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 (NABC), is joined by Luke Lindberg, the former USDA's Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, who’s now serving as executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). In his role with USDA, Lindberg worked alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to expand market access, strengthen American agriculture's competitiveness and reduce our nation's agricultural trade deficit. Cronquist and Lindberg have traveled together on USDA agricultural trade missions to Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

“I've been really fortunate to be able to, in this position, represent what I think is one of been the most fun constituents to ever work with, which is America's farmers and ranchers and growers all around the country.” – Luke Lindberg

Topics covered include:

• An introduction to Lindberg and his efforts at USDA.
• The impact of U.S. trade negotiations and agreements, and how they directly affect American farmers.
• The connections between food security and national security.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico. This was recorded on Oct. 15, 2026.

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), welcomes back Cort Brazelton of Fall Creek Farms and Nursery. A regular contributor to the podcast, Brazelton brings his characteristic energy and insights to the conversation, which covers recent changes at Fall Creek — including his decision to leave space for new leadership. Brazelton describes rapid global blueberry growth and a bimodal market where “better blueberries” command higher price floors, driven by genetics, execution and consistent quality at scale.

“This industry is changing fast… The stakes are higher, but the opportunities are bigger … the pressure to innovate is increasing. I find the best way to get our heads around that is to think about where we want to be in five to seven years… We need to make decisions to get us to that future state, and there's no better time than now.” – Cort Brazelton

Topics covered include:

• Recent changes at Fall Creek, including Brazelton’s decision to leave space for new leadership.
• The development of a bimodal market where “better blueberries” command significantly higher price floors, driven by genetics, execution and consistent quality at scale.
• How rising consumer discernment, category segmentation and farm economics (yield, harvest cost, price) will shape future innovation.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico. This was recorded on Oct. 8, 2026.

In this special episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), delivers a keynote on why industry progress comes from people working together, and shares USHBC’s role in growing the entire blueberry category. Cronquist outlines the need to balance a 148% supply increase over 15 years with demand growth through health research, advertising, data and market development, emphasizing “a home for every berry” across fresh and frozen, and new usage occasions.

“ Progress happens when people choose to build something together. All of you are responsible for a slice, but USHBC is responsible for the whole pie, and our job in the next five years is to change consumer behavior so more people crave blueberries, buy them more often and eat more each time.” – Kasey Cronquist

Topics covered include:

• A description of meaningful and measurable changes that will benefit blueberry growers.
• An overview of increasing purchase frequency, expanding consumption beyond breakfast and driving greater volume per occasion.
• A discussion about the power of working together as an industry for the benefit of all.

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 and Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico. This was recorded on October 1, 2026.

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 Oregon Blueberry Sales Manager Doug McCann. Oregon Blueberry is one of the largest wholesale blueberry nurseries in North America. McCann brings deep expertise in supply-and-demand forecasting, and his work supports decision-making across the blueberry supply chain. He’s also an active participant in industry conversations, regularly engaging through research, conferences and fellow growers to stay ahead of emerging trends.

“ Yield has been a consistent driver in our breeding program. We know there's firmness out there. We know there's storage life. We know there's flavor. We have all those characteristics in the industry. We've got to get the yields up, and I think that's so important to the grower, and that's what's going to carry them into the future.” – Doug McCann

Topics covered include:

• A description of Oregon Blueberry’s history and how its breeding program has evolved.
• An overview of four recent cultivar releases from Oregon Blueberry.
• A discussion about Rabbiteye, its reputation and its future.
• The importance of target traits like flavor, firmness, storage and especially higher yields.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report was given live at the Blueberry Convention this week in Monterey. It will return to the podcast next week!

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 VentureFuel Founder and CEO Fred Schonenberg. VentureFuel is an innovation advisory firm that helps major brands, such as Netflix and General Mills, unlock growth through startup collaborations. The USHBC partnered with VentureFuel last year to launch the Blueberry Boost Accelerator, a first-of-its-kind program supporting emerging brands using blueberries as a prominent ingredient. Schonenberg reflects on the first year of the program, and builds anticipation for the second accelerator cohort and live pitch competition that will take place at The 2026 Blueberry Convention.

“The goal is we want to find the companies with the highest growth potential. We want to shorten the time it's gonna take them to realize that growth and set them up for success. All on the idea of if they're successful, they're gonna buy more blueberries. And that's really the end goal of this.” – Fred Schonenberg

Topics covered include:

• A description of the Blueberry Boost Accelerator and the goals of the program. .
• A discussion of the accelerator program’s innovative approach to ingredient marketing,
• An overview of what to expect from this year’s accelerator cohort
• The impact this intensive program can have for innovative startups with a blueberry focus.

Learn more about the Blueberry Boost Accelerator today and meet the finalists – and sample their products – at the upcoming Blueberry Convention!

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico and Emilie Parkanzky in Michigan. This was recorded on September 17, 2026.

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 Senior 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. Byland says omnichannel expectations have risen, making consistent quality, reliable availability and recognizable value critical across in-store and online shopping. She first appeared on the podcast in 2024 on episode 173.

“ I'm proud to say that we are in a position now where we are able to provide our customers with blueberries every day, and so that still remains a focus for us. … So, it's really been partnering with our growers and suppliers to make sure that they're able to provide our customers with a consistently great experience every day. And even though we're not 100% there yet, since we talked in 2024 at the convention, I think that the industry has made great strides in being able to provide high-quality, consistently good berries for much of the year.” – Melissa Byland

Topics covered include:

• An introduction to Byland and her role at Walmart.
• Blueberry category growth opportunities at retail.
• USHBC’s partnership with Walmart and Walmart Connect.
• Walmart’s focus on improving consistent eating quality through stronger, less-transactional relationships with growers and suppliers.

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, Emilie Parkanzky in Michigan, Luis Vegas in Peru and Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico. This was recorded on September 10, 2026.

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), continues his conversation about the Peruvian blueberry industry with the general manager of Proarándanos, Luis Miguel Vegas. As a reminder, Proarándanos is the Peruvian Blueberry Growers' and Exporters' Association. Vegas discusses Peru’s blueberry market, highlighting the upcoming reports (June Report and August Report) and the industry's preparations for future El Niño events. Through his weekly crop reporting, Vegas keeps the entire industry equipped with the critical data and strategic insights we need to navigate the market. If you missed part one of our conversation with Vegas, check out episode 243.

“ Peru keeps growing in plantings, and that's compensating for the reduction in productivity in yields because of El Niño … . Every El Niño phenomenon is unique. This phenomenon El Niño is more extreme than the one we had back in 2023… . But we learned and we saw what were the final numbers, for example, in Ventura in 2023. So, we can anticipate better what might we expect by the end of the season, for example, with Ventura's production, which as everybody knows is the most affected variety here in Peru with the warmer-than-usual climate.” – Luis Miguel Vegas

Topics covered include:

• A continuation of the conversation about Peru’s blueberry market with Vegas.
• The impact Vegas expects from the latest El Niño event.
• An exploration of the June and August reports generated by Proarándanos, and a discussion of what they signal for the Peruvian 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, Maria Santiago in Michigan, Luis Vegas in Peru and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on September 3, 2026.

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 David Magaña, senior vice president and senior analyst at RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness. Magaña is responsible for covering and analyzing the U.S. and North American fresh fruit and vegetable industries for RaboBank, and his insights are deeply relevant to anyone in the ag industry. In this episode, Magaña shares the current economic picture for global blueberry supply and demand, and provides a taste of what he’ll share in his keynote presentation at the upcoming 2026 Blueberry Convention, Sept. 22-25 in Monterey, California.

“ When we look at how much blueberry availability has been increasing over the past decade, that's an impressive story to tell. But still, with a lot of room for growth. We're talking just in the U.S., when we look only at the fresh segment, about three pounds per person per year, and still with a lot of room for growth.” – David Magaña

Topics covered include:

• An introduction to Magaña and his work at RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness.
• A discussion of the current economic drivers of global blueberry supply and demand.
• A recap of a recent presentation Magaña delivered at the 16th Aneberries Conference in Mexico.
• The outlook for the economic opportunities and potential challenges ahead for 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 Emilie Parkanzky in Michigan, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico, Luis Vegas in Peru and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on August 27, 2026.

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 once again by Luis Miguel Vegas, general manager of Proarándanos, the Peruvian Blueberry Growers & Exporter Association. Vegas leads the charge in representing and promoting Peru's blueberry sector globally and shares in our weekly crop reporting. In this episode, provides critical data and strategic insights from the Peruvian blueberry industry.

“The decision that we have made is to update our forecast on a monthly basis. … What we want is to inform the markets, to inform the industry as a whole, so that everybody's prepared, and we think the best way right now to do that is to go with a short-term forecast based on the variability that El Niño can affect our numbers.” – Luis Miguel Vegas

Topics covered include:

• An introduction to Vegas and his work at Proarándanos.
• A discussion of Peru’s blueberry production volume and where it’s exported globally.
• The differences between El Niño in 2023 and the expected impact if a repeat event occurs.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Emilie Parkanzky in Michigan, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Luis Vegas in Peru and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on July 30, 2026.

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 Dana Concepcion, senior director of fresh and frozen at Walmart Connect. Concepcion sits at the intersection of fresh merchandising and modern digital advertising. In her role, she drives advertising growth across some of the company’s most strategic categories, partnering up with leading produce, meat, frozen and bread manufacturers to deliver data-driven, omnichannel marketing solutions. She joins the podcast to discuss aligning blueberry campaigns to seasonal supply fluctuations, leveraging co-branded recipe campaigns and measuring incremental growth.

“ What makes our relationship so unique is that there's a real shared goal that we all have. It's a 360 collaboration between our team at Walmart Connect, the merchant and buyer teams at Walmart, the blueberry council, the growers, everyone all together, and the shared goal there is really growing overall blueberry consumption.” – Dana Concepcion

Topics covered include:

• An introduction to Concepcion and her role with Walmart Connect.
• How Walmart Connect uses real-time shopper and purchase data across omni-channel ad formats.
• Opportunities to align blueberry campaigns to seasonal supply fluctuations, leveraging co-branded recipe campaigns.
• How Walmart measures incremental growth through sales lift, new-to-category buyers and repeat purchases.
• How Walmart uses in-store tactics like deli/bakery screens and product demos to drive impulse buying.

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, Emilie Parkanzky in Michigan and Alan Schreiber in Washington. This was recorded on July 23, 2026.