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 Bryan Sakuma and Teddy Koukoulis, the incoming chairs of the USHBC and NABC. Together, they discuss what interested them in these new roles, the value the two organizations bring to each other and what their leadership will offer the blueberry industry going forward. 

“  As a farmer that's in Florida, I'm thinking the most important thing to me is the last two weeks of March and the first two weeks of April. But as a marketer, as a retailer, blueberries are important 365 days a year. … It's going to be one of my jobs as part of the NABC to continue these town hall meetings and educate people that other regions are not our enemies, that we can work together.” – Teddy Koukoulis

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Sakuma and Koukoulis, and their blueberry industry experience. 
• An exploration of what brought them to their new roles and what they hope to achieve for the industry. 
• A discussion about how the two organizations can work together and support each other to benefit the 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 Brittany Lee in Florida, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 30, 2025. 

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 Pat Goin. Goin and her husband, Kevin, own Goin’s Blueberry Lane in Indiana. Before her tenure as chair of the NABC Board of Directors, Goin served as board vice chair, and chair of the NABC’s Government Affairs Committee. She was also the chair of the USHBC’s Good Practices Committee. Goin reflects on her time as NABC board chair, highlights the progress that was made and discusses where she sees the industry going under its new leadership.

“ The blueberry industry to me, has always been a large family. When we come together, it doesn't matter who you market for or what region you're in, you just try to find the common ground and move it forward.  And those are the kinds of things we do in the states. Those are the kinds of things that we did in Peru and in Chile. So what a great experience.” – Pat Goin

 Topics covered include: 

• Hear Goin’s reflections on her time as NABC chair. 
• Explore the international and leadership experiences Goin participated in, and hear highlights of each of them.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile. This was recorded on January 23, 2025.

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 Shelly Hartmann, who is making her fifth appearance on the podcast. Hartmann served as chair of the USHBC from 2021 to 2024. This year, she leaves the position in the very capable hands of Bryan Sakuma. Hartmann reflects on her tenure with the USHBC and the lessons she learned, and shares her hopes for the future of the blueberry industry. 

“  I feel that one of the things I'm proudest of, if I had to say one, is the involvement and the growth of participation that we've been able to achieve in the three-and-a-half years, because we took something that was like an industry meeting and then now we've moved it into something that's more of an educational forum.” – Shelly Hartmann

 Topics covered include: 

• A few of Hartmann’s experiences as the USHBC chair. 
• A discussion of the many improvements Hartmann has seen in the blueberry industry and the council over the last few years.
• A glimpse into the future endeavors Hartmann sees the council participating in, and the benefits they’ll provide to blueberry growers.

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, Andres Armstrong in Chile, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Derrin Wheeler in Georgia. This was recorded on Jan. 16, 2025. 

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 Paul Pryce, the new executive director of the British Columbia Blueberry Council. Pryce previously served for nearly three years at the British Columbia Agriculture Council, and is passionate about food security and supporting those who feed our communities. He brings over 15 years of experience in government relations, advocacy, market development and international diplomacy to the Canadian Blueberry industry. 

“  We don't want to see people going out of production. We don't want to see bushes being pulled out. So, how do we keep those people in the game? And I think that's encouraging them.” — Paul Pryce

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Pryce and his expertise. 
• The biggest concerns for Canadian blueberry growers, and how the British Columbia Blueberry Council is addressing them.
• An exploration of potential new markets for blueberries. 
• The current dynamics along the U.S. border, and possible blueberry industry implications in the face of ever-changing global politics.

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. This was recorded on January 8, 2025. 

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 Hector Lujan,CEO at berry giant Hortifrut and the leader of its global operations. Lujan’s career spans over 20 years in the berry industry, with previous roles at Reiter and BerryMex. Last episode, Lujan shared what led him to his current position at Hortifrut. Today, he describes his perspective on the global blueberry industry. 

“ So, I think what we need to look at is, one, as marketers – to make sure that we are moving toward what the consumer wants and providing that product. And as growers – we are long-term thinkers and developing the industry with that long-term view because it will continue to grow the market.” — Hector Lujan

 Topics covered include: 

• Lujan’s vision for the global blueberry industry.
• How to grow both the volume and value of the blueberry market.
• Dynamics in key growing regions like Mexico and Chile.

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. This was recorded on January 2, 2025. 

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 Hector Lujan, the new CEO at berry giant Hortifrut and the leader of its global operations. Lujan’s career spans over 20 years in the berry industry, with previous roles at Reiter and BerryMex. Lujan shares what led him to his current position at Hortifruit, and his vision for the future of the berry patch. 

“ By bringing the berry patch together along with a year-round supply, the demand for berries is continuing to grow. It's healthy candy. And what we see is … the per capita consumption will continue to grow as these new generations get to eat it year-round and it's part of their daily diet.” — Hector Lujan

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Lujan and his career in berries. 
• Hortifruit’s role in the global berry patch.
• Lujan’s vision for Hortifruit and blueberries in the future.

Tune in to part two of the interview with Hector Lujan on episode 191! 

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. This was recorded on December 26, 2024. 

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 Inez Be, the new USHBC Director of Marketing. Be is a marketing, PR and communications expert who’s passionate about food and agriculture, and has years of experience working for a number of commodities groups, including potatoes, honey, almonds, rice, avocados and blueberries. Tune in to discover the impact Be is already making in the blueberry industry through many creative promotions and events, and to hear what she has planned for the future.

“It's just exciting to be able to start at this stage within the blueberry industry and have an actual impact on that, and be able to learn about the many dynamic, kind of complicated and interesting facets of what the blueberry industry has to offer. … We want to make sure that what we're doing is reaching our target audience where they are, and being able to communicate that value and joy that blueberries provide.” – Inez Be

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Be and her career. 
• Discussion of the many events and promotions Be has already been involved in, and what she’s looking forward to creating for the industry.
• An exploration of the future strategy for blueberry marketing under Be’s leadership, including collaborations with influencers and organizations.

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. This was recorded on December 6, 2024. 

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 Steve Ware, vice president and general manager, value added, at Naturipe Farms. Naturipe is known for its sustainable practices and innovation in the berry industry. As a grower cooperative, Naturipe prioritizes farmer collaboration to deliver high-quality berries year-round. Ware discusses his 30-year journey in the produce industry, Naturipe's sustainable practices and its innovative approach to value-added blueberry products. 

“Now people are on the go. A lot of companies are making people go back to the office. A lot of people are traveling. Sports are back in. Everything is back in swing, and so people are back to looking for solutions in the snacking category.” – Steve Ware

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Ware and what brought him to the blueberry category.
• Innovations in blueberry snacking, including bento boxes, Berry Buddies, snack packs and more.
• Future innovations, market trends and emerging value-added products.
• How varieties are changing the game and enabling the next wave of value-added blueberry foods.

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, Andres Armstrong in Chile and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on November 29, 2024. 

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 blueberry producer and innovative farmer Sam Gray, and Laina Gray, U.S. operations manager for FineField. Sam is the farm manager for his family’s business, PineBloom Farms, in Albany, Georgia. He created a process for using FineField’s Harvy 500 and the Burro automated cart to improve blueberry harvest efficiencies. Laina has firsthand experience with the Harvy 500, FineField’s solar-powered robotic autonomous harvester. Together, they share insights on this collaboration and the benefits it offers blueberry producers when it comes to future automated processes. 

“So, I had no idea that we were going to use them both in tandem. It just seemed easier and maybe less wear and tear on everybody kind of involved in the operation. And then also the benefit … with the Harvy is as we're continually loading and unloading the fruit, it is probably not being in the heat off the bush for more than 10 to 15 minutes because it's going off the machine, it's getting palletized, and it's immediately being put in a refrigerated trailer. So, it just helps with getting that fruit to a temperature where if it does have bruising or if it does have defects, it will kind of slow the decay.” — Sam Gray

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Sam and Laina, and their work in the blueberry industry.
• The motivations and the process Sam used for incorporating automation into his operation. 
• The benefits and challenges of using two unique automated technologies during harvest. 

Watch this video to see the automated machines working in tandem. 

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. This was recorded on November 15, 2024. 

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 USHBC Compliance Coordinator Crystal Wills. In her role as compliance coordinator, Wills ensures the timely and fair collection of all assessments from imported and domestic blueberry production. USHBC assessment forms are due Nov. 30, and Wills walks listeners through the process of completing the forms, shares available resources to help with questions and explains the penalties levied if the deadline is not met.

“The law requires that the grower or importer of record, if you have over 2,000 pounds of berries, you're going to pay nine-tenths of a penny per pound or 18 per ton, and that's going to be on fresh and frozen berries. This is going to come into the USHBC, and that's going to be for the purposes of research and promotion. So we're making sure that that's happening across the board.” – Crystal Wills

 Topics covered include: 

• An introduction to Wills and her role with USHBC. 
• An exploration of the process producers and handlers should use to submit the required forms and declare their production numbers.
• How the assessment is calculated, and what values need to be used and verified to calculate total production.
• How to avoid penalties for late submissions or incomplete payments.

Contact Wills directly with any questions at [email protected] 

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. This was recorded on November 8, 2024.