Explore every episode of the podcast The Business of Blueberries

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council, is joined by USHBC Chair Bryan Sakuma. As a fourth-generation grower, Sakuma brings deep industry experience to his role as a leader of strategic initiatives for the blueberry industry. His passion for blueberries and vision for collaboration among producers is helping shape the future of the industry. In this episode, Sakuma discusses efforts to further engage our growers and encourage their involvement in meetings and events.

“ Every meeting we go to we learn a little bit more about how to better be prepared, what growers are wanting to hear, how they're wanting to hear it, because some people are verbal, some people want to see something on a chart and others just want to be one-on-one. So the different aspects are interesting and we're learning, and I think we're doing a better job of getting that information out and growers understanding where we're at, where we're headed and when we're going to get there.” – Bryan Sakuma

 Topics covered include: 

• The latest opportunities for collaboration between the blueberry industry and growers. 
• Sakuma’s vision and priorities for USHBC in the coming years.
• How USHBC is thinking about technology for industry growth.
• The ways producers can access and participate in industry meetings. 

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, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Brody Schropp in Michigan and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on July 24, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council, is joined by Dennis Tootelian, Ph.D., an emeritus professor of marketing in the College of Business at California State University, Sacramento. Tootelian is also a nationally recognized expert in economic impact research for agriculture, with two landmark studies quantifying the U.S. highbush blueberry industry’s multi-billion dollar economic contribution. With decades of experience advising commodity groups, he brings deep insight into how data drives industry growth and advocacy. 

“ So, growers had a huge impact nationally. Those were the numbers, but this occurred in each of the eight states that we looked at, millions, hundreds of millions of dollars in activity. Thousands of jobs created. Hundreds of millions in spending as a result of labor income, millions in taxes that get to be used …  Blueberry growers and importers spent about $3.6 billion in an average year, 10 million a day, roughly, and that's a lot of money to be spending, and it resulted in an economic impact of little over $9 billion, or about $25 million every day of every year.” – Dennis Tootelian, Ph.D. 

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Tootelian and his research. 
• An explanation of the macro-economic impacts of the blueberry industry and how they are measured.
• A deep dive into the data generated by Tootelian’s research, and what the data shows policymakers about the impact 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 TJ Hafner in Oregon, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Pat Goin in Indiana and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on July 17, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Steve Mantle, founder and CEO of Innov8.ag. Mantle and his team have been working closely with USHBC to transform high-tech field data into actionable insights. With test fields already established, Mantle is here to share where we are today, where we’re headed and why the BerrySmart Fields program is just getting started. He dives into the intersection of technology and agriculture – specifically, how we’re improving our ability to forecast yield using data-informed decisions across the blueberry supply chain.

“ Our work is focused on validating a smart farm network that enables blueberry growers, packers, marketers, stakeholders, sales tech and research to collaborate on farm operation optimization. So everything from what tech to be using, how to use it, to the bigger picture of how do we unlock data insights across the blueberry industry in ways that help the whole blueberry value chain grow and thrive into the future.” – Steve Mantle

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Steve Mantle and his work. 
• The purpose and impact of the BerrySmart Fields, and what it offers to all stakeholders in the blueberry supply chain.
• What the future holds for the BerrySmart team, and the innovations they’re evaluating and sharing with the industry.
• How to learn more at The Blueberry Convention 2025. We hope to see you there! 

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, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Brody Schropp in Michigan, Matt Macrie in New Jersey and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on July 10, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Ken Gilliam, vice president of predictive analysis at The Directions Group, and Cassidy Marn, account executive at The Directions Group. Together, Gilliam and Marn turn insights into real-world game plans, get teams on board and help teams move in the right direction to drive impactful decisions across organizations. Currently, they’re assisting USHBC with a survey related to its 2026-2030 strategic plan.  

“ You need data to make a better decision about what your next strategy is, and that survey is one of the primary tools that we use to inform the data stack that we need to find the issues that are most relevant to USHBC and the rest of the council.” – Ken Gilliam 

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to The Directions Group and the history of the organization.
• A discussion about the USHBC survey and why it’s so crucial for blueberry stakeholders to participate. (You can participate now here!) 
• The topics and questions included in this year’s survey.
• How The Directions Group separates itself from other groups to reach a broader audience.

Check out the “Farmer of the Future 2.0” report by The Direction's Group, a foundational study and audience segmentation of U.S. farmers that changed the way many organizations had previously approached the market.

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,

Michelle Borges in California, Sunny Brar in British Columbia and Brody Schropp in Michigan. This was recorded on July 3, 2025.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Lucas Thelosen, founder and CEO of Gravity, and Joe Vargas, director of business intelligence for USHBC and NABC. Thelosen has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to transform industries, and today he and Vargas discuss what this means for blueberries and for agriculture.  

“ What if we could bring the same level of analytical sophistication that someone like Amazon has or someone like Google has, to the average business?” – Lucas Thelosen

“ I think that artificial intelligence piece where you can have an analyst with you 24/7, whether you're working on stuff in an airplane or in the middle of the night, it's there for you to be able to help you understand things that you didn't see.” – Joe Vargas

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) and its use for extracting insights from data.
• A discussion about how the USHBC is leveraging advancements in AI to help the industry make more optimal decisions. 
• Why this is the next evolution of the BerrySmart Insights platform.
• How data and AI will impact 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 TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Pat Goin in Indiana, Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on June 12, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Mario Steta, chair of the International Blueberry Organization (IBO) and vice president of sustainability, compliance and public affairs for Driscoll’s Europe, Middle East and Africa. With deep experience in global berry production and trade, Steta is helping lead the charge on innovation, sustainability and international collaboration in the blueberry industry. Under his leadership, the IBO represents over 90% of the world’s blueberry production. He shares the current state of affairs in the blueberry industry and the many benefits he sees in global collaboration to improve technology and innovation for all blueberry stakeholders. 

“ But, in essence, we see the blueberry industry and our commitment to it, beyond what we do as a company and with our growers, as an effort that speaks for exactly what we’re doing today. Opening up and having a dialogue of the things we can work together, the concerns we have, and the differences we have, too, which is important.” – Mario Steta

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Steta and his work with IBO and Driscoll’s.  
• A discussion on IBO’s mission and the progress it’s making on behalf of the global blueberry industry.
• Details on this year’s IBO summit in South Africa.
• Insights from the IBO 2024 Report.

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, Michelle Borges in California, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Luis Vegas in Peru and Derrin Wheeler in Georgia. This was recorded on June 6, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Paul Sandefur, Ph.D., vice president of research and development at Fall Creek Farm and Nursery. Sandefur received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in  horticulture from the University of Arkansas, and his doctoral degree from Washington State University. He leads the mid- and high-chill blueberry breeding program based in Oregon, and collaborates closely with Fall Creek’s breeding teams in Mexico and Europe. He joins the podcast to share about the process of bringing new blueberry varieties to the market, and the many characteristics Fall Creek is focusing on for the future of the industry.

“ Now, I have the pleasure of working with our global team to bring new varieties to the market. So really focusing on new varieties that have the eating experience that brings the joy that we need consumers to have, that we want consumers to have, but then also have the grower economics to make it work. That’s what gets me going and that’s what I get excited about doing every day.” – Paul Sandefur, Ph.D. 

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Sandefur and his work. 
• The process behind developing new blueberry varieties and the obstacles plant breeders face in bringing them to market.
• The traits and unique qualities of the Peachy Blue variety. 

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, Luis Vegas in Peru, Todd Sanders in California, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Jody McPherson in North Carolina and Pat Goin in Indiana. This was recorded on May 29, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is once again joined by Leslie Wada, Ph.D., and Alyssa Houtby. Dr. Wada is our very own senior director of nutrition and health research at the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. She’s responsible for furthering the reputation and appreciation for the health benefits of blueberries and USHBC’s health research program. Houtby is the director of government affairs for the North American Blueberry Council and serves as a policy adviser to the USHBC, helping identify and advance the public policy goals for blueberries. Together, they collaborate to increase the impact of the blueberry industry on government policy and health research to continue to expand consumer demand for blueberries.

“  I don't think anybody would ever question that blueberries are a healthy product, but now we have, because of the USHBC and the work that Dr. Wada has led, we have credible science to stand on and influence government policies. … So it's a great space for us to work in as a credible source of information, and also politically savvy enough to identify where the opportunities are.” – Alyssa Houtby

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Wada and Houtby, and their work for the councils.
• The opportunities for blueberries that emerge from the revision of the dietary guidelines and the growing viewpoint of “food as medicine.”
• How the blueberry industry can impact future government policy and health research efforts.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Georgia, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Indiana, Mexico and Peru. This was recorded on May 8, 2025. 

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Haiying Zhang, USHBC director of global business development. Zhang has a strong background in the agriculture industry and was previously the senior director of global marketing for American Pistachio Growers. In her role at USHBC, she works to expand global blueberry trade by increasing consumption in international markets. Zhang also works with the USDA to seek grants to continue to develop global markets. 

“  My job at USHBC is to expand the global trade for our blueberries through increasing consumption in our international markets. And so, really, our goal is to make blueberries the world's favorite fruit.” – Haiying Zhang 

 Topics covered include: 

• An exploration of the USHBC’s efforts to expand the number and size of international markets for blueberries.
• The purpose and benefits of the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Regional Agricultural Promotional Program (RAPP), and how they are being used to promote the blueberry industry.
• A deep dive into the analysis performed to evaluate global markets and determine which are most valuable to pursue.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mexico, North Carolina, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. This was recorded on April 24, 2025. 

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, is joined by Brian Kuehl, executive director of the Agriculture Trade Education Council. The Agriculture Trade Education Council is the premier resource for education on the value of agricultural trade policies, practices and structures. Its mission is to provide understandable and reliable information on trade to inform and empower decision-making that facilitates growth in U.S. food and agriculture. He also serves as the director of government and public affairs at Pinion, a leading advisory and accounting firm dedicated to the food and agriculture industry. In this episode, he shares the history of global trade as we know it today and  unpacks the issues that are significant to the blueberry industry going forward.

“ The Agriculture Trade Education Council views itself as content neutral in the sense of it's not taking a stand for tariffs or against tariffs, or for a free trade agreement or against a free trade agreement. That's not its job. Its job is to provide trade information, so it tries to stay out of the fights and the debates. It tries to just provide information so that everyone who's engaged in those discussions can operate off a common platform of knowledge and understanding.” – Brian Kuehl

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Kuehl and his work. 
• The opportunities provided by the Agriculture Trade Education Council and the importance of this type of education.
• The history of the global trade system and the dynamic nature of its evolution.
• The most significant aspects of current agricultural trade that will impact 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 Jody McPherson in North Caroline, T.J. Hafner in Oregon and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on April 17, 2025. 

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 JC Clinard, a third-generation farmer and CEO of berries at Frutura. Clinard is also very active in the councils, serving as the USHBC Finance Committee chair, USHBC Treasurer and a member of the Executive Committee. He shares about his background in blueberries, his new role with Frutura and his current focus with USHBC. 

“ I believe demand will continue to increase for blueberries, but I think that there is a whole other level of demand increase that we can take advantage of and capture if we're strategic.” – JC Clinard

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Clinard’s background in blueberries and his current role with Frutura.
• Clinard’s vision for the opportunities ahead for blueberry supply and demand.
• A discussion of what the industry needs to do to seize the opportunity to become the world’s favorite fruit.
• Also mentioned in this episode: “Why Frutura is Betting Big on Berries.” 

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 and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 20, 2025. 

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 Wade Jackson of Family Tree Farms. Jackson is a third-generation family farm owner and a board member at Family Tree Farms. He has also developed expertise in genetics and breeding blueberry varieties. He shares about how Family Tree Farms is thinking about genetics and where that’s driving their partnership with Mountain Blue Orchards (MBO). 

“We're always going to hang our hat on flavor at Family Tree Farms. … We have weekly tastings with our whole family, and there's always one of us bringing our kids. … Who drives consumption? It's the kids. So, a lot of what runs our business is what these kids that are 11 years old and younger gravitate to at these tasting tables.” – Wade Jackson

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Jackson. 
• A summary of the partnership between Family Tree Farms and Mountain Blue Orchards, and the varieties this partnership has produced.
• A discussion of what farmers care about most in new genetics and where that’s pushing the 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 Brittany Lee in Florida, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Alan Schreiber in Washington and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 13, 2025.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Amanda Griffin, vice president of engagement and education for the USHBC, celebrates International Women’s Day by featuring three women leaders from the blueberry industry. Ellie Norris is the owner/manager of Norris Blueberry Farms; Anna Jesse is the vice president of Forest Hills Farm; and Shelly Hartmann is the owner of True Blue Farms and the immediate past chair of the USHBC. Together, they discuss future USHBC and NABC initiatives to support women and various ways women can take more active roles in the blueberry industry.

“ I have to say I'm proud of my industry. When I started becoming more active on my state level and the national level, there were already strong females in roles of leadership that I could look up to and follow in their footsteps. And in the 10 years that I have been active and become more active, I just see this younger generation coming up behind me and also being active.” – Ellie Norris

 Topics covered include: 

• The journey these women have taken to become significant contributors to the blueberry industry. 
• Announcement of a five-part women in blueberries webinar to be launched this fall. 
• Plans for a “Women in Blueberries 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 Derrin Wheeler in Georgia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on March 6, 2025. 

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 Greg Willems, the President of G & M Farms Inc. and President of the California Blueberry Nursery. Willems established his production as a self-starting, vertically integrated farming operation over twenty years ago. He shares the priorities he places on the genetics his nursery is developing as well as efforts he’s making towards future blueberry market expansion.

“  I think one thing that really helps me when I evaluate varieties is understanding what it looks like in the field, how it comes off the plant – does the plant grow well, and does it perform in the way we need it to to make a mechanical high quality berry? Because obviously everybody knows the bar has been set pretty high for blueberry quality.” - Greg Willems

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Willems and his expertise in berries.
• Explore Willem’s experience in table grapes and the impact on blueberry operations.
• The challenges of introducing new varieties to producers and providing new packaging to 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 Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on February 27, 2025. 

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 George Lobisser, CEO & Co-Founder of RipeLocker. RipeLocker is a science-based, data-driven company that has been testing the efficacy of its containers to extend the post-harvest life of perishables.

“ I didn't start RipeLocker to be focused on tangible benefits, and tangible is simply I can put a dollar sign against it. I started RipeLocker because of my passion for healthy eating and quality. … If you slow senescence, the fruit’s going to be more nutritious.” – George Lobisser

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Lobisser and his work. 
• An explanation of the revolutionary technology that’s behind the RipeLocker container. 
• The impact RipeLocker could have on the produce industry by preserving post-harvest produce.

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, Brittany Lee in Florida, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on February 20, 2025. 

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 Bryan Sakuma and Teddy Koukoulis, the incoming chairs of the USHBC and NABC. Together, they discuss what interested them in these new roles, the value the two organizations bring to each other and what their leadership will offer the blueberry industry going forward. 

“  As a farmer that's in Florida, I'm thinking the most important thing to me is the last two weeks of March and the first two weeks of April. But as a marketer, as a retailer, blueberries are important 365 days a year. … It's going to be one of my jobs as part of the NABC to continue these town hall meetings and educate people that other regions are not our enemies, that we can work together.” – Teddy Koukoulis

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Sakuma and Koukoulis, and their blueberry industry experience. 
• An exploration of what brought them to their new roles and what they hope to achieve for the industry. 
• A discussion about how the two organizations can work together and support each other to benefit the 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 Brittany Lee in Florida, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 30, 2025. 

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 Pat Goin. Goin and her husband, Kevin, own Goin’s Blueberry Lane in Indiana. Before her tenure as chair of the NABC Board of Directors, Goin served as board vice chair, and chair of the NABC’s Government Affairs Committee. She was also the chair of the USHBC’s Good Practices Committee. Goin reflects on her time as NABC board chair, highlights the progress that was made and discusses where she sees the industry going under its new leadership.

“ The blueberry industry to me, has always been a large family. When we come together, it doesn't matter who you market for or what region you're in, you just try to find the common ground and move it forward.  And those are the kinds of things we do in the states. Those are the kinds of things that we did in Peru and in Chile. So what a great experience.” – Pat Goin

 Topics covered include: 

• Hear Goin’s reflections on her time as NABC chair. 
• Explore the international and leadership experiences Goin participated in, and hear highlights of each of them.

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. This was recorded on January 23, 2025.

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 Shelly Hartmann, who is making her fifth appearance on the podcast. Hartmann served as chair of the USHBC from 2021 to 2024. This year, she leaves the position in the very capable hands of Bryan Sakuma. Hartmann reflects on her tenure with the USHBC and the lessons she learned, and shares her hopes for the future of the blueberry industry. 

“  I feel that one of the things I'm proudest of, if I had to say one, is the involvement and the growth of participation that we've been able to achieve in the three-and-a-half years, because we took something that was like an industry meeting and then now we've moved it into something that's more of an educational forum.” – Shelly Hartmann

 Topics covered include: 

• A few of Hartmann’s experiences as the USHBC chair. 
• A discussion of the many improvements Hartmann has seen in the blueberry industry and the council over the last few years.
• A glimpse into the future endeavors Hartmann sees the council participating in, and the benefits they’ll provide to blueberry growers.

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, Andres Armstrong in Chile, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Derrin Wheeler in Georgia. This was recorded on Jan. 16, 2025. 

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 Paul Pryce, the new executive director of the British Columbia Blueberry Council. Pryce previously served for nearly three years at the British Columbia Agriculture Council, and is passionate about food security and supporting those who feed our communities. He brings over 15 years of experience in government relations, advocacy, market development and international diplomacy to the Canadian Blueberry industry. 

“  We don't want to see people going out of production. We don't want to see bushes being pulled out. So, how do we keep those people in the game? And I think that's encouraging them.” — Paul Pryce

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Pryce and his expertise. 
• The biggest concerns for Canadian blueberry growers, and how the British Columbia Blueberry Council is addressing them.
• An exploration of potential new markets for blueberries. 
• The current dynamics along the U.S. border, and possible blueberry industry implications in the face of ever-changing global politics.

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 January 8, 2025. 

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,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. Last episode, Lujan shared what led him to his current position at Hortifrut. Today, he describes his perspective on the global blueberry industry. 

“ So, I think what we need to look at is, one, as marketers – to make sure that we are moving toward what the consumer wants and providing that product. And as growers – we are long-term thinkers and developing the industry with that long-term view because it will continue to grow the market.” — Hector Lujan

 Topics covered include: 

• Lujan’s vision for the global blueberry industry.
• How to grow both the volume and value of the blueberry market.
• Dynamics in key growing regions like Mexico and Chile.

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 January 2, 2025. 

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,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Inez Be, the new USHBC Director of Marketing. Be is a marketing, PR and communications expert who’s passionate about food and agriculture, and has years of experience working for a number of commodities groups, including potatoes, honey, almonds, rice, avocados and blueberries. Tune in to discover the impact Be is already making in the blueberry industry through many creative promotions and events, and to hear what she has planned for the future.

“It's just exciting to be able to start at this stage within the blueberry industry and have an actual impact on that, and be able to learn about the many dynamic, kind of complicated and interesting facets of what the blueberry industry has to offer. … We want to make sure that what we're doing is reaching our target audience where they are, and being able to communicate that value and joy that blueberries provide.” – Inez Be

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Be and her career. 
• Discussion of the many events and promotions Be has already been involved in, and what she’s looking forward to creating for the industry.
• An exploration of the future strategy for blueberry marketing under Be’s leadership, including collaborations with influencers and organizations.

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 6, 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 Steve Ware, vice president and general manager, value added, at Naturipe Farms. Naturipe is known for its sustainable practices and innovation in the berry industry. As a grower cooperative, Naturipe prioritizes farmer collaboration to deliver high-quality berries year-round. Ware discusses his 30-year journey in the produce industry, Naturipe's sustainable practices and its innovative approach to value-added blueberry products. 

“Now people are on the go. A lot of companies are making people go back to the office. A lot of people are traveling. Sports are back in. Everything is back in swing, and so people are back to looking for solutions in the snacking category.” – Steve Ware

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Ware and what brought him to the blueberry category.
• Innovations in blueberry snacking, including bento boxes, Berry Buddies, snack packs and more.
• Future innovations, market trends and emerging value-added products.
• How varieties are changing the game and enabling the next wave of value-added blueberry foods.

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, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on November 29, 2024. 

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 blueberry producer and innovative farmer Sam Gray, and Laina Gray, U.S. operations manager for FineField. Sam is the farm manager for his family’s business, PineBloom Farms, in Albany, Georgia. He created a process for using FineField’s Harvy 500 and the Burro automated cart to improve blueberry harvest efficiencies. Laina has firsthand experience with the Harvy 500, FineField’s solar-powered robotic autonomous harvester. Together, they share insights on this collaboration and the benefits it offers blueberry producers when it comes to future automated processes. 

“So, I had no idea that we were going to use them both in tandem. It just seemed easier and maybe less wear and tear on everybody kind of involved in the operation. And then also the benefit … with the Harvy is as we're continually loading and unloading the fruit, it is probably not being in the heat off the bush for more than 10 to 15 minutes because it's going off the machine, it's getting palletized, and it's immediately being put in a refrigerated trailer. So, it just helps with getting that fruit to a temperature where if it does have bruising or if it does have defects, it will kind of slow the decay.” — Sam Gray

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Sam and Laina, and their work in the blueberry industry.
• The motivations and the process Sam used for incorporating automation into his operation. 
• The benefits and challenges of using two unique automated technologies during harvest. 

Watch this video to see the automated machines working in tandem. 

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 15, 2024. 

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 USHBC Compliance Coordinator Crystal Wills. In her role as compliance coordinator, Wills ensures the timely and fair collection of all assessments from imported and domestic blueberry production. USHBC assessment forms are due Nov. 30, and Wills walks listeners through the process of completing the forms, shares available resources to help with questions and explains the penalties levied if the deadline is not met.

“The law requires that the grower or importer of record, if you have over 2,000 pounds of berries, you're going to pay nine-tenths of a penny per pound or 18 per ton, and that's going to be on fresh and frozen berries. This is going to come into the USHBC, and that's going to be for the purposes of research and promotion. So we're making sure that that's happening across the board.” – Crystal Wills

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Wills and her role with USHBC. 
• An exploration of the process producers and handlers should use to submit the required forms and declare their production numbers.
• How the assessment is calculated, and what values need to be used and verified to calculate total production.
• How to avoid penalties for late submissions or incomplete payments.

Contact Wills directly with any questions at cwills@nabcblues.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 8, 2024. 

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,” 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 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. 

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,” you’ll hear a live recording of U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and North American Blueberry Council (NABC) President Kasey Cronquist’s keynote address to the blueberry industry, which was recorded live at the 2024 Blueberry Summit in Denver. He was joined by Brad Moorer, CEO of MBG Marketing, blueberry grower Michael Hill and USHBC Chair Shelly Hartmann. Cronquist and his guests discuss the value of continued investment in the USHBC and the industry’s potential expansion. 

“You have the USHBC … where you can collectively bring everybody together to pull the biggest lever that you have to bring consumers back to the category or to the category for the first time in such a way that helps lift demand. And that helps everybody. And that's why USHBC got started in the first place: There was vision in what was going to need to happen in order to handle the circumstances. And, today, we're in different circumstances. We're at a crossroad.” – Kasey Cronquist

 Topics covered include: 

• The need for an increased assessment for the blueberry industry. 
• The industry’s perspective on what it will take to continue to expand blueberry demand globally, and the best strategy to accomplish this task.
• A grower's perspective on the proposed increased assessment, and the need this investment meets for producers in the industry.
• The goals of the USHBC, what an increased assessment will provide for the organization, and how an increased assessment will help USHBC better support blueberry producers. 

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. 

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 Michael La Kier, vice president of brand development at the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA). IGA is the largest affiliation of independent grocers in the U.S. and worldwide, with 1,700 U.S. stores and over 6,200 stores globally. They have thousands of independents across the U.S. working together as one entity to give access to affordable technology, programs and partnerships with the world's top consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers and service providers. Our shopper team has teamed up with IGA to help share blueberry value with consumers.

“So you have to think through in a very disciplined, strategic way of what's the point of inspiration and how do I activate it? What's that point of decision, and then point of transaction to be holistic about it? Which is what I love that you guys have started to do in terms of thinking through what is the retail strategy, not just how do we create awareness for blueberries.” – Michael La Kier

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to La Kier.
• An exploration of the strategies and efforts underway by IGA on behalf of the berry industry. 
• The impact of the Organic Produce Summit and the insights we can gain from it for the blueberry industry.
• How the blueberry industry can collaborate with IGA now and into 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 Luis Vegas in Peru, Alan Schreiber in Washington and Brody Schropp in Michigan. This was recorded on September 12, 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 MBG Marketing CEO Brad Moorer. MBG Marketing is a producer-owned blueberry and blackberry cooperative that was formed in 1936 as the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association. They have since expanded their membership to several other states, and today have over 200 growers, making them the largest marketer of fresh and processed, cultivated blueberries in North America. Moorer has previously joined our podcast on episode 108 and episode 109. He returns now to talk about leadership, marketing and his views on where the industry is headed and where it needs to go.

“We have the data today to manage more effectively than we did in the past and that certainly helped drive improved results on both the sales side and the expense management side. But we have had this headwind of inflationary environment that we've been operating in, and I think we'll all be glad to see  if that ever goes back to more of a normal or at least a consistency where we could plan. … This is a long-term business, and you've gotta take that horizon when you get emotional about what's going on in the short term.” – Brad Moorer

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Moorer and his work. 
• An exploration of the progress and market expansion MBG Marketing has provided Michigan Growers.
• A look at the new research agreement between Berry Blue (an MBG Marketing company) and the University of Florida Blueberry Breeding 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 T.J. Hafner in Oregon and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on September 5, 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 Michigan State University Associate Professor Tim Miles and NABC Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby.. Miles is an associate professor in the Small Fruit and Hop Pathology Laboratory who has teamed up with researchers across the U.S. to study the management of anthracnose and botritus fruit rot in blueberries. Houtby works closely with the NABC Government Affairs Committee, and is also focused on funding and technical assistance opportunities for projects that improve blueberry production and market access.

“I'd love to improve fruit quality and improve shelf life and improve some of the environmental aspects of growing blueberries. We do have a lot of really great tools and synthetic pesticides that we've been working on for a long time, and there's been a lot of innovation in bio fungicides.” – Tim Miles

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Miles and Houtby. 
• A discussion of the projects Miles has organized and contributed to, and how they impact the blueberry industry. 
• An exploration of a project dubbed “BLUE DYNAMO,” and what it offers producers and researchers as far as opportunities to collaborate and integrate new protocols. 

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 and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on August 29, 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), 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), 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.

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 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 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. 

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 Chad Reenders, a fourth generation farmer who has been growing blueberries with his family since 2006. He recently started his own blueberry farm, and he farms 120 acres with his brother-in-law. Last year, Vegetable Growers News included Reenders on their list of Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40. Reenders is also the president of the Michigan Blueberry Advisory Committee and a passionate advocate for Michigan farmers.

“So in farming, it's risky, right? We're pretty much gambling every day with our money, with our income and with all the inputs we put in our farms. And in Michigan, I think two years ago, we were only at about 25% that were covered under some kind of crop insurance. I really wanted to push that number higher. I felt like we could at least get to 50%, if not more, of our growers being covered. I want to make sure that our blueberry growers are covered for the input costs and everything they have out in the field.” – Chad Reenders

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Reenders, a fourth generation farmer and president of the Michigan Blueberry Advisory Committee.
• Reenders efforts to promote crop insurance among blueberry growers, and the network he called on to make that happen.
• What the Michigan blueberry industry looks like today and where it’s headed. 

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, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Jason Smith in British Columbia, Jody McPherson in North Carolina and Matt Macrie in New Jersey. This was recorded on July 11, 2024. 

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!

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 Todd Eagan, a former lead berry buyer with Costco’s fresh produce department and current consultant with Good Farms. You may remember him as a distinguished speaker at one of our virtual events in 2020 where he presented “In Search of the Perfect Blueberry.” Eagan shares industry trends and gives insight into how to capture more of the fresh produce market.

“I'm a big believer in the free market, and I think consumers are smart. They don't want to spend their dollars, and nothing was worse to me than when you didn't hit expectations. Let's find a way to try to meet expectations wherever we can and so always kinda chasing that … let's make sure that we can do everything we can to exceed expectations of the consumer rather than disappoint.” - Todd Eagan

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Eagan and his reflections on the state of the berry industry over the last few decades.
• Eagan’s overall career in the berry industry and his extensive experience in retail produce. 
• Eagan’s take on the blueberry industry’s successes and possible historical shortcomings.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Jaqueline Nakashian with the California Blueberry Commission, Matt Macrie from New Jersey, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on May 30, 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 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 Bruce Popko, chief executive officer of Major League Pickleball. Popko discusses the growth of pickleball, the professional league that he leads, and why blueberries and pickleball belong on the same court together. The USHBC is thrilled to be one of the first sponsors of Major League Pickleball, joining some of the world’s largest and most recognizable brands in leveraging pickleball’s unique consumer reach.

“The cool part is that inherently you've got a fun fruit and we've got a fun experience. So smashing those together in meaningful ways… I think there's just a lot of fun to be had in the relationship.” - Bruce Popko

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Popko. 
• A description of the meteoric growth pickleball has experienced and the continued growth it’s expected to achieve.
• An explanation of how pickleball aligns with USHBC’s mission to make blueberries the world’s favorite fruit!

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Brittany Lee in Florida,  Matt Macrie in New Jersey, Pat Goin in Indiana, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Jody McPherson in North Carolina and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on May 9, 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 U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Bruce Popko, chief executive officer of Major League Pickleball. Popko discusses the growth of pickleball, the professional league that he leads, and why blueberries and pickleball belong on the same court together. The USHBC is thrilled to be one of the first sponsors of Major League Pickleball, joining some of the world’s largest and most recognizable brands in leveraging pickleball’s unique consumer reach.

“The cool part is that inherently you've got a fun fruit and we've got a fun experience. So smashing those together in meaningful ways… I think there's just a lot of fun to be had in the relationship.” - Bruce Popko

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Popko. 
• A description of the meteoric growth pickleball has experienced and the continued growth it’s expected to achieve.
• An explanation of how pickleball aligns with USHBC’s mission to make blueberries the world’s favorite fruit!

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, Jody McPherson in North Carolina, Elise Oliver in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on April 11, 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 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), 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 U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Jorge Andres Varela, president of Agroberries. Agroberries is a vertically integrated berry producer and marketer with a large worldwide presence and a portfolio of exclusive proprietary genetic varieties. Varela discusses their expansion with Berry Fresh, a marketing arm in the Americas, as well as their recent investment in BerryWorld. 

“We have to be united. There's sometimes a little bit of tension between different growing regions, but finally, we're all looking for the same thing. We're looking to increase consumption, to offer a better product to consumers, and I think we have to work together. … An industry that works together is going to be much more successful than everyone doing their own thing on their own.” – Jorge Andres Varela

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Varela. 
• The expansion and growth of Agroberries, Berry Fresh and the recent investment they’ve made in BerryWorld.
• Varela’s take on expanding the value, quality and consumption of blueberries worldwide. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Brittany Lee in Florida and Daniel Bustamante in Peru. This was recorded on March 7, 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 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.