbia. This was recorded on July 28, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

Did you know that 73% of restaurant patrons believe blueberries make a dish more appealing, or that 64% believe they make a dish taste better? And, important for foodservice operators, that 70% indicate a willingness to pay more for dishes that include blueberries? In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks shares more about the recently completed 2021 Patron Demand Study, which provides all of this insight and more. 

Fall Event Registration

Have you registered yet for Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings? The action takes place at The Grand Hotel in Salem, Oregon, September 27-October 1, with a virtual attendance option also available. But super-early-bird pricing ends July 31, so don’t delay! Register today at blueberryevents.org/.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), discusses the tactics and leverage retailers across the country have experienced with the Grab a Boost of Blue campaign. The audio is taken from the retail-focused session at The Blueberry Summit last month in Nashville. You'll also hear from Don Ladhoff, president of FreshSmartSolutions. 

“I really believe it's one of the strongest marketing message calls to action that I've seen out there, and really wanted to be able to show the power that it has. So I reached out to a number of retailers. …The results strongly validated the power of Grab a Boost of Blue and what it can do for retailers in delivering added blueberry sales. ” - Don Ladhoff

“Retail dietitians are absolutely in favor of helping us promote the boost of blue message. The head dietitian at United thanked me for bringing this opportunity to her so that she had another reason to get behind blueberries and promote that. So a very willing audience there.” - Don Ladhoff 

Topics covered include: 

• A review of the impact of the Grab a Boost of Blue campaign across seven retailers nationwide. 
• Feedback from retailers and a discussion of the most significant factors affecting their consumers’ purchasing decisions.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and  Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on November 9, 2022

Blueberry Boost

The next big blueberry event is The Blueberry Convention, taking place February 21-24, 2023 in San Diego. Join us for inspiring keynotes, innovative technology, business solutions and networking opportunities. Reserve your seat for The Blueberry Convention here. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Pamela Taylor, senior vice president and chief communications and marketing officer for Share Our Strength. As part of the journey to make blueberries the world’s favorite fruit, USHBC celebrated grabbing a boost of blue and giving a boost to a good cause in partnership with No Kid Hungry during National Blueberry Month in July. 

 “No Kid Hungry is our marquee campaign, started back in 2010 with the goal of achieving our mission of ending childhood hunger in the U.S. This campaign is so unique in that it's the only campaign that solely focuses on children. … The No Kid Hungry campaign is designed to make sure each and every child who needs access to food gets it every single day. So our focus is three meals a day, 365 days a year for every child .” - Pamela Taylor

“Participating in that 31-Day Challenge was important because it not only helped generate funds, which gets us closer to ending childhood hunger, but it was a campaign that also increased awareness of not only our work, but the power of partnerships working with the blueberry council and helping folks understand everyone has a strength to share. And you all were sharing your strength with us.” - Pamela Taylor

Topics covered include: 

• Getting to know Pamela Taylor, senior vice president and chief communications and marketing officer for Share Our Strength. 
• Exploring the scope and impact No Kid Hungry has on food insecurity among children.
• Celebrating the collaboration between No Kid Hungry and USHBC during National Blueberry Month.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer from Oregon, Bryan Sakuma from Washington, Jason Smith from British Columbia, Luis Vegas from Peru and Nestor Vega from Mexico. This was recorded on August 31, 2022.

Blueberry Boost

The blueberry industry will be taking over Nashville Oct. 5-7 for The Blueberry Summit! In this Blueberry Boost, Amanda Griffin, USHBC/NABC vice president of engagement and education, introduces the keynote speakers that will be featured at the event. Find out who’s speaking, then save your seat here. 

For the 50th episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” there’s simply no better opportunity to bring back longtime industry leader Tom Bodtke for another conversation about what’s ahead for the blueberry industry.

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Tom Bodtke, owner of Cornerstone Ag Enterprises based in Michigan, a USHBC board member, member of the USHBC Industry Relations Committee and past chair of the NABC. 

“It’s going to take new and different channels to move the increasing amount of production of blueberries. New varieties can make a difference in that, but hopefully in the big picture, we can sell more blueberries at stronger pricing, and that’s going to take more investment on the front end.” - Tom Bodtke

“I don’t think our goal is to raise demand or consumption at a lower price point, the idea is that you’re going to sell more berries at the same or higher price point. That’s what true demand lift is, and that’s what we’re seeking to do at the USHBC.” - Tom Bodtke 

“I do believe the job ahead is to improve the demand in the marketplace, combined with that eating experience where we’re exceeding the expectations of the consumer to the point where we’re infusing energy into the category and people keep coming back to blueberries.That’s an exciting future.” - Kasey Cronquist

Topics covered include: 

• Lessons in leadership from a blueberry industry veteran. 
• The importance of the industry coming together to address challenges. 
• What’s needed to continue growth of the blueberry category.
• Opportunities ahead for the industry. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria in Mexico, Elizabeth Carranza in California, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Neil Moore in North Carolina, and Eric Stafne in Mississippi. This was recorded on June 2, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

“Grab a Boost of Blue and Walnuts, Too!” That’s the focus of this week’s Marketing Boost, in which USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks shares an exciting new partnership with the California Walnut Board that comes just in time for Brain Health Month. Throughout the month of June, this strategic collaboration will involve 290 retail stores in 12 regions of the country. The program will include digital and in-store components showcasing easy, delicious ways to enjoy both blueberries and walnuts, and inspiring shoppers to purchase and eat more of this power combination. 

Reminder: Complete Our ‘Business of Blueberries’ Survey

With 50 episodes of “The Business of Blueberries” now under our belts, we want to remind you to share your feedback with us. This brief survey is your chance to share what you like about the podcast, what we could do better and what topics you’d like us to explore further. Plus, by completing the survey, you’ll be entered to win a “Business of Blueberries” YETI tumbler!

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by April Stull, Ph.D. RDN, associate professor of nutrition sciences in the Department of Human Sciences and Design at Baylor University, and Leslie Wada, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition and health research at USHBC. Stull's work has furthered the reputation of and appreciation for the health benefits of blueberries, and USHBC’s health research program. Stull also authored a paper outlining the health benefits of blueberries, and she and Wada discuss the findings and impact this research can have.

“I'm particularly excited about investigating the health benefits of blueberries across different populations and their role in meeting nutritional needs throughout the lifecycle. So this includes studying their impact on children, older adults, underserved populations and individuals from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.” – April Stull, Ph.D., RDN

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Stull and her work. 
• A discussion of her recently published research paper which highlights the impact of blueberries on overall health outcomes. 
• An exploration of proposed future research projects that would continue to investigate the many health benefits of blueberries.

For more information, see additional research by Dr. Stull on blueberries and endothelial function and blueberries and insulin sensitivity.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on October 3, 2024. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Brad Moorer, president and CEO of MBG Marketing. MBG Marketing is a producer-owned blueberry cooperative that was formed in 1936 as the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association. Moorer took over the president and CEO role from Larry Ensfield last May. Prior to that, he served as CFO and vice president of MBGs value-added business. This is the second part of the conversation between Cronquist and Moorer that took place in Michigan last month. 

“As I look to the future, I believe it's really around one thing and one thing only, and I think it's proprietary genetics” - Brad Moorer

“It's maybe 5% to 10% of our total production on an annual basis has got the legs for export. … There's a lot of other factors downstream, but it all begins at the field level and it's (the) varietal. And to the extent that we can plant another 10,000, 20,000 acres of these new genetics, it's only going to give us that many more opportunities to export, because some of this fruit that we're seeing is just phenomenal.” - Brad Moorer

Topics covered include: 

• Getting to know MBG Marketing and its contributions to the blueberry industry.
• The investments MBG Marketing has made into the Naturipe family of companies.
• The value of proprietary genetics and what MBG Marketing is doing with its Berry Blue program.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on August 10, 2022.

Blueberry Boost

This week’s Blueberry Boost highlights the 2021 USHBC Impact Report, which details last year’s efforts across all program areas. The report can be accessed here and in the USHBC Data and Insights Center, along with past reports.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Ashlee Sikorski, team development coach at Sway Leadership, to discuss leadership development in the blueberry industry. 

“If you have 10 people at your company putting in an extra 10%, then you have a whole, full employee that isn’t even coming out of your budget. I think people who show up and are satisfied with their work and they’re happy to be there, they’re doing a job that suits who they are.” - Ashlee Sikorski

“Old leadership styles are top down … there’s no collaboration happening with the staff … if you want [culture to be more long lasting], you’re going to be bringing your staff into it and then having higher retention.”  - Ashlee Sikorski 

Topics covered include:

• Sikorski’s experience in professional development and how she ended up at Sway Leadership.
• The importance of empowering employees and developing self-leadership.
• Developing a culture and getting buy-in from staff. 
• What an “enneagram” is and how it can help identify archetypes in the workplace. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramírez in Mexico. This was recorded on January 12, 2022.

Marketing Boost

This March, USHBC will kick off its first power period of 2022 by leveraging National Nutrition Month®, an annual nutrition education campaign created and developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses the upcoming month and the USHBC’s Nutrition Month Toolkit.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Ryan Ellison, produce category manager at Food City, and Joshua Essenburg, category manager at SpartanNash. Both of these retailers participated in a panel at the Blueberry Summit in Savannah last fall where they discussed “Insights and Opportunities for Selling Fresh Blueberries in Retail.” Together, they discuss the opportunity and potential they see in the blueberry market from the perspective of a retailer.

“Our cross-merchandising on blueberries has really evolved a lot and, as that's evolved, so has the way we advertise them and promote them.” - Joshua Essenburg

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Ellison and Essenburg and their work. 
• A discussion of the potential these retailers see in the blueberry industry and the many uses for blueberries that customers can enjoy.
• Strategies and encouragement retailers can use to support blueberry consumption. 

Visit blueberryevents.org to learn more and register for the Blueberry Convention, Feb. 28- March 1 in Tucson, Arizona. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Daniel Bustamante in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on February 15, 2024. 

The Vaccinium Coordinated Agricultural Project (VacCAP) is a massive undertaking to identify the ideal blueberry in terms of consumer preferences, shelf life and mechanical harvestability. With over $25 million invested from federal funds, participating institutions and its stakeholders, VacCAP has massive positive implications for the future of blueberry breeding. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and Rod Cook, industry veteran and the chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, are joined by Massimo Iorizzo, Ph.D., associate professor in the North Carolina State University Department of Horticultural Science; Jim Hancock, Ph.D., professor emeritus at Michigan State University and recent recipient of the NABC Duke Galletta Award; and Patricio Munoz, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department in the University of Florida.

Register for the Town Hall: https://mailchi.mp/ushbc.org/townhall 

Visit the VacCap website at : vacciniumcap.org/. 

“At the end of this project, we’ll have an accurate concept of what consumers really like in a blueberry and we will have developed tools to accurately assess that fruit quality. ” - Jim Hancock, Ph.D.

“We want to understand the relation between the quality and the willingness to buy … the question is, does quality play a role in a consumer paying more for certain blueberry types?”  - Massimo Iorizzo, Ph.D.

“Imagine that you have a new disease … we cannot take 10 or 15 years to develop a new variety, to develop something resistant to the disease. Our growers need a faster response from the breeders. For this project, we hope to develop the resources and the tools to actually make that happen, to be able to react faster than we have been doing it. ”  - Patricio Munoz, Ph.D.

Topics covered include: 

• Overview of the VacCAP Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
• What VacCAP hopes to accomplish for blueberry breeding.
• Current status of the initiative. 
• How researchers are creating the genome of the ideal blueberry. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Andres Armstrong in Chile, and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on Jan. 20, 2021. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by David Jackson, founder of Family Tree Farms, alongside his sons and son-in-law. Today, they’re a family-owned fruit grower, packer and shipper based in Reedley, California, with additional locations in Peru, Mexico, and Africa. Jackson serves on the NABC Board of Directors and the United Blueberry Advisory Committee, and joins us to share his perspectives on quality, flavor, genetics, marketing and the future of our industry.  

“Our mission statement is to consistently produce, package and market the most flavorful fruit in the world. We say that because we know who we sell to, but we always keep in mind that our end customer is that consumer, that person, who puts that fruit in their mouth and says, ‘Wow, that's the most flavorful thing. That's the best thing I've ever eaten.’ We have chosen to differentiate ourselves with flavor, and that comes down to just genetics.” – David Jackson

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Jackson and Family Tree Farms.
• An exploration of Jackson’s blueberry operation and how they pursue it from the soil up through genetics.
• A discussion of Family Tree Farms’ journey in the blueberry industry over the years, the challenges they’ve faced and the changes they’ve made.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Daniel Bustamante in Peru. This was recorded on March 14, 2024.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), recaps USHBC’s presentation at last week’s Oregon Blueberry Conference in Salem, Oregon. 

Cronquist and USHBC and NABC Vice President of Global Business Development Alicia Adler presented together at the conference, giving an overview of what USHBC is doing on behalf of the industry to execute USHBC’s new five-year strategic plan. During this episode, you’ll hear clips from both Cronquist and Adler that were recorded live at the conference. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Mario Ramírez in Mexico, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Isabel Qurioz in Chile. This was recorded on February 23, 2022.

Marketing Boost

How does a Blueberry Cornflake Chicken Waffle Cone sound? Or maybe you'd like a Blueberry Avocado Trifle? On this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses two dozen blueberry recipes tested and tasted at USHBC's Culinary Innovation Workshop held last week in Boulder, Colorado.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Magami, Agrovision’s co-founder and executive chair. Agrovision is a leading vertically integrated global healthy snacking superfruit platform with operations in Perú, Mexico, Morocco, Chile, Romania, China, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Egypt and the United Kingdom. You can hear Magami’s previous appearances on the show in episodes 115 and 166. 

“We're seeing the opportunity to continue to develop cutting-edge software technology to deliver this consistent, high-quality experience year-round. We're working hard on the times of the year when our volumes of that better berry are not as strong as the strongest times of year, really to get it to a consistent level of volume.” – Steve Magami

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Magami and his work at Agrovision. 
• An exploration of Agrovision’s strategy and global efforts to create a year-round supply of blueberries. 
• The potential to grow the appeal of various blueberry snacks with consumers.  

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on October 24, 2024. 

In this episode, we explore how Driscoll’s is adapting to new market conditions and how they’re preparing for the future.

“Blueberries are in the sweet spot of where consumers want to be.” - Soren Bjorn

Host Kasey Cronquist (President of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council) is joined by Soren Bjorn, the President of Driscoll’s of the Americas.  

An industry leader known around the globe, Driscoll’s produces and distributes about one third of the berries sold in the United States, including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries. Soren was named President of Driscoll's of the Americas in 2017 after spending a decade plus in the company in a variety of business research and development roles. 

This episode focuses on the larger state of the blueberry industry, including: 

• Why consumers love blueberries 
• Blueberry growth vs. strawberry growth 
• Impact of breeding programs and blueberry genetic development 
• The next blueberry frontier
• Understanding consumer tendencies
• Current state of the organic market 

Crop Report - July 1, 2020 

This segment will appear in each episode to provide an update on what’s happening in the field with voices of growers who many in the industry will recognize. Tune in for reports on crop progress, harvest expectations, and market conditions. In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer in Oregon and Denny Doyle in New Jersey. 

July is National Blueberry Month! USHBC is rolling out a National Blueberry Month Toolkit, complete with 10 mouth-watering summer recipes, 5 ready-to-go social media posts, one for each week of Blueberry Month, plus a brand new National Blueberry Month seal that you can share with retailers and use on your websites and in your marketing materials. We hope to see all of you participating and sharing in spreading positive blueberry messages during our month! You can find the National Blueberry Month Toolkit on our website: www.USHBC.org/resoures.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and Rod Cook, industry veteran and the chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, sit down with Praveen Penmetsa, founder and CEO of Monarch Tractor. While the blueberry industry isn’t known for being tractor-centric, this tractor will be part of the Innovate 2021 Technology Symposium, and it is one of the companies that is looking for ways to improve efficiency, reduce costs and promote sustainability. This company is reimagining what a tractor can be as an electric autonomous machine able to match the performance of traditional options.

“Our technology acts as a bridge between farm economics and sustainability. And to be honest, just the diesel savings is not a compelling value proposition for farmers. So that's where the diesel savings plus labor savings plays in. So our tractor is a solution for that, and we are hoping that our tractor will bridge that gap.” - Praveen Penmetsa

“We believe that our tractor can play a role in allowing farmers to tell their stories directly to the consumer versus having all these people in between tell that story for them. So that's how we focused on the small tractor. That's why we are in fruits and vegetables. And that's why it's a 40 horsepower tractor.” - Praveen Penmetsa

Topics covered include:

• Introducing the use of the electric autonomous tractor for blueberry production opportunities.
• How these tractors can benefit the producer, the process of their development and the strategy in implementing them.
• Looking at this new technology and its ability to complement current farm implements.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on September 22, 2021.

Marketing Boost

National Pancake Day is Sunday, September 26! This is the perfect opportunity to promote adding a boost of blue to everybody’s favorite breakfast. In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks shares how to capitalize on opportunities like this to get people buzzing about blueberries.

Fall Event Registration

You can still register to attend Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings, Sept. 27-Oct.1, virtually! The virtual attendance option includes the Tech Symposium, Tech Tours and a host of USHBC committee meetings. While the event is at capacity for in-person attendance, interested stakeholders can register to participate virtually via a la carte pricing listed here.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Chelsea Consalo, vice president of operations for Consalo Family Farms in New Jersey, and Ellie Norris, owner/manager of Norris Blueberry Farms in Oregon. Consalo is a fourth-generation producer and serves on the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council. Norris is a second-generation blueberry grower and packer who leads a fresh pack operation. They join us to talk about the future of the blueberry industry from the perspective of the next generation of blueberry leaders. 

“I think people don't realize how much of a full-time job produce is, don't really realize what it takes to get crops from the farm to the table and don't realize what's involved. Because we're vertically integrated, we have a hand in all parts of it.” - Chelsea Consalo

“If we continue to open up markets around the world, we're going to open up demand for blueberries, and specifically U.S. blueberries. … There is a great demand for the quality fruit that the U.S. produces into a lot of countries out there.” -Ellie Norris

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Consalo and Norris. 
• A look into the experiences of these next-generation blueberry producers and their dedication to the industry.
• A discussion of what Consalo and Norris think the future of blueberries looks like. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Daniel Bustamante in Peru, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on December 21, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Brad Moorer, president and CEO of MBG Marketing. MBG Marketing is a producer-owned blueberry cooperative that was formed in 1936 as the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association. Moorer took over the president and CEO role from Larry Ensfield last May. Prior to that, he served as CFO and vice president of MBGs value-added business.

“The growers I've had an opportunity to get to know that we represent, not only here in Michigan but throughout the country, have been just top-notch producers, but more than that, friends and trusted advisers. I mean, there's a lot of these folks that it's not just a business relationship, where they know my family and I know theirs. I think our co-op model probably helps promote those types of relationships. And we just couldn't be more blessed to be where we're at and represent the growers that we do.” - Brad Moorer

“We're laser focused on grower profitability. There's a lot of different components to what that looks like. Obviously, the price that you're getting for your berries in the market is only one factor in that overall equation. There's things like yield that make a tremendous difference from one farm to the next. And we have a horticulture team at MBG of industry experts that focus on plant health, fruit quality and fruit yields. … And so what we're really looking for first and foremost is a producer, a prospective member, that understands and appreciates the co-op model.” - Brad Moorer

Topics covered include: 

• Getting to know Moorer and his experience in the blueberry industry. 
• An overview of the co-op model MBG Marketing uses to support its members and which producers best fit their group.
• The future of the blueberry industry and the genetics Moorer feels is shaping that future.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Jason Smith in British Columbia. This was recorded on August 3, 2022.

July is National Blueberry Month, and the USHBC team has been working for months on ways to capitalize on this important time period for the industry, get blueberries in the spotlight and turn blueberry consumers into blueberry enthusiasts. A number of strategic and creative programs and events have already taken place to get consumers thinking about blueberries, including an attempt at a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ title for the tallest stack of blueberry pancakes on live television featuring a custom recipe created by USHBC partner and chef George Duran (@ChefGeorgeDuran). 

In this episode, host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by USHBC and NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks for a conversation with Chef Duran about one of the most exciting elements of National Blueberry Month so far, the behind-the-scenes moments on the set of “Good Morning America,” and why this experience was a big win for the blueberry industry.   

“Earned media coverage, particularly on a national level, is extremely hard to come by and it really takes strategy and creativity to make it happen and to make it something that the news outlet sees as worthy to provide to their audience. We were able to do that, as well as call out the benefits and the fun and the versatility of blueberries.” - Jenni Sparks

“One silver lining was that at the end of the day, this massive amount of blueberry pancakes we had were actually going to be used for good. When we visited Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, the largest soup kitchen in New York City, with the blueberries and blueberry pancakes, they had open arms and were happy and excited to see us.” - Chef George Duran

Topics covered include: 

• Current promotions and activations, and ways the industry can get involved, including use of our National Blueberry Month Toolkit.
• Blueberries’ monumental moment on “Good Morning America.”
• Behind the scenes of attempting a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS ™ title on live television. 
• How USHBC and the industry gave back as part of National Blueberry Day.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Rex Schultz in Michigan, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, and Jason Smith in British Columbia. This was recorded on July 14, 2021.  

Fall Event Registration

As opportunities to gather again in person open up, the USHBC and NABC are pleased to announce that registration for Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings is now open! The action takes place at The Grand Hotel in Salem, Oregon, September 27-October 1, with a virtual attendance option also available. Register today at blueberryevents.org/

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by USHBC Chair Shelly Hartmann. As lifelong residents of Southwest Michigan, Shelly and Dennis Hartmann are the owners of True Blue Farms in Grand Junction. Established in 1988, True Blue Farms has grown substantially to 10 subsidiaries, including hundreds of acres of production and the popular Blueberry Store in downtown South Haven. In addition to being the USHBC chair, Hartmann is the past president of the Michigan Frozen Food Packers Association. She penned an inspiring story of her rise to success in the book Chicken Soup for the Entrepreneurial Soul. 

“I think what I'm most proud of in 2023 is I saw a lot of people that you may not see work together roll up their sleeves and start working together for the betterment of the industry, and not for the betterment of them or their organization. They put that stuff aside and they really looked at our blueberry industry and they made the best decisions … for our industry, and that made me feel really proud because it's like one big happy blueberry family. ” - Shelly Hartmann

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Shelly Hartmann, USHBC chair, “Blueberry Chicks” podcaster and co-owner of True Blue Farms. 
• An exploration of 2023 USHBC highlights and a discussion of what’s coming in 2024. 

Visit blueberryevents.org to learn more and register for The Blueberry Convention Feb. 28-March 1 in Tucson, Arizona.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Curt Granger, vice president of global marketing and communications for NABC and USHBC; and valued agency partner, Grant Prentice, director of strategic insights at Padilla FoodMinds. Two years ago, the USHBC launched a new strategic position and call-to-action through the Grab a Boost of Blue program. The industry is seeing this program inspire consumers, drive demand and increase sales. This episode covers the Grab a Boost of Blue program, its results so far and how the blueberry industry members can get involved.

“The goal was really twofold. One was to create a message that really celebrates the healthfulness of eating blueberries that USHBC can share with consumers. But also to create programming that is simple and easy for marketers to adopt and use within the context of their own programming.” - Grant Prentice

“It's gonna have to be a collaborative, kind of all hands on deck from our side of it, marketers and USHBC, to take a look at the different promotions and to support them if that's ideally where we we want to be.The tighter we get in working together the stronger we go to market and the stronger this brand grows.” - Curt Granger

 Topics covered include:

• The progress, initial results and proven effect of Grab a Boost of Blue.
• Various uses of Grab a Boost of Blue and upcoming collaborations to promote the industry.
• How industry members can access Grab a Boost of Blue licensing and promotional materials, including a promotional calendar of upcoming power periods.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Andres Armstrong in Chile. This was recorded on January 25, 2023.

The Blueberry Boost

The next big blueberry industry event is The Blueberry Convention, Feb. 21-24 in San Diego. Join us for inspiring keynotes, innovative technology, business solutions and networking opportunities. The event kicks off with the first-ever Grab a Boost of Blue Golf Tournament on Feb. 21, followed by a reception and meet and greet with exhibitors. There will be sessions on data analytics, industry insights and a panel discussion on best bee practices. Reserve your seat here.

With the domestic blueberry season on the horizon, Florida will be the first state to enter production. Florida is not only a vital state for blueberry production, it has also been a hotbed for industry-changing blueberry genetics research. On this week’s episode, we talk about all things Florida blueberries. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined Brittany Lee, executive director at Florida Blueberry Growers.

“In my lifetime, the Florida blueberry industry went from a very small, niche boutique industry to the cornerstone of domestic production. We were the first state to produce blueberries and that’s in large part due to the University of Florida’s UF/IFAS breeding program.”  - Brittany Lee

“We’re an important part of Florida agriculture and an important part of the blueberry industry nationwide, and that’s not going to change. Growers in Florida are passionate about what we do and we’re passionate in making sure that our consumers have our product in their stores.” - Brittany Lee

Topics covered include: 

• Lee’s experience and history in the Florida blueberry industry. 
• Florida’s legacy in blueberry breeding.
• A preview of the 2021 domestic crop.
• COVID-19 impacts on Florida growers.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Andres Armstrong in Chile. This was recorded on Feb. 24, 2021.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Hector Lujan, the new CEO at berry giant Hortifrut and the leader of its global operations. Lujan’s career spans over 20 years in the berry industry, with previous roles at Reiter and BerryMex. Lujan shares what led him to his current position at Hortifruit, and his vision for the future of the berry patch. 

“ By bringing the berry patch together along with a year-round supply, the demand for berries is continuing to grow. It's healthy candy. And what we see is … the per capita consumption will continue to grow as these new generations get to eat it year-round and it's part of their daily diet.” — Hector Lujan

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Lujan and his career in berries. 
• Hortifruit’s role in the global berry patch.
• Lujan’s vision for Hortifruit and blueberries in the future.

Tune in to part two of the interview with Hector Lujan on episode 191! 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on December 26, 2024. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Brooke Hill of Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, Florida. Hill was a panelist on the USHBC’s “Best Practices for U-Pick Blueberries” webinar presented in 2020.

“We leaned heavily on (the community) and they were there for us. I mean, we were floored. It brought tears to my eyes how supportive people were. They wanted to do anything they could to support their local farm.” - Brooke Hill

“Diversification for us was the best thing we ever did. However diversification looks for you, no matter what, you can’t go wrong with it as long as it’s done with intention, it’s well thought out and it makes sense for what your end goal is. …I think where the true value for us came in is it led the future of the farm in a completely different direction than where we thought we were headed.” – Brooke Hill

Topics covered include:

• Hill’s background and experience, and the story of Southern Hill Farms.
• How launching a U-pick operation can be a tool for blueberry farm diversification.
• The importance of developing a close connection to the local community.
• What to consider before you start a U-pick operation.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Elizabeth Carranza in California, Ken Patterson in Florida, Brandon Wade in Georgia, and Neil Moore in North Carolina. This was recorded on May 11, 2022.

Marketing Boost

Grab a Boost of Blue is the industry’s call to action to motivate consumers to make blueberries a part of their everyday lifestyles. Use this messaging to encourage your audience to Grab a Boost of Blue through content on your website, in social media captions, in newsletters and in other communications. You’ll find a wealth of resources at USHBC.org/boostofblue, and you can get licensed at USHBC.org/license.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), reflects on two full years of creating the podcast. In this short episode, Cronquist shares the impact the show’s had on the industry, and asks for your feedback. Please fill out the podcast listener survey. 

“I want this show to continue to grow, improve and reach even more people because of the great resource and content that it can be for our industry. So please pause the show and head to our online listener survey.” - Kasey Cronquist

Topics covered include: 

• A reflection on the impact of the podcast over the last two years. 
• The need for audience feedback via the podcast listener survey.
• An extended crop report featuring Michigan, Mexico, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Peru.

*CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE PODCAST LISTENER SURVEY*

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Rex Schultz in Michigan, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, Jason Smith in British Columbia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on August 17, 2022.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Brittany Lee, vice president of Florida Blue Farms and the newest crop report contributor. Lee has a strong background in Florida agriculture, having grown up there. She also served as the executive director of the Florida Blueberry Association.

“So of course taste is always going to be a factor, but additionally, plant structure is very important. Machine harvestability is very important. Because of machine harvestability, a condensed crop is also important so that you can machine the crop less times to prevent plant damage or any injury to the root systems. I would say machine-ability, condensed crop, great tasting … those are all things that we’re trying to look for and identify.” - Brittany Lee

“I think that our group of Florida growers that I've had to mentor me and to look up to in the industry, they're just tremendous growers. They're extremely knowledgeable and always on the cutting edge of innovation and technology. I think we're early adapters in Florida and we've pushed the envelope on machine harvestable varieties for southern highbush. … Of course quality has always been our number one concern. We don't want there to be a visible or detectable difference between something that's hand picked or machine picked. And that's a high bar that we've set for ourselves as growers to achieve and strive for. But you know, I think it's something that everyone here is serious about.” - Brittany Lee

 Topics covered include:

• Lee’s experience and contributions to the blueberry industry.
• New genetic varieties and properties growers are most interested in and prioritize when making selections.
• The unique characteristics involved in farming blueberries in Florida.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on February 22, 2023.

Chile has become one of the most important countries in the world when it comes to research and development into blueberry growing, harvesting and technology. With over 38,500 acres planted with highbush blueberries, Chile is one of the largest global exporters of the fruit.  

At the forefront of the Chilean blueberry industry is Andres Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee. In today’s episode, host Kasey Cronquist, USHBC/NABC president, sits down with Armstrong for a chat about all things Chilean blueberries. 

“When we started the committee … we wanted to look for new markets. We didn’t want to have our fruit to be concentrated in one market. ” - Andres Armstrong

“If you want to develop new markets, if you want to be competitive in the market situation today, you need to provide good quality fruit. And that begins with the variety and … post-harvest technologies that allow us to get [the fruit] to the market in good quality.” - Andres Armstrong

Topics covered include: 

• How Armstrong got started in the blueberry industry. 
• Domestic growth of blueberry sales in Chile.
• The history of importing Chilean berries into the United States.
• Challenges of importing to Asia and European countries from Chile.
• Importance of varieties when importing blueberries.
• Collaborating between countries and committees.

Crop Report - November 18, 2020 

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from featured guest Andres Armstrong in Chile as well as Juan Soria Morales in Mexico. This was recorded on November 18, 2020.

Marketing Boost - Blueberries featured on Today.com!

Widely read consumer news site Today.com, with an audience of over 27 million, featured frozen blueberries as a versatile ingredient to kick cooking fatigue for home chefs everywhere. In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks breaks down the power of earned media. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the Americas, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of the blueberry industry. This episode is part one of a two-part interview. 

“Blueberries, in general, have done really well during the pandemic … we have a lot of reasons to believe that [the recent success of blueberries] will stay with us as people have increasingly made berries a part of a healthier lifestyle … the momentum will keep carrying forward and increase the overall demand for berries.” - Soren Bjorn

“Marketing is — a lot of the time — simply putting the idea into the consumer’s mind … successful marketing is anticipating what the consumer really wants but hasn’t thought about.” - Soren Bjorn

Topics covered include:

• Lessons the blueberry industry can take away from the pandemic.
• Bjorn’s thoughts on the future of the industry and making blueberries the world’s favorite fruit. 
• The current state of labor in agriculture, and Driscoll’s new documentary titled “The Last Harvest.”
• Driscoll’s recent investment in vertical farming.

Marketing Boost

March is a busy month for blueberries and USHBC! In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses National Nutrition Month and Frozen Food Month, and how you can leverage both of these periods in your marketing mix.

To close the first season of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), reflects on some of the most insightful moments from season one of the podcast.

In this episode, you’ll hear curated audio clips from: 

• Episode 9 with Tom Avinelis, founder and managing partner at Agriculture Capital.
• Episode 16 with Denny Doyle, blueberry grower from New Jersey and president of the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council.
• Episode 36 with Brittany Lee, executive director at Florida Blueberry Growers.

All three guests provided important insights into the future of the blueberry industry. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Neil Moore in North Carolina, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia and Doug Krahmer in Oregon. This was recorded on June 23, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

Generating media coverage is a fantastic way to capture consumers’ attention, and there’s no better time to do so than during National Blueberry Month. On this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks explains the importance of public relations in your community and how to leverage your business as the local expert. Check out our National Blueberry Month media tips here.

In October, Adam Winland was hired as the financial controller for NABC and USHBC, a newly created position that oversees the councils’ day-to-day accounting and provides strategic financial direction. One of Winland’s first key tasks is to conduct the annual assessment for blueberry growers. 

In today’s episode, host Kasey Cronquist, USHBC/NABC president, sits down with Winland for a chat about his new role, what to expect out of the upcoming assessment and how the assessment showcases the return on investment for blueberry growers. 

“We are perfecting this process and looking toward the future, we want to make sure  that [the process] is as fine tuned as possible.” - Adam Winland

“Part of what I want to do as financial controller is be as transparent as possible with everyone involved so they know where the money is going.” - Adam Winland

Topics covered include: 

• Winland’s background that led him to USHBC.
• Changes in the USHBC assessment process. 
• The most common questions Windland receives. 
• Transparency in the assessment process. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report will return next week.

Marketing Boost - Highlighting Blueberry Health Benefits

In the midst of a pandemic, health and wellness has an added focus and priority. In this week’s marketing boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses how highlighting the positive health effects of blueberries is a great way to advertise to your customers. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by the Executive Director of the IR-4 Project, Jerry Baron, Ph.D., and NABC Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby. The IR-4 Project was established in 1963 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and land-grant universities to ensure that specialty crop farmers have legal access to safe and effective crop protection products. Baron has been the IR-4 Project's executive director since September 2006. Alyssa Houtby works closely with the NABC’s Government Affairs Committee to identify and advance the industry's public policy goals through the council’s advocacy platform. 

“The reason why the program exists is because the companies that register products … focus their research and development area on crops that give them a large and rapid return on investments, i.e. they go after corn, soybeans, cotton, so on and so forth. The specialty crops … don't have access to those products. And one of the things we do as a government organization is we go out there and develop the data to show what type of residues remain on the crop at harvest.” – Jerry Baron, Ph.D. 

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Baron and Houtby and their work. 
• An exploration of the purpose of the IR-4 Project, and why it’s important to blueberry producers for a number of reasons, including the expansion of global exportation opportunities.
• A discussion of the challenges faced by regulatory agencies in labeling inputs, and the work the IR-4 Project is doing to support specialty crop producers. 

Learn more at ir4project.org

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on November 1, 2024. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Amanda Griffin, vice president of engagement and education at USHBC and NABC. Cronquist and Griffin reflect on The Blueberry Convention, share the feedback they received from participants and make a big announcement about future blueberry events.

“The change is we are going to smush over the convention to the fall and essentially take away the summit, and have one large event in the fall called The Blueberry Convention. …It's an opportunity to celebrate the end of the season, gather everybody together, and that is where we will grow the trade show floor to have more expansive education offerings and more opportunities for folks to gather and to meet.” – Amanda Griffin

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Griffin and her efforts as vice president of engagement and education. 
• Comments and reflections from the most recent Blueberry Convention.
• The future of USHBC and NABC events. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, TJ Hafner in Oregon and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on April 25, 2024. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and co-host Alicia Adler, USHBC and NABC vice president of global business development, are joined by Jake Briere, corporate chef at Chobani and a member of the USHBC R&D Advisory Board. Adler and Cronquist bring Briere on to discuss where the food industry is innovating and what that means for blueberries as an ingredient in packaged food products. 

“Having the chance to talk to this group of individuals throughout the rest of the [R&D Advisory Board], while we all collectively work with [blueberries] in some format, really gives me the full picture of the entire process from farming to processing to when it finally goes on the shelf.” - Jake Briere

“For us at Chobani...we often look at categories that we feel we can disrupt in some format and provide more healthy options for the consumer. If you give them great tasting food that’s also good for you, they’re bound to choose that option.” - Jake Briere

Topics covered include:

• The establishment of the R&D Advisory Board and Jake’s experience with the blueberry industry so far.
• Jake’s role at Chobani and how he develops recipes for commercial and business-to-business use.  
• The evolution of innovation in the food industry, particularly in the dairy category. 
• Consumer product formats that are ideal for blueberries. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru, Federico Bayá from Argentina, and making his 2021 debut on the USHBC Crop Report, Andres Armstrong from Chile. This was recorded on November 10, 2021.

On today’s episode of the Business of Blueberries, we discuss the 2021 California Blueberry harvest and how the Blueberry Marketing Resource Information Center (B-MRIC) has changed crop reporting for California growers. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Todd Sanders, the executive director of the California Blueberry Commission and Bill Steed, a grower and packer in San Diego County for Fairfield Farms. 

“[A grower] looked at the data that was coming down the [B-MRIC] pipeline and they looked at the three-year average that we put out in the B-MRIC report. And they said, ‘I think the volume is going to be peaking in a couple of weeks. I want to get ahead of that.’ [The grower] harvested, they got their crew out of there, and they were done. They weren't going to wait” - Todd Sanders 

“Well, the downside is if we do nothing, is we get to see the same thing happen, and the status quo in our industry right now is not acceptable.” - Bill Steed

Check out the B-MRIC report from the 2019-2020 California Blueberry Commission annual report here. 

Watch the full roundtable discussion on data with Kasey Cronquist along with Emiliano Escobedo of the Hass Avocado Board and Manuel Michel of the National Mango board.

Topics covered include: 

• Background of Sanders and Steed
• Preview of the California growing season
• Comprehensive overview of the B-MRIC reporting system
• Implementing a crop reporting system nationally 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peruo and Ken Patterson in Florida. This was recorded on March 31, 2021

Marketing Boost

Social media and influencer marketing is an important part of driving blueberry demand in USHBC’s new Grab a Boost of Blue positioning and consumer call to action. This week’s Marketing Boost details how “blueberry cookie” recipe went viral. You can watch the video on TikTok here

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Josh Scheel of Scenic Fruit Company, Bryan Sakuma of Sakuma Brothers, Amy Nguyen of Dragonberry Produce, Todd Sanders of the California Blueberry Commission and Renata Dalton, USHBC director of business development. This esteemed group of industry leaders shares insights into the Japanese market for blueberries, and what Japanese consumers are looking for in a blueberry product. We also explore what exporters can expect and look for in partnering with Japanese distributors, and where producers can go to start developing connections and pathways into the Japanese blueberry market.

“You'll notice almost everything food related here has a very high attention to detail. …So with that, they expect very high-quality produce and blueberries, especially when you talk to buyers over here. They want to know variety. They want to know size. They want to know brix levels, pH, different things like that. So if you can really play up to that part and that strength of your crop and your processing methods, there's ways to have success here.” - Josh Scheel

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to the podcast’s participants.
• An exploration of the current Japanese blueberry market and a look at the potential for American growers.
• Discussion of the path to building exporting partnerships with Japanese blueberry distributors for American producers.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Elise Oliver in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Pat Goin in Indiana, Matt Macrie in New Jersey and Derrin Wheeler in Georgia. This was recorded on June 21, 2023. 

Since the inception of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), Denny Doyle has been a leader in the organization and the voice of New Jersey blueberry growers. Continuing our conversation from last week, Doyle guides us through more blueberry history, the future of blueberry promotion and opportunities on the frozen side of blueberry production.

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of USHBC and NABC, is joined by Denny Doyle, blueberry grower from New Jersey and the president of the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council.

“The overall vision [of USHBC], and I think still holds true to this day, is to bring awareness of our blueberries to the consumer. That is the primary foundation.” - Denny Doyle

“Give me the same kind of professional visionaries [as the fresh side of fruit] on the frozen side of fruit. In my mind, in the short term of a long-term vision, it’s that.” - Denny Doyle

This episode is part two in a conversation with Doyle. Topics include: 

• The foundational reasons for USHBC.
• Early promotion efforts by USHBC.
• Importance of having credible health claims.
• Consumption rates overseas and in the United States. 
• What COVID-19 taught us about blueberries.
• Future opportunities in the frozen and manufacturing markets.

USHBC/NABC Virtual Conference & Expo Update

Due to the Virtual Conference & Expos, there was no crop call recorded this week. In its place, we’ve included a few highlights from the USHBC/NABC Virtual Conference & Expo. Enjoy!

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by José Antonio Gómez-Bazán, CEO of Camposol. Camposol is a multinational company that provides families around the world with fresh and healthy food. It has operations in Peru, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay, and a presence around the world. Gómez-Bazán took on the CEO role at Camposol in 2021 after a decade with the company. He is a board member of the United Fresh Produce Association and a past board member of the Produce Marketing Association. José Antonio discusses the rise of blueberries in the Camposol company, the value blueberries offer the world and finds insight in the promotion of other produce and how that could be used to also promote the blueberry industry. 

“I do believe that there is a potential for every single lunchbox in North America and in the world to carry a small package of blueberries. … This is super convenient. This is super healthy. It goes in line with every single principle that ESG and sustainability and any other trend that is out there is saying. The amount of package they use is minimum. The amount of process they use is minimum. It's a super-efficient product by itself. All the way from the farm to the lunchbox.” - José Antonio Gómez-Bazán

“This is not about fighting for the same size of a pie. This is making the pie bigger and bigger and bigger. And the only way the pie is gonna get bigger is with investment. The consumer needs to understand why he needs to eat more blueberries. … I do believe that the convenience of blueberries is unique and it drives thousands of opportunities” - José Antonio Gómez-Bazán

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Gómez-Bazán, CEO of Camposol.
• The journey for blueberries to become Camposol’s dominant focus. 
• Correlations between growth of the avocado market share and what the blueberry industry can learn from avocados success.
• New and expanding global blueberry markets, and the messages consumers need to hear.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 19, 2023. 

Blueberry Boost

The year 2022 saw the highest number of December blueberry shipments in history! Peruvian imports slowed after their peak season in December while Chiles began. Total fresh blueberry imports into the United States increased by 35% in December with the majority marketed as conventional. December marks the fourth month in a row for decreases in average price per pound for all fresh blueberries making fruit more accessible to less frequent blueberry consumers.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Kristy Babb, USHBC and NABC’s first-ever communications director. This role was created to develop a focus on a communications platform for both organizations that will further unify the blueberry industry and drive the ambition to make blueberries the world’s favorite fruit. Babb has over 20 years of experience developing and executing communication strategies on behalf of corporate clients, trade associations and other nonprofit, mission-based organizations. 

“The opportunities are endless here, and I think we have so many great and exciting stories to tell to so many different audiences that it really is a place where the sky's the limit. The story of blueberries is not only interesting and fun, but it's also really scientific and data driven. The health benefits of blueberries are a story that we can tell in so many different ways to so many different audiences.” - Kristy Babb

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Babb.
• Discussion of the insights and experience Babb brings to the communications director role. 
• The announcement that “The Business of Blueberries” podcast has won a National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) award! 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Todd Sanders in California Alan Schreiber in Washington, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on May 24, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), welcomes several fellows from Class Two of the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program to discuss their experiences with the program and their most recent trip to observe the Peruvian blueberry industry. You’ll hear from Kat Morales, inbound and outbound administrator for Camposo; Chad Don, Oasis Blueberry business manager; and Kyle Straughn, managing owner and CEO of Straughn Farms. Joining them is Amanda Griffin, USHBC and NABC vice president of engagement, and the designer of the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program.

“The leadership development umbrella really stems from listening to leadership experts talk about their experiences and guiding the fellows in their individual leadership journeys, as well as introducing the fellows to other folks within the industry to broaden the scope and create more networking opportunities for the class, which ultimately … creates more retention of these leaders to stay within the blueberry industry and further drive the blueberry sector down the road.” — Amanda Griffin

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to a few Blueberry Leadership Program Fellows. 
• The purpose, intent and goals of the program.
• The fellows’ recent trip to Peru.
• How to learn more about the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Jason Smith in British Columbia, Alan Schreiber in Washington, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Brody Schropp in Michigan and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on August 22, 2024.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Luis Vegas, general manager of Proarandanos, the Peruvian Blueberry Growers & Exporters Association. What started as a promising year for production in Peru has turned into an unpredictable reversal of forecasts. In this episode, we contextualize what’s happening there to better understand what this means for Peruvian blueberry stakeholders.  

“El Niño phenomenon sometimes can have a global impact, but also sometimes can have a more regional impact. And in this case, it's more of a regional impact of El Niño, which is causing us to have warmer temperatures in the ocean. It's causing us to have warmer temperatures in the atmosphere. … The variety that is being more affected by this warmer weather, it's a variety called Ventura. It's the variety that has the largest acreage here in Peru. So in Peru there's approximately 6,000 hectares of Ventura, the variety that is being more affected, and this affects directly Peru's volumes.” - Luis Vegas

 Topics covered include: 

• Reconnecting with Vegas and his work at Proarandanos.
• The impact weather has had on blueberry production this year and what it could mean for future blueberry seasons in Peru.
• Why Vegas is optimistic about the future of blueberry production and varieties in Peru.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from T.J. Hafner in Oregon, Jason Smith in British Columbia and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on September 13, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Cort Brazelton, co-CEO of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, to discuss the latest International Blueberry Organization (IBO) State of the Industry report and the future of global blueberry production.

“If the IBO is going to create more value in the future, we need a strong partnership with the USHBC, because no organization in the world is carrying the weight like the U.S. council. It’s as simple as that.” - Cort Brazelton

“To get more share of the stomach, we don’t just do it through fresh, we get our product into more foods people eat. But to do that, the market – the buying side – has to have confidence, availability, consistency in pricing and getting the type of product they want. ”  - Cort Brazelton

Topics covered include:

• Overview and function of the IBO State of the Industry report, now free to all. 
• Importance of meeting in person and collaborating. 
• IBO’s role in contextualizing the global blueberry business.
• How having reliable and easily accessible data can help growing and production decisions. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramírez in Mexico. This was recorded on January 5, 2022.

Marketing Boost

Both strategy and tactics play a key role in executing a program. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses the importance of proper planning as the New Year kicks off.

There is no better way to find out what’s really happening in the blueberry industry than to get out to some actual blueberry fields. In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Georgia blueberry grower and emerging industry leader Michael Thomas shares how his 2021 harvest has gone and why he’s optimistic about the future of blueberries. 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), visits Thomas Family Farms in Blackshear, Georgia for this conversation with Michael, which provides insight on this year’s Georgia blueberry season, opportunities ahead for continuing to drive demand, and history and background from this first-generation blueberry grower.

“I think we're optimistic about the future of blueberries. I think there’s still room for growth, and if we can continue to be proactive on education about the health benefits of blueberries, I think there’s a future in blueberries for all of us.”  -  Michael Thomas

“The Georgia crop from the beginning of the season was estimated to be a pretty heavy yielding year, and for us it turned out to be that way. Pricing overall for the whole industry was definitely better this year than it's been in previous years even with a much larger crop, so overall, I'd have to summarize this year as a success.” - Michael Thomas 

Topics covered include: 

• Feedback from an emerging industry leader about the future of the blueberry industry. 
• Importance of and opportunities for grower involvement and leadership in organizations like the USHBC.
• Insights about the 2021 Georgia blueberry season.
• Opportunities for growing demand and consumption of blueberries.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Pat Goin in Indiana, Rex Schultz in Michigan, Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, and Jason Smith in British Columbia. This was recorded on July 7, 2021.  

Marketing Boost

National Blueberry Month is in full swing, and at USHBC, we’re making sure our strategies, tools and tactics are working for the good of the industry. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks shares how promotions, advertising, social content, industry engagement and other efforts are helping get eyes, ears and taste buds on blueberries during this important power period. You can join the fun by visiting our comprehensive National Blueberry Month tool kit at www.ushbc.org/toolkits - it’s like having your own advertising agency at your fingertips.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Dr. Frank Wong, director of stakeholder relations at Bayer, and Alyssa Houtby, NABC director of government affairs. Before joining Bayer, Wong was an associate specialist in cooperative extension and a plant pathologist at the University of California, Riverside. He has also served as the American Phytopathological Society's subject matter expert for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), providing information on plant diseases and disease management. Wong and Houtby discuss upcoming changes to EPA policies regarding pesticide and herbicide use. 

“It's the public's problem. It is the grower's problem. It is the pesticide manufacturer's problem. And it is EPA’s problem. If we don't figure out a way to solve this, that means that essentially the majority of pesticides … registrations could be vacated … . And for sure a lot of the efforts that I think blueberry growers should be doing right now is just being aware that all this is happening, and there are opportunities right now for their input to change the policy.” – Dr. Frank Wong

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Wong and Houtby and their work. 
• A discussion of the changes to EPA policies regarding pesticide and herbicide use that could impact blueberry producers.
• Where to learn more about the Endangered Species Act (WSSA.net) and how to view a story map that covers the evolution of the ESA and its intersection and interaction with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from TJ Hafner in Oregon, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on September 19, 2024. 

Since the inception of U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC), Denny Doyle has been a leader in the organization and the voice of New Jersey blueberry growers. Having been involved with the industry for decades, he’s seen it all. In this episode, Doyle helps us explore the history of blueberries in New Jersey and North America, from the renowned Elizabeth White to the formation of the North American Blueberry Council (NABC). 

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of USHBC and NABC, is joined by Denny Doyle, blueberry grower from New Jersey and the president of the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council.

“We had problems back then too … through communication and working with each other, we came up with solutions to move forward.” - Denny Doyle

“There was not even a blueberry sold in California in 1973 … through the development of NABC, our industry started to expand. There was more awareness not only to consumers, but there was also awareness to other growing regions.” - Denny Doyle

This episode features a conversation with Doyle on the long, rich history of blueberries in North America and New Jersey.

Topics include: 

• Doyle’s involvement on the USHBC Good Practices Committee.
• The beginnings of the blueberry industry in New Jersey.
• Elizabeth White and the True Blue Co-op.
• How NABC expedited growth in the ‘70s.
• Lessons for new growers to take from the development of NABC.

Crop Report - September 23, 2020 

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Mark Hurst from Oregon and Bryan Sakuma from Washington. This was recorded on September 23, 2020.

The impacts of COVID-19 were felt in nearly every industry, but few more acutely and suddenly than the restaurant industry. Across the world, foodservice had to quickly adapt to a world that was ordering take-out food as restaurants sat empty. But with every crisis comes an opportunity to adapt and innovate, which is where the “Restaurant of the Future” comes in. On today’s episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation about the state of the foodservice industry and what comes next as the world emerges from a pandemic. 

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Jeremy Kay, head of design at USHBC foodservice agency partner Sterling-Rice Group (SRG), and Tamra Scroggins, executive chef & director of culinary at Grill Concepts.

“We really had to take a step back to move forward . … I firmly believe that we are in this era now of rapid change and we will see things coming out of this pandemic that will change the way we service restaurants and how we engage in this space forever.” - Jeremy Kay

“[Blueberries] fit so well in so many things — you can put them in a savory dish, you can put them in a sweet dish, you can do both a sweet and savory dish. I think they’re pretty versatile and they’re just got an awesome color. I don’t think it’s a trend — I think people will shift toward eating healthier, being healthier and eating things that are healthy for them.” - Tamra Scroggins

Watch the Restaurant of the Future video here. 

Topics covered include: 

• What to expect from restaurants as we come out of the pandemic. 
• How restaurants changed their business models. 
• Engaging civic leaders on keeping outdoor dining environments. 
• How the pandemic inspired health-conscious restaurant menus and how blueberries are used on these menus. 
• SRG and USHBC’s “Restaurant of the Future.”  

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico and Andres Armstrong in Chile. This was recorded on March 17, 2021.

When the pandemic hit the United States, sales of frozen blueberries sky rocketed. Everywhere, families and health conscious consumers were looking for ways to maintain nutrition while extending the shelf life of their favorite foods. Frozen blueberries helped consumers thread that needle. In this episode, we talk with one of the foremost purveyors of frozen blueberries in Canada and how the frozen blueberry market is rapidly changing.

Host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Phillips, vice president of operations at Berryhill Foods. Cronquist and Phillips discuss the opportunities and challenges with the frozen blueberry market and the healthy relationship between Canada and the United States.

“When people start talking about frozen [blueberries], my ears perk up. I feel that’s where some growth needs to happen in this industry. The volume that sits around is in the frozen. That’s got to be looked at. Where can we promote this?” - Steve Phillips

“I think that frozen needs to be talked about more to the consumers, and it’s a tricky one, because [frozen foods are] located in ice cream row most of the time. And when you talk about blueberries and the health halo that surrounds it, for people that are health conscious, that’s the row that they don’t want to go down. ” - Steve Phillips

Topics covered include:

• Overview and history of Berryhill Foods as a company
• How the pandemic changed the frozen market
• Opportunities and challenges in the frozen blueberry market
• The positive relationship between the U.S. and Canadian blueberry industries

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Juan Soria Morales in Mexico, Isabel Urrutia in Chile, and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on Feb. 3, 2021.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Ross Peterson, the newly appointed director of finance at USHBC. Peterson explains how the USHBC is funded, the assessment process and some changes that are underway. 

“I get to hear life experiences. I get to hear how businesses are being run. It gives me a great insight as to what's happening in the industry. … I get to hear a lot of really fun stories in the mix of answering questions on how to fill out a form. … We get to spend a lot of time talking about families and kids and what it's like to transition a farm from generation to generation to generation.” - Ross Peterson

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Peterson and role at USHBC. 
• His journey from other prominent industries to the blueberry industry.
• The value of the assessment process and how it will impact producers in the coming year.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Alan Schreiber in Washington and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on September 20, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by New Jersey blueberry grower Art Galletta. Galletta shares his experience growing up as a familiar name in the blueberry industry and his family’s history in the business. He also discusses the New Jersey crop this year and his view on the importance of USHBC and NABC.

 “Taste is still really high on the criteria and along with that is firmness and the ability to carry. You need good, strong berries that will taste good and take a ride and store well so that it can go a longer distance and spread out your product. That's a way to add value to your business is to make it to more markets ” - Art Galletta

 “I think we need to create more and better opportunities to get the newer generation involved. … I see a lot of leadership qualities in these kids and I'm encouraged that we're gonna turn it over to people that are capable.” - Art Galletta

Topics covered include:

• What it’s like to be a legacy farmer in a family of blueberry growers in New Jersey.
• The Galletta family's journey in the blueberry industry, and Art’s influence on the NABC and USHBC.
• Galletta’s predictions for the future of the blueberry industry.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. The Pacific Northwest has basically wrapped up, marking the end of the domestic season for the year, but Doug Krahmer from Oregon joins us for a recap. He's joined by Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on September 28, 2022.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Mantle founder of Innov8 Ag, and USHBC/NABC Vice President of Engagement and Education Amanda Griffin to discuss the BerrySmart Field Project. Mantle introduced the BerrySmart Field Project in episode 100 and returns to let us know how the first year went and what to expect this year. 

“The BerrySmart field is this collaborative effort between growers, researchers and tech providers to optimize blueberry farming operations. We are just in the beginning phase of this, and I'm very excited to see how it grows and to hear from Steve today on where that first year went. A couple of the things that we hope to work on and focus on are soil, the nutrients, yield distribution, weather, chemicals and of course labor.” – Amanda Griffin

 Topics covered include: 

• Why the industry is investing in the BerrySmart Project.
• A full update on the project and what the future holds for the overall program. 
• A review of the project’s purpose, progress made and how the data being  collected can influence future practices. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Eric Stafne reporting for Louisiana and Mississippi, Luis Vegas in Peru and Elise Oliver in California. This was recorded on April 19, 2023. 

Employing robots on a blueberry farm may sound too futuristic to take seriously, but listening to this episode might change your mind. Advancements in robotic-harvesting technology are opening up a world of possibilities for blueberry growers. In today’s podcast, we discuss how one robot is helping hand harvesters, and how it might help blueberry growers in a multitude of other ways in the future.  

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council, and Rod Cook, industry veteran and the chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, are joined by Charlie Anderson of Burro Robotics and Paul Macrie of Macrie Brothers Blueberry Farm in New Jersey.

“How can I make that better? How can I make this faster? [Those are] the two things that we are always looking at.” - Paul Macrie

Anderson’s Philadelphia-based company, Burro Robotics, created a robot that’s designed to help people work more productively, while building the base for more automation where it’s needed most. The “Wall-E” style robot transports blueberries and other specialty crops from where they’re picked to where they’re packed. Macrie, a blueberry grower from New Jersey, is exploring the use of this robot at his own operation. 

This episode features a conversation with Anderson and Macrie, and their experience with robotic hand-harvesting technology. Topics include: 

• How Anderson and Macrie got started with robotics. 
• How the Burro hand harvester robot works.
• Macrie’s experience with Burro Robotics.
• Future robotic applications for the blueberry industry.
• Price points for blueberry hand-harvesting technology. 

Crop Report - September 8, 2020 

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru, Doug Krahmer in Oregon, Bryan Sakuma in Washington, and Jason Smith in British Columbia. This was recorded on September 8, 2020. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), turns our focus to Mexico. Jose Luis Bustamante, chair of Aneberries and general manager of Naturipe Berry Growers in Mexico, and Juan Jose Flores, executive director of Aneberries, discuss the country’s growth in the blueberry industry, the current challenges and opportunities they face, and what we can look forward to in the future.

“Mexico is moving more toward production in January, February, March and April. That's been becoming the Mexico window. We are more efficient. We have more production that we can be in the market in better conditions right now. …Our main focus right now is in the domestic market. We believe that we can grow that market to be a year-round consumption.” - Juan Jose Flores

“We have the most respect for American farmers. They do a wonderful job and we see us as complementary. We believe that having the presence of blueberries year-round with the same quality, with the same size and everything in common, that will increase consumption and that will make us all happy. We really appreciate the farmers and we appreciate our farmers. So we understand the things that you're going through and, believe us, that in Mexico we are going through the same thing.” - Jose Luis Bustamante 

Topics covered include: 

• A far-reaching conversation with Jose Luis Bustamante and Juan Jose Flores.
• A review of the beginning and growth of the blueberry industry in Mexico.
• The value in partnering with Mexican producers to foster a strong global blueberry industry.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. In this episode, you’ll hear from Brandon Wade in Georgia, Neil Moore in North Carolina, Elizabeth Carranza in California, and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on June 8, 2022.

Marketing Boost

In 1893, Elizabeth White saw the potential in blueberries on her family's farm. She partnered with USDA botanist Frederick Covillel, and together they found the right blueberry plants to cultivate. It’s no surprise that many years later, the blueberry industry is filled with women who are making an impact. That’s why USHBC is launching “Women in Blueberries,” with the goal of bringing together these amazing women. We’ll host our first virtual Women in Blueberries event on July 13 at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET. In this first two-part virtual session, we’ll examine the power of bringing other women along on your career journey, and how to be more mindful in supporting women who inspire you. More information is available here.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined once again by Soren Bjorn president of Driscoll’s of the Americas. Bjorn has been a frequent guest on the show, with featured discussions on episodes 003, 004, 088 and 089. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s is passionate about growing great tasting berries.

“We, in our mission, call that alignment and we work on that every day. That's everything from making sure that we have quality systems where growers can get immediate feedback from what is the quality of the berries that were picked that day to frequent market updates. … We also have a consumer panel that we talk to very regularly. This is thousands of people that have volunteered to be on our consumer panel, and we engage with them and we share that information back with the growers.” - Soren Bjorn

 Topics covered include: 

• How prioritizing the customer has impacted Driscoll’s business. 
• The systems and programs Driscoll’s has created to connect producers and consumers. 
• Bjorn’s take on the future of the blueberry industry.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Pat Goin in Indiana, Elise Oliver in California,TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on June 7, 2023. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Colin Fain of Agronometrics, International Blueberry Organization (IBO) report contributor Matt Ogg and USHBC/NABC Director of Business Intelligence Joe Vargas. They discuss the recent IBO Global State of the Blueberry Industry Report, which includes extensive research and insights into current dynamics impacting the blueberry industry worldwide.

“It's a great service that the IBO is putting together and making available for free to everybody in the industry. And it's something that I haven't seen any other industry come together to provide to the many players within it.” - Colin Fain

“In a nutshell, this report is looking at the commercial realities faced by growers and how they're responding, but it's also looking at where the opportunities lie and what people should have their eye on everywhere.” - Matt Ogg

Topics covered include: 

• Highlights of the International Blueberry Organization’s Annual Blueberry Industry Report.
• An analysis of the results of the report and key takeaways for the upcoming production year. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on December 7, 2022. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) is joined by Kevin Hamilton, USHBC’s vice president of communications and marketing, and Haiying Zhang, USHBC’s director of global business development. Zhang previously represented growers and stakeholders in the U.S. pistachio industry. As senior director of global marketing, she was responsible for executing marketing programs and budgeting in export markets, supervising public relations firms and overseeing USDA grant programs. 

“If you look at what is global business development, it really is a process of identifying and pursuing opportunities, with the goal to expand the operations or your reach in new international markets. And so at USHBC, my role is really … to expand the global trade for blueberries by increasing consumption in international markets.” – Haiying Zhang

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Zhang and her role with USHBC. 
• Details on the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) funding USHBC has been awarded to support next year’s market expansion.
• The opportunities USHBC representatives discovered at this year’s Asia Fruit Logistica conference. 
• How to connect with Zhang (hzhang@blueberry.org) to get involved in the global market expansion for blueberries

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on October 17, 2024. 

After years of hard work and bilateral negotiation, consumers in China can finally enjoy fresh blueberries from the United States — the birthplace of modern blueberry cultivation. This summer, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) teamed up with Pagoda, a leading fruit retailer in China, to hold a ceremony celebrating the arrival of fresh U.S. blueberries to mainland China, the first-ever promotion of USA fresh blueberries in China.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and co-host Alicia Adler, USHBC and NABC vice president of global business development, talk about the significance of China being open to U.S. blueberries and the opportunities this could open for domestic blueberry growers and marketers. Joining Kasey and Alicia are Shelby Sackett and Sarah Gelpi Hooker of Bryant Christie International who talk about the foundation being created for opportunities in China.

“[Establishing an office in the country] really is going to be making what you’re doing in China official, and we’re hoping that means getting blueberries over to China and opening up more doors for the industry.” - Sarah Gelpi Hooker

“I already see our program being put to use. I think with Sarah and Shelby’s help, we’ve retained an in-country market representative, not only to help us through this process, but to help us develop the market and establish a program.” - Alicia Adler

Topics covered include:

● The impact of gaining access for U.S. blueberries in a country of over 1 billion people.

● What’s involved in opening global markets, and the USHBC’s work to do so.

● Importance of global market development to the blueberry industry.

● The successful arrival of fresh U.S. blueberries to China in 2021.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Rex Schultz in Michigan, Doug Krahmer in Oregon, and Bryan Sakuma in Washington. This was recorded on August 4, 2021.

Marketing Boost

Last week, as the crowning touch to National Blueberry Month, USHBC announced the winners of America’s Best Blueberry Pie Contest. USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks shares more about the contest that netted over 200 blueberry pie recipes from across the country.

Fall Event Registration

Have you registered yet for Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings? The action takes place at The Grand Hotel in Salem, Oregon, September 27-October 1, with a virtual attendance option also available. Register today at blueberryevents.org/.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Magami, co-founder and executive chair of AgroVision, a vertically integrated grower, packer, shipper and marketer of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and table grapes. Recently having celebrated its 10-year anniversary, Agrovision is one of the world’s fastest growing producers and year-round supplier of superfruits, with nearly $300 million in sales. Magami first appeared on “The Business of Blueberries” in episode 115. 

“We've been on a mission to transform lives while we evolve in our journey to inspire consumers to live a more nutritious and healthy lifestyle. As I look back, I’m proud of our commitment to sustainability and the impact we've made, proud of our commitment to quality and the impact we've made on consumers, and I think we've just scratched the surface. It's already showing me the impact we can make together as an industry if we put the right quality on the shelf consistently through the year.” – Steve Magami

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Magami and his work. 
• A discussion of the reach, growth and success of AgroVision in securing global markets in the berry and table grape industry.
• An exploration of the obstacles to different berry varieties and AgroVision’s response.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today, you’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Brody Schropp in Michigan, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on April 4, 2024. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), sits down with University of Florida blueberry breeder Patricio Muñoz, Ph.D., to talk about flavor. This was recorded live at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando, Florida. 

“The way we do it is every cultivar we release is usually run for sensory panels up to three years. So 300 people have tested this fruit and have given their opinion on if they like it or not. ” - Patricio Muñoz, Ph.D.

“We are able to, using artificial intelligence and machine learning, train a model to be able to predict what people will like based on all this data we put together.” - Patricio Muñoz, Ph.D.

Topics covered include: 

• How the University of Florida collects data on flavor to guide its blueberry breeding program.
• The factors that influence overall blueberry flavor.
• How all of this knowledge informs tools like the “flavor wheel” for blueberries.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today, you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on November 16, 2022.