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), introduces Joe Vargas, the first-ever USHC/NABC director of business intelligence. Vargas and Cronquist are joined by Tom Barnes of Category Partners and Grant Prentice of Padilla FoodMinds to discuss the blueberry industry’s data and insights program. 

“I think that the gut feel and experience that got us through the 20th century just won't cut it in the 21st century. …What we're going to be trying to do is outline what benefits, what is going to be the reason for participation and what is that going to bring to the growers, the marketers, the shippers, the retailers, consumers – that whole pride and everything in between – of how can we be relevant and how can we take the data in a direction that's going to help us with that single voice.” - Joe Vargas

“We were able to add Mintel and a pretty cool data set from their GNPD database. And what that does is it allows the industry, anybody with a username and password, into this analytics dashboard … to go in and look at the packaging all around the world. …And so it's a really powerful tool for those people that are looking to maybe redesign packaging or find out where their blueberries are ending up.” - Tom Barnes

“It's not just about having (data) sitting somewhere where people can access it, but how do we take that information, the right slices or the right views of the day. … I think this type of data that we're talking about, and having more hands on deck, is just going to make all that stuff flow that much more. - Grant Prentice

Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Joe Vargas, newly appointed director of business intelligence for USHBC.
• A review of new data tools and a look at future prospects for the industry. 
• The value of collecting data regarding produce categories, consumer trends and household habits, and the benefits of making that data available and transparent to producers.

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 Ken Patterson in Florida, Brandon Wade in Georgia, Neil Moore in North Carolina, and Elizabeth Carranza in California. This was recorded on May 18, 2022.

Marketing Boost

There are oh so many promotional opportunities coming up for USHBC, starting with National Blueberry Cheesecake Day on May 26! Be sure to download our cool GIF and use it to engage your social media audience. In June, we’ll celebrate Brain Health Month. Be sure to check out our toolkit for amazing resources and advice on promoting the health benefits of blueberries all month long.