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/