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The Business of Blueberries

The Business of Blueberries

Hosted by U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council

BusinessManagementArtsFoodScience
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Episodes

200

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN

About the show

The blueberry industry is like no other: passionate, resilient, and innovative. This podcast is your source for the latest information on the production, markets, research and technology related to the blueberry value chain. This is the Business of Blueberries.

Listen to episodes

60 recent
October 2, 202624 min

Blueberry Convention Keynote: Growing the Category and Creating a Home for Every Berry

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.

September 25, 202635 min

What’s Next for Blueberry Varieties?

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!

September 18, 202633 min

Ingredient Marketing, Reinvented – Fred Schonenberg on the Blueberry Boost Accelerator

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.

September 15, 202634 min

Inside Walmart’s Berry Strategy With Melissa Byland

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.

September 9, 202643 min

Navigating Super El Niño With Luis Vegas (Part 2)

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.

August 28, 202632 min

Economics of the Berry Basket: David Magaña on Supply, Pricing and Growth

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.

July 31, 202643 min

How Peru is Preparing for the Next El Niño

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.

July 23, 202643 min

Click to Cart: Capturing the Modern Blueberry Shopper With Dana Concepcion

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.

July 17, 202640 min

BerrySmart Field Insights: The Path Toward Autonomous Equipment

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 Tim Bucher , CEO and founder of Agtonomy . Together, they discuss how autonomy and physical AI are reshaping farm work in specialty crops, including blueberries. Bucher discusses how he brings together his background in farming and technology to provide innovation that is helping farmers economically implement autonomy on their farms. “ As a farmer, I don't want a startup company to sell me equipment. I want my trusted brands. And so we designed Agtonomy as a software platform to work with global tier-one equipment manufacturers to help turn their equipment into real autonomous robots.” – Tim Bucher Topics covered include: An introduction to Bucher. The ideas that led to the creation of Agtonomy, and why their partnership model is making this technology more accessible for growers. A case study of how Okanogan Specialty Fruits is using Agtonomy in their Washington orchards. Crop Report The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Emilie Parkanzky in Michigan, Alan Schreiber in Washington, T.J. Hafner in Oregon, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Sonny Brar in British Columbia and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on July 16, 2026.

July 9, 202640 min

The Florida Perspective: Managing Operations With Fletcher Simmons

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 first-time guest and Blueberry Leadership Program class four fellow Fletcher Simmons . Simmons is a fourth-generation farmer from Archer, Florida. He’s currently the operations manager at Straughn Farms, one of the largest growers in the state. Over the past five years, he has helped the team at Straughn Farms adapt to the ever-evolving blueberry industry through innovations in the field and the packing house. He joins us to share his journey in the blueberry industry, the reason he joined the Blueberry Leadership Program and how he has overcome recent challenges in his operation. “ I have always wanted to have a greater impact on our nation. So, what better way to do that than to get with marketers and other growers and all the players in our industry, and let's all work together to build this thing up and keep it going in the right direction for generations to come.” – Fletcher Simmons Topics covered include: An introduction to Simmons. How Simmons learned about the Blueberry Leadership Program and what he hopes to achieve by participating in it. The challenges faced by growers in the southeast when a severe freeze hit their crop this year. Crop Report The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Ryan Rainey in Michigan, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Michelle Borges in California, Kristen Brinkley in North Carolina, Sonny Brar in British Columbia, Luis Vegas in Peru and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on July 2, 2026.

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