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.