Farmers are no strangers to navigating uncontrollable and often unpredictable headwinds like inclement weather, labor challenges, and escalating costs, to name a few. While these pressures ripple through the entire blueberry supply chain, it’s the grower who absorbs the full impact. As the industry’s national trade association, the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) aims to serve as both a windbreak against those forces and a trusted partner to our growers when the winds are strongest.

For growers, NABC’s core mission is simple: Ensure they have the tools, resources, and policy support necessary to continue producing the best blueberries in the world. At times, that means helping farmers rebound from catastrophic events.  

In the days and weeks following the winter storms in Florida, NABC has been working with our state and regional leadership, and the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, to ensure our growers can access critical federal support, including crop insurance indemnities and USDA disaster assistance programs. Through on-the-ground tours, direct engagement with federal agencies and meetings with members of Congress, the organization has helped bring national attention to the crisis. 

Growers told us they appreciated NABC’s efforts. As Florida grower Brittany Lee put it, “I’ve been told by many in the industry who have participated in the type of tour NABC coordinated in response to the storms that it was, No. 1, the quickest event we've had in the state of Florida after devastation like this; No. 2, the largest attended, and; No. 3, had the high highest caliber of participants.”

As affected growers begin the long process of restoring fields or replanting, NABC remains actively engaged to ensure recovery resources reach those who need them most.

The Blueberry Hill Climb

NABC’s advocacy also took center stage at The Blueberry Hill Climb in Washington, D.C., this spring. A delegation of 65 industry leaders met with senior administration officials, including U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, representatives from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and White House staff to discuss policies shaping the long-term competitiveness of specialty crops and the role of blueberries as an integral part of the MAHA nutrition agenda.

The timing was significant. The House Agriculture Committee was marking up, and ultimately advancing, the Farm Bill. During a meeting with Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), NABC presented him with the Blueberry Pinnacle Award in recognition of his leadership on policies benefiting specialty crop producers.

For blueberry growers, a strong farm safety net is particularly vital, and we made that clear in our nation’s capital. Proposed improvements to the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), including a prepayment option and recognition of fields that are no longer economically viable, would provide more practical support following catastrophic damage. Enhancements to crop insurance and the creation of a Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework would further strengthen protections for growers facing increasingly frequent weather extremes.

Beyond the Farm Bill, industry leaders engaged officials across the federal government on policies shaping the long-term competitiveness of U.S. blueberry growers.

Industry leaders also pressed Congress to codify the Department of Labor’s Interim Final Rule on the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, deliver meaningful economic assistance for specialty crop growers, and support federal nutrition programs that encourage increased blueberry consumption.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 

NABC representatives attended a joint USDA-HHS event announcing new public-private partnerships to advance the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The updated guidelines emphasize whole foods and feature a widely discussed “inverted pyramid” that highlights nutrient-dense options.

For the blueberry industry, this recognition reflects decades of investment in health research documenting the fruit’s benefits, particularly its high levels of anthocyanins and low glycemic impact. Federal nutrition guidance influences everything from school meals to public health messaging, making it a powerful driver of demand. Industry leaders are already looking ahead to the 2030 guidelines, working to ensure that distinctions among fruits – including the unique nutritional profile of blueberries – are fully reflected.

Specialty Crop Assistance 

NABC is actively advocating to ensure that assistance for specialty crops is included in a potential Congressional funding package tied to defense and disaster spending. Blueberry farmers, like many specialty crop producers, are facing a critical economic moment. Years of escalating labor and input costs, coupled with repeated natural disasters, have placed extraordinary strain on farms. Yet, specialty crop operations are often left out of traditional safety net programs designed primarily for commodity crops.

The need for targeted support is clear. A recent American Farm Bureau Federation report underscores the pressure facing the sector, noting that many blueberry operations are covering day-to-day expenses but failing to recover full long-term production costs. 

From disaster support to federal policy advocacy and nutrition leadership, NABC’s objective is to ensure U.S. blueberry growers can withstand today’s challenges and thrive in the years ahead. In an environment defined by uncertainty, growers speaking with one unified voice may be the industry’s strongest defense against whatever headwinds come next.