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.