Food For Health: The Evolving Science 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 once again by Leslie Wada, Ph.D. Dr. Wada is USHBC’s senior director of nutrition and health research. She’s also a researcher, scientist and a registered dietitian who has spent over 15 years working alongside our industry and USHBC leadership to help turn blueberries into a global health icon.“ If we can get (young) consumers aware of the importance of blueberries and have it just be a staple of their diet, hopefully there will be more than one in 10 adults who eat the recommended fruits and vegetables by the time they are adults. … Getting kids exposed to blueberries in schools, … that's one way.” – Leslie Wada, Ph.D. Topics covered include: An introduction to Dr. Wada and her work at USHBC.A discussion of the council’s contribution to research efforts, recent focus on cognitive health and involvement with school nutrition programs. A look at what comes next for health research and what that means for the blueberry industry.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Alan Schreiber in Washington, T.J. Hafner in Oregon, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Brittany Lee in Florida, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Pat Goin in Indiana, Kristen Brinkley in North Carolina, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Michelle Borges in California and Derrin Wheeler in Georgia. This was recorded on May 7, 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 Kevin Hamilton, vice president of global marketing and communications for USHBC and NABC. Over the past two years, Hamilton and his team have elevated how we look at what’s next for driving consumer demand for blueberries at retail, helping to reshape how blueberries show up as a category. He joins the podcast to share about the USHBC’s efforts at retail, and the impact these programs and retail relationships are having on the blueberry industry. “ We're here to simply do exactly what (retailers) want to do: Sell as many blueberries as possible at the best price. And then with the pilot projects that have turned into recurring projects with these retailers – they're seeing results. So the evolution has gone from introducing ourselves to now us getting phone calls from them, having a more collaborative relationship.” – Kevin Hamilton Topics covered include: An introduction to Hamilton and his work at the councils.A discussion of the efforts underway with retailers, and the importance of these relationships on driving demand for blueberries.A look into the strategies and tactics for growing the blueberry category at retail.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Alec Arena in New Jersey, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, Pat Goin in Indiana, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on April 30, 2026.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” we’re sharing the highly requested and well-attended panel discussion Understanding Mexico’s Production Landscape from The 2026 Blueberry Hill Climb and Industry Meetings. Facilitated by U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) vice chair Brittany Lee, this session brings together an elite panel of veteran voices providing firsthand experience on some of the difficult decisions currently reshaping the region. The panel includes Mario Flores, vice president of Twin River Berries; David Jackson, owner of Family Tree Farms; and Gonzalo De Elizalde, global product leadership vice president for Driscoll’s. “ When we grow supply, we are seeing that the market can move and transact higher volumes of fruit at higher prices over time. I think that is thanks to the amount of fruit that is being produced and being pumped to the industry by Peru, Mexico, California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Michigan, everyone. So, what I'm trying to say is that we are truly in it together.” – Gonzalo De Elizalde Topics covered include: A look at the blueberry production landscape in Mexico.A discussion of the impact of imports on the blueberry industry.An exploration of the labor challenges in Mexico and the U.S. Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Pat Goin in Indiana, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Michelle Borges in California and Alec Arena in New Jersey. This was recorded on April 23, 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 blueberry grower and new USHBC Chair Ellie Norris. Making her fourth appearance on “The Business of Blueberries,” she joins us to share her goals for her leadership roles in the blueberry industry, including a strong emphasis on building community within her team and making exceptional quality the standard for her farm and beyond. Norris has been immersed in management from an early age, beginning her career on her family’s large-scale blueberry farm in Southern Oregon. There she developed one of her most valuable leadership skills: The ability to communicate effectively with diverse personalities and motivate teams toward shared success.“Blueberries check so many boxes. We have health, convenience, versatility, but we just can't assume that consumers automatically are going to connect those dots. There's a real upside to expanding how and when people use blueberries and making sure that our messaging keeps pace with how consumers shop and eat today. … There are just so many opportunities for us to expand our relevance to the consumer market and internationally, the opportunity is equally significant.” – Ellie Norris Topics covered include: Meet Ellie Norris, blueberry grower and new USHBC chair.Hear about the approach Norris will take in expanding the blueberry market, and how her leadership will achieve it.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughoutimportant blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Eliza Spreitzer in Georgia,Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, T.J. Hafner in Oregon,Alan Schreiber in Washington, Pat Goin in Indiana, Michelle Borges in California, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on April 16, 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 Tom Barnes, interim director of data and business intelligence at the USHBC and NABC, and president and CEO of Category Partners. Barnes is a veteran of the perishables industry with a deep passion for how data drives retail success. He has spent over two decades helping major retailers and suppliers navigate the relationship between business insights and market performance. Under his leadership, Category Partners has become a go-to resource for primary consumer research and technology solutions in the fresh food space. He joins the podcast to share his unique perspective and insight into the impact of market data on the blueberry industry.“ Price is always a factor and always will be a factor. You can't just sell it for whatever you want, but it tells you that there is higher demand for blueberries every year, and the consumption is moving up, which isn't the case for every commodity.” — Tom BarnesTopics covered include:An introduction to Barnes and his work for USHBC/NABC and Category Partners.How the data behind blueberry sales can inform future decisions and opportunities.The excitement Barnes feels regarding the direction and growth of the blueberry industry based on the data.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Michelle Borges in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on April 2, 2026.

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” we welcome guest host Steve Mantle, founder and CEO of Innov8.ag and USHBC’s partner in the BerrySmart Field program, who’s joined by Charlie Andersen, CEO and founder of Burro, and Noe Toribio, customer success manager at Burro. Together, they discuss on-farm efficiency potential using autonomous robotics. They share the impact this technology can have on labor costs for producers and how that may affect the agriculture industry.“There’s a lot of areas in agriculture and beyond where there are no robots today and people are moving around doing work that requires movement, plus perception, plus manipulation … and inspecting things on sites and doing data capture. They're all things where there's a real need for robots, but the way to get them going isn't to try to do it all at once. It's to do it in a stepped or phased approach, which is kind of the genesis of Burro.” – Charlie AndersenTopics covered include: An introduction to Anderson and Toribio, and their work. The ideas that led to the creation of Burro, and the impact autonomous tractors can have for producers.An exploration of the evolution of autonomous tractors and what the future may hold.Crop ReportThe 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, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, T.J. Hafner in Oregon, Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on February 26, 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 Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Ph.D., a professor of small fruit horticulture in the Department of Horticulture within the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences. Her work focuses on applied research and extension related to small fruit production systems, with an emphasis on improving fruit quality, production efficiency and sustainability for crops such as blueberries. DeVetter reflects on the recent flooding of the Northwest, its impact on blueberry producers and the evidence-based recommendations she can make to producers if another flooding event is experienced. “Fortunately, there was enough time that elapsed between the 2021 flooding and this flood event so some of those fields that were impacted, they were either replanted because the damage was so severe or the planting was young and the grower took advantage of the opportunity just to start over with variety replacement or the field was managed and rejuvenated in such a way that it recovered. So, by the time it had this second flooding event, you know, we're not expecting kind of a double-whammy effect, if you will, from subsequent floodings from relatively close periods of time together.” – Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Ph.D. Topics covered include: An introduction to Devetter and her work. An exploration of the factors that influenced recommendations for producers that were impacted by these two major flooding events.Crop ReportThe 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, Ross Phillips in Georgia, Luis Vegas in Peru, Andres Armstrong in Chile, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, T.J. Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on February 12, 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 Tim Miles, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University, where he leads the Small Fruit and Hop Pathology Program. Miles’ research focuses on the diagnosis, epidemiology and management of diseases affecting small fruit crops, with particular emphasis on blueberries and hops. He works closely with growers and industry partners to develop practical, science-based solutions that improve crop health, sustainability and productivity. “ That's probably the most impactful or rewarding thing at the end of the day, is actually diagnosing what someone has in their field and then delivering sound, science-based management recommendations to help manage that disease.” – Tim Miles, Ph.D. Topics covered include: An introduction to Miles and his work. The process and threat posed by fungicide resistance, as well as practices and options producers can use to avoid its persistence.The value of identifying specific plant pathology to target best practices and treatments.Crop ReportThe 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, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Luis Vegas in Peru, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Pat Goin in Indiana and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on Feb. 5, 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 for the fourth time by Patricio Muñoz, Ph.D., associate professor of blueberry breeding and genomics and the Endowed Chair of Horticulture Crop Breeding at the University of Florida. When he’s not shaping the future of blueberry breeding, Muñoz also serves on the USHBC Council as the alternate public member. He’s an experienced plant breeder with involvement in multiple crops and cultivar releases whose research focuses on creating cultivar development at a faster and more efficient pace. Muñoz also has a deep understanding of the berry global market.“The products that we are developing now … are the ones that are going to come in 5 to 10 years from now, and in that moment we need to do even more differentiation … like how do you stack them with other traits? I mean, can you make them crunchy? Yes, we can. And you'll see them soon, hopefully. Can you make them larger? Yes, we can. Can you make them healthier? Yes. Can you make different colors? Yes.” – Patricio Muñoz, Ph.D. Topics covered include: An introduction to Muñoz and his work. An exploration of the strategies and traits Muñoz and his breeding team focus on. Muñoz’s perspective on global demand and emerging blueberry markets. Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 22, 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), reflects on 2025 and shares some of the most impactful insights that emerged from the last season of the podcast. Common themes of interest over the last year include quality, genetics and global supply and demand.“ What's not to be excited about the blueberry industry?... I mean everything that drives consumption in an agricultural commodity, blueberries has it. Convenience, health, snackability, flavor, fun, photogenic. It's an awesome category, commodity fruit to be a part of.” – Wade Jackson“I think what's great about this industry is we have really passionate people that love what they do. Obviously, you know, you've brought a good young team in that really is trying to push this thing and convince all growers, it's the right direction to take. But I'm just most excited about the momentum we have.” – Greg WillemsEpisodes covered: Episode 199: Wade Jackson on Berry Genetics at Family Tree FarmsEpisode 200: Farming, Finance and The Future With JC Clinard of FruturaEpisode 218: Berry Business Leadership: A Conversation With Garland Reiter Jr.Episode 204: Developments in Blueberry Breeding With Paul Sandefur, Ph.D.Episode 191: Blueberry Industry Growth Drivers: Part 2 With Hector LujanEpisode 205: Innovation, Impact and International Growth: The IBO’s Mission With Mario StetaEpisode 206: From Data to Decisions: AI’s Role in Blueberry SuccessEpisode 197: The Impact of Genetics on Blueberry Quality With Greg WillemsCrop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 15, 2026.