Steady Market Prices Make for Successful Season

by RYAN MILEJCZAK

With the 2025 harvest now in the rearview mirror, Florida growers are reflecting on the challenges and surprises of the season.

“This was definitely the best season we’ve had yet,” says Shawn Pollard of Shawn Pollard Blueberry farm in Zolfo Springs, who also works as Sales Manager of the Astin Strawberry Exchange. “Pricing was really good, and we got a nice little market window.”

Indeed, Florida’s market window this year was one of the highlights of the season. 

“One of the big positives this season was that market prices for blueberries stayed stable for longer than normal,” explains Doug Phillips, UF/IFAS’s Blueberry Extension Coordinator. “Typically, when Georgia enters the market with their blueberries, prices begin to drop. However, Georgia was later this season.” 

Ryan Atwood, co-owner of H&A Farms, agrees. 

“We had a much better season than last year. There was not an overload of fruit in the marketplace like last year,” he says. 

An especially cold winter delayed the season for many Florida growers. 

“The biggest challenge this season was being late due to colder winter temperatures,” Phillips states. 

“We really didn’t get going until April,” recounts Pollard. “Normally we would be going by late March. So we were pushed back about two weeks or so. But it worked out in the end; we picked a little bit later than in the past, but the price point was significantly higher.”

“We had a later than typical start date,” Atwood says. “We were concerned the market might collapse before we could get much of our crop into the marketplace. However, Georgia’s crop was delayed significantly as well.” 

The weather also contributed to a smaller crop than in previous seasons.

“Supply was short compared to previous years, but thankfully market prices were good,” Atwood says. 

“Production could have been a little bit better, but it was still good enough, and we were able to hang in there,” Pollard adds.

While the cold weather created challenges, another grower stated that a dry spring helped to make harvesting easier. 

“In Florida, we had a very dry spring and drought conditions persisted. This is good weather for picking fruit,” explains Atwood. 

Phillips says popular varieties grown on Florida farms this year included ‘Sentinel,’ ‘Optimus,’ ‘Falcon,’ and ‘19–006.’”

“We grow primarily ‘Arcadia,’” Pollard says. “Everyone says you have to get away from them, but they’re consistent, forgiving, and vigorous. We also planted some ‘Sentinel’ last fall.”

Atwood, on the other hand, says he grew ‘Emerald,’ which is an older standard; ‘Optimus,’ which is a newer variety particularly well-suited for mechanical harvesting; ‘Arcadia’; ‘Sentinel’; and ‘19-006,’ which is one of the newest varieties.

All the growers in this article have begun or plan to begin planting ‘19-006,’ touting its high, early yields and resistance to pests and diseases.

In addition to new varieties, many growers plan to adopt mechanical harvesting. 

Phillips says continuously increasing labor costs and a potentially decreasing labor supply are pushing Florida growers toward mechanical harvesting.

“Labor costs are very concerning,” says Pollard, “but I’m glad we had the resources and the manpower to do what we had to do this year. We were blessed."

Despite continuing pressure on market prices from imported fruit, Phillips says Florida growers appear to be cautiously optimistic moving forward.

“The window of opportunity is definitely there,” Pollard says. “I think we just need to have varieties with really good, big fruit to compete with the huge import berries. People want jumbo fruit, and retailers want a sweet berry. I think we have to make sure we get something in the pipeline that people really want.”