The Business of Blueberries

U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
  • 4.9 (32)
  • Food
  • Updated Biweekly

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.

  1. 2d ago

    The Michigan Blueberry Legacy With Denny Vander Kooi

    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 Denny Vander Kooi, a third-generation blueberry grower from Allegan, Michigan, who’s currently serving as Michigan’s representative on the USHBC Council. Beyond the farm, Vander Kooi has become an important voice around grower involvement, serving on USHBC’s Industry Engagement Committee and helping connect growers more directly to the work being done on behalf of the category. Vander Kooi shares his valuable perspective on where the blueberry industry is headed and the opportunities he sees ahead. “I think a lot of growers, when they're selling to a marketer, they're thinking that marketer is the customer. And what really comes home when we're at the USHBC meetings is that our customer is the mother and the kids and the parents that are eating the blueberries at home. Our customer is the end user, and I don't think we always think of it that way and have thought about that in the past. … We need to increase the demand and increase the ability for the end consumers to enjoy blueberries more, and we need to do that advertising. And I see USHBC is really the only fair way that everybody participates in that. ” - Denny Vander Kooi Topics covered include: An introduction to Vander Kooi and his volunteer roles with the USHBC.The opportunities he sees for the blueberry industry, and how producers can optimize household consumption.The extent of grower oversight when it comes to USHBC budgets and expenditures. Crop Report The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. TJ Hafner in Oregon, Michelle Borges in California, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Pat Goin in Indiana, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Luis Vegas in Peru and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on June 25, 2026.

    38 min

  2. Jun 24

    The Value of the Health Halo With Creekside Berry Farms’ Tammy Brannen

    In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council, is joined by Tammy Brannen, owner of Creekside Berry Farms in Georgia. Brannen spent more than 20 years as a registered nurse before returning to her family’s agricultural roots. Today, she combines that clinical expertise with her farming background, chairing the USHBC’s Health and Research Advisory Board, as well as representing Georgia on the USHBC board. She joins the show to talk about advancing the blueberry health halo and her experience as a Georgia grower. “ I felt kind of called toward the health research piece of it due to being in nursing and seeing how important it is to get the right foods and to intake the right foods. I knew for years that blueberries were a good source of nutrition. It's actually been amazing to see how beneficial it is, blueberry consumption, and actually what it does to help with brain function and gut function and all the things.” – Tammy Brannen Topics covered include: An introduction to Brannen and her experiences as a Georgia grower and former nurse.A discussion of Brannen’s journey into USHBC leadership.The process for selecting USHBC’s health research projects and how the research helps advance the blueberry health halo. Crop Report The 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, Michelle Borges in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Pat Goin in Indiana, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Sonny Brar in British Columbia, Alec Arena in New Jersey and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on June 18, 2026.

    39 min

  3. Jun 15

    The Export Playbook: Strategic Demand Creation With Haiying Zhang

    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 Haiying Zhang, USHBC’s director of global business development. Zhang has spent the last several years helping position U.S. blueberries for growth far beyond our domestic market by building relationships and helping exporters better understand where global demand is expanding. Zhang shares what she’s seeing firsthand in the global market, and where the greatest opportunities for growth lie. “As a result, what you are seeing in these markets is a lot of media coverage about USA Blueberries. So we successfully generate the buzz about our product. That's our goal. And in many of these markets, if you look at the product life cycle, we are still at the introductory stage … meaning we have a long runway to go. And so it's very important that we build, reach new customers and we also inspire existing customers to increase their purchasing frequency, and that's why we invest the dollars .” – Haiying Zhang Topics covered include: An introduction to Zhang and her work with USHBC. The significance and impact of the USHBC recently earning a $1 million Foreign Agriculture Service Grant from the USDA.Details on the USHBC Export Database and the USHBC Supplier Database that can help highlight blueberry operations during global market discussions. Crop Report The 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, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Pat Goin in Indiana, Sunny Brar in British Columbia and Kristen Brinkley in North Carolina. This was recorded on June 11, 2026.

    43 min

  4. Jun 8

    New Jersey’s Next Gen: Brandon Raso on Modernizing the Harvest

    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 Brandon Raso, Variety Farms farm and operations manager, and the recent recipient of the 2026 National Outstanding Young Farmer award. Raso is a fourth-generation grower at Variety Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey, where he manages over 750 acres of production. He also serves on the USHBC Council as treasurer, and is chair of the Finance Committee. Whether he’s advocating for growers in D.C. or implementing the latest mechanical harvesting tech at home, he’s at the forefront of the “next gen” movement. “We obviously have a lot of runway left with reaching higher consumption levels and, so, I just think there's a lot of light at the end of the tunnel on this, and it's something we don't have to fight tooth and nail for. I think as long as we make the right moves and stay conscious about the decisions we're making, I think this thing is naturally going to catapult itself into a new category in terms of consumption, people realizing the benefits and reaching new audiences. It's like we're so fortunate to be part of this.” – Brandon Raso Topics covered include: An introduction to Raso and his work. The history Raso represents as a fourth-generation grower.The impact he’s having on the industry due to his involvement at the local and national levels. Where he sees the most potential for growth in 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 Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Pat Goin in Indiana, Kristen Brinkley in North Carolina and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on May 28, 2026.

    37 min

  5. May 27

    From the Warehouse to the Wheelhouse: Brian Bocock’s New Era at MBG Marketing

    In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Counci (NABC)l, is joined by Brian Bocock, president and CEO of MBG Marketing. After more than three decades helping shape the berry business from the warehouse floor to executive leadership at Naturipe Farms, Bocock has stepped into a new role with MBG Marketing. He’s also a grower in Michigan who has held numerous leadership positions with USHBC and NABC. Bocock joins us to share what his new role means to him, the vision he brings to MBG, and how he sees the future of our industry at a time when alignment and leadership matter more than ever. “My vision is that MBG continues and grows a lot over the next five to eight years, built upon success, not growth for the sake of growth. … There is another huge component of this, and I've been an advocate of this and MBG has for a long time, involvement in NABC and USHBC and other organizations, including state organizations. It's just so important that we get as much talent from our grower base, from our management team, engaged in these organizations to help drive success through there. Because they're reaching some places that we, MBG, are not gonna hit by ourselves.” – Brian Bocock Topics covered include: Bocock’s new role at MBG Marketing.The profound loss and lasting legacy of previous MBG Marketing CEO Brad Moorer.A discussion about what Bocock sees as the immediate future and long-term potential for the blueberry industry. Crop Report The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Michelle Borges in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Mario in Mexico, Brittany Lee in Florida, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Alec Arena in New Jersey, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Sunny Bar in British Columbia. This was recorded on May 21, 2026.

    50 min

  6. May 15

    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 Report The 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.

    46 min

  7. May 8

    The Retail Playbook: Winning the Produce Aisle With Kevin Hamilton

    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 Report The 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.

    44 min

  8. Apr 30

    Understanding Mexico’s Production Landscape

    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 Report The 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.

    49 min
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4.9
out of 5
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
  • Show Website
    The Business of Blueberries

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