National Blueberry Month Success

National Blueberry Month once again provided us with the opportunity to celebrate and promote blueberries to consumers through retail activations, the first-ever Great American Blueberry Challenge eating contest, and social media contests.

USHBC’s National Blueberry Month retail promotions appeared just about everywhere! Thirty retailers operating nearly 10,000 stores collaborated with USHBC to aggressively promote blueberries all month long. 

The user-experience event combined the excitement of pickleball with the health benefits of blueberries to create a unique and fun experience for everyone. As the popularity of pickleball surges across the country, what better way to fuel your game than with the ultimate superfruit? Retailers embraced this trend by showcasing blueberries innovatively, from in-store displays to dynamic marketing campaigns, leading to a noticeable increase in blueberry sales. 

In one of the most exciting celebrations of National Blueberry Month yet, the USHBC, in partnership with Major League Pickleball and Major League Eating, hosted The Great American Blueberry Challenge, which kicked off at the start of the month to inspire blueberry lovers nationwide to share on social media creative ways to grab a boost of blue, and culminated in the first-ever blueberry eating championship. This first-of-its-kind eating contest took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 13 and included professional competitive eaters from across the country who were challenged to eat as many blueberries as possible in eight minutes. The winner set a world record by consuming over 18 pounds! 

Patrick Bertoletti took the top prize in the competition, earning a cash prize as well as the inaugural title of Blueberry Eating Champion. An impressive total of 82.769 pounds of blueberries were devoured by the competitors during the event, with a final ranking as follows:

• First place: Patrick Bertoletti, 18.475 lbs.

• Second place: Geoffrey Esper, 16.044 lbs.

• Third place: James Webb, 15.319 lbs.

• Fourth place: Nick Wehry, 12.600 lbs.

• Fifth place: Gideon Oji, 12.569 lbs.

The event also included special celebrity judges USHBC Chair Shelly Hartmann of True Blue Farms; USHBC Promotions Committee Chair Brian Bocock of Naturipe; and professional pickleball player Anna Bright of the MLP St. Louis Shock. Watch a highlight video of the contest here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7224824224442372099/.

Destination Chile

Join fellow blueberry industry members as we embark on a journey to explore the Chilean blueberry growing regions. There is no better time to visit and learn more about this growing region. Recently impacted by the increasing supply of other growing regions, come see how Chile is responding to the challenge.

Chile has over 18,000 hectares of highbush blueberries planted and an ongoing commitment to finding new and better varieties. You will see this firsthand and have ample opportunities to get to know fellow blueberry experts with boots on the ground in Chile. What will the Chilean blueberry industry look like five years from now? You’ve got to be there to find out!

The trip will take place this December 9-13. For more details, please visit  https://nabc.blueberry.org/events/destination-chile/.

USHBC Announces New Blueberry Industry Leadership Program Fellows 

USHBC has announced the third cohort of fellows accepted into the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program. The program, launched in March 2022, is designed to elevate up-and-coming leaders in the blueberry industry by providing in-depth training, industry education and connections to other ag leaders for passionate blueberry professionals across the supply chain. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome this group of leaders as the third class of fellows,” said Amanda Griffin, USHBC’s vice president of engagement and education. “Since launching the Blueberry Leadership Program, we’ve received overwhelming interest, which always makes the selection process extremely difficult. The USHBC is proud to provide this opportunity to these ag professionals, empowering them to guide the blueberry industry into a bright future.”

Selected as the third class of fellows in the program are:  

• Yvan Berrospi, Supply Chain and Operations Coordinator, Family Tree Farms

• Gabriel Bocock, General Manager of Operations, Bumbleberry Acres

• Joshua Carlton, Farm Manager, JLC Farms

• Sergio Carrasco, Production Manager, The Fruitist Company

• Jake Johnson, Sales and Grower Support II, Fall Creek Farm & Nursery

• Stephanie Kleiner, Blueberry Product Business Manager, Driscoll’s

• Peter Machala, Category Manager, Wakefern Food Corp.

• Brody Schropp, Horticulturist, MBG Marketing

• Zach Semerikov, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Manager, Scenic Fruit

• Jessica Silver, Commercial Manager, United Exports Sales and Marketing

The Blueberry Industry Leadership Program is the first of its kind in the blueberry industry and helps fellows grow their leadership skill set, learn from decades-long industry leaders, and develop their network of connections. The fourth group of fellows to enter the program will be selected in the fall of 2025. For more information on the program or how to apply, visit ushbc.blueberry.org/get-involved/industry-leadership-development-program/.

NABC Update

NABC Hosts Tour, Roundtable With FSA Administrator, Rep. Scholten

NABC hosted USDA-Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Duchenaux and Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) in Michigan this week for a tour and roundtable meeting with local growers.  

They visited Jawor Blueberries and Crossroads Blueberry Farms and Packing, where they discussed topics including FSA disaster and loan programs, crop insurance, and concerns about consolidation.  

While at Crossroads, they were joined by representatives from the Michigan State FSA office and MSU Extension Educator Carlos Garcia-Salazar for an in-depth discussion about blueberry pests, such as the gall wasp, and why the Tree Assistance Program is critical for blueberry growers. They also discussed other ways USDA can support the industry in replanting to new varieties. 

The day concluded with a roundtable discussion with over 30 growers and industry members at Crossroads Blueberry Packing. Other guests included Brian Friedman, director for the USDA-Risk Management Agency Michigan State Office, and Mary Judnich, western region manager for U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Topics discussed included labor costs, crop insurance, the importance of passing a Farm Bill, and driving consumption of U.S.-grown blueberries. 

Thank you to Jawor, Crossroads and everyone who attended the roundtable meeting for participating, giving your input and advocating for the blueberry industry!  

We also thank Administrator Ducheneaux and the Michigan State FSA office for spending their day with us, and Rep. Scholten for being a champion for blueberries in Congress!

NABC Meets With USTR Chief Ag Trade Negotiator on Blueberry Industry Priorities

NABC Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby participated in a critical meeting with Ambassador Doug McKalip, chief agricultural trade negotiator, Michigan State University Extension, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development about trade issues affecting the agricultural industry.

Houtby thanked the ambassador for his work to secure a reduction in India’s tariff on blueberries, and alerted him to concerns about a lack of maximum residue limits (MRLs), and uncertainties surrounding India’s testing and inspection process. She explained that India is a promising market for dried blueberries, but a lack of cold chain infrastructure presents challenges for growing fresh and frozen exports.  

Houtby emphasized that Japan’s tariff on U.S. frozen blueberries continues to be a priority issue. He responded that it is also a priority for USTR, and that he and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel are working to find opportunities to address this with Japan.

They also discussed the U.S. trade deficit and factors that make it difficult for U.S. growers to compete with seasonal imports. They specifically discussed the tight margins that specialty crop growers operate in, and how lower-priced imports can disrupt the market. 

Houtby inquired about how strained trade relations with Canada and Mexico may influence the impending reevaluation of USMCA.  McKalip responded that the dairy issue with Canada and the genetically modified corn issue in Mexico are major priorities for the US.  USTR will also take an aggressive stance against ESG standards. He encouraged the agricultural industry to engage with USTR about other trade concerns. 

USDA Awards $1 Million+ in Specialty Crop Block Grants for Blueberry Projects

USDA announced the funding awards for the2024 Specialty Crop Block Grantprogram. Over $1 million was awarded to 10 projects across six states that are directly or indirectly related to blueberries. Below is a summary of the blueberry projects in Florida.

NABC’s Alyssa Houtby Appointed to USTR, USDA Ag Trade Committee

On Aug. 1, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the appointment or reappointment of 55 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees. 

NABC Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby was appointed to the USDA and USTR Fruit and Vegetable Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC)! We’re proud to have her represent theNorth American Blueberry Council.

Congress created the advisory committee system to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into U.S. trade policy and negotiating objectives. The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee is comprised of senior representatives from across the U.S. agricultural community who advise the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on overall trade policy matters. Members of the six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees provide technical advice and guidance from the perspective of their specific product sectors. This group of appointed advisors will serve until 2028.

Learn more about Houtby’s appointment at https://fas.usda.gov/newsroom/usda-ustr-name-new-agricultural-trade-advisors-2. 

Are You Still Not a Member of the NABC? 

The NABC informs, advocates for and brings together a powerful membership of growers, fruit brokers, processors, food manufacturers, and others connected to the blueberry industry. Together, we navigate the opportunities and challenges of today so we can better plan for the future.

We work for our members by:

• Eliminating trade barriers to ensure competitive global market access

• Managing and communicating key issues

• Delivering data such as seasonal crop reports, monthly cold storage figures, and yearly production data

• Supporting good industry practices by providing members with relevant education and information

• Representing the industry when critical issues arise

For more information and to join, please visit https://nabc.blueberry.org/members/become-a-member.