Topics in this issue of Behind the Blue:
- From the Chair: Sending Holiday Cheer to You and Yours!
- Apply for the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program by Jan. 1
- Entire Trade 101 Series Now Available for Viewing
- Blueberries Are the Tastiest Snack Alive!
- New Application for UK Duty Suspensions Open Through Feb. 4
- USDA NRCS Announces New Regenerative Ag Pilot Program
- USHBC’s Hamilton Appears on ‘Shopper Matters’ Podcast
- USHBC Represented at Washington Small Fruit Conference
From the Chair: Sending Holiday Cheer to You and Yours!
By Bryan Sakuma
USHBC Chair
As this year comes to a close, I want to send my warmest holiday wishes to you and your families.
Your dedication and passion are the engine of the blueberry industry, and our successes this year rest on the commitment each of you showed to advancing our mission. Thank you.
I hope you can take some time to rest, recharge and enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.
Here’s to a joyful holiday season and a prosperous 2026.
Happy Holidays!
Apply for the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program by Jan. 1
There’s still time to apply for Class 4 of the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program — a one-of-a-kind experience designed to equip emerging professionals with the skills, connections and perspective to drive our industry forward.
Through this immersive, year-long journey, fellows will:
- Gain hands-on experience across every link in the blueberry supply chain — from farm to consumer.
- Build lifelong connections with growers, marketers, exporters, researchers and retailers.
- Develop personal leadership skills to inspire change and innovation across the industry.
We’re looking for passionate professionals with five or more years of experience in agriculture who are ready to take the next big step in their leadership journey.
Class 4 launches in March 2026 and includes four in-person sessions, a capstone project and graduation at The 2027 Blueberry Convention.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of a growing network of visionaries shaping the future of blueberries.
Learn more and apply by Jan. 1, 2026.
Know someone who would benefit from this innovative program? Spread the word in your organization and throughout your network.
Thank you to Fall Creek for sponsoring this vital blueberry industry program!
Entire Trade 101 Series Now Available for Viewing
Our entire Trade 101 webinar series, including the fourth installment held earlier this month, is now available for viewing.
Session 4 unpacks how global trade has changed the U.S. blueberry industry, with an eye on the history, legal challenges and current landscape of blueberry imports and exports.
Plus, you can get caught up on the entire series by watching the first, second and third sessions that cover topics like why trade matters to U.S. agriculture; key developments in U.S. trade over the years, with a focus on policy shifts and priorities; and this year’s trade developments, including tariffs and trade agreements.
NABC and USHBC, along with the Ag Trade Education Council (ATEC), are proud to have brought you this education series designed to help growers navigate trade policy and spark conversations about trade’s impact on the blueberry industry.
Blueberries Are the Tastiest Snack Alive!
People magazine’s iconic and highly anticipated Sexiest Man Alive issue debuted this year alongside blueberries — as the Tastiest Snack Alive. The magazine, on stands or at a reception desk near you, includes a full-page print ad showcasing blueberries in a delicious charcuterie spread, alongside a model that enhances the ad and naturally ties it into their premier feature.
Our campaign with People also featured an expansive digital advertorial and a series of paid social ads with even more tempting ways to inspire readers to enjoy their favorite fruit. By aligning with a well-known and loved franchise (84% of People’s audience of 20 million look forward to the issue every year), blueberries were positioned in a new and exciting way that emphasized their great taste, crave-worthiness and snackability.
New Application for UK Duty Suspensions Open Through Feb. 4
The new UK duty application process, which allows stakeholders to apply for duty suspensions or extend existing duty suspensions due to expire next year, is open through Feb. 4.
The UK imposes a 2% Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff on imports of fresh blueberries and dried blueberries, and tariffs ranging from 14% to 20% on frozen blueberries. The tariff does not apply to fresh blueberries.
To pursue a UK duty suspension, complete and submit an online application form to the UK government available here. Applicants must provide their company name and import information, including quantitative data justifying why the duty suspension will benefit UK businesses and the economy.
Learn more about the process on the UK duty suspension website, and read the UK’s suspension guidance pack.
Contact the Tariff Suspensions Team at [email protected] with questions.
USDA NRCS Announces New Regenerative Ag Pilot Program
This month, the National Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) launched the Regenerative Pilot Program, a farmer-first, outcomes-based approach to conservation designed to return the agency to its core mission – helping people help the land. NRCS is investing $700 million to support regenerative agriculture, including $400 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and $300 million through the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
The pilot program addresses whole-farm resource concerns through support for voluntary regenerative agriculture conservation plans.
For producers, this means:
- Bundled practices will be integrated into a single application, making programs easier to access and more impactful.
- Whole-farm holistic conservation planning is the centerpiece of the program, ensuring that all resource concerns (soil, water and natural vitality) are addressed together, not piecemeal.
- Conservation planning and producer objectives drive the process, ensuring site-specific solutions that work for the producer.
- Outcomes are tracked, measured and credited back to the farmer.
- Producers at every stage, from beginners just starting out with cover crops to advanced operations with years of conservation experience, will find a pathway through this pilot program.
As part of participating in Regenerative Pilot Program, producers must:
- Work with NRCS staff, partners, or technical service providers to conduct a whole-farm assessment.
- Use at least one primary regenerative management practice (see list below).
- Agree to perform soil health testing in the first and last year of the contract (at a minimum) to establish a starting baseline and to record the resulting changes.
Primary practices include:
- Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
- Contour Farming (330)
- Contour Orchard and Other Perennial Crop (331)
- Cover Crop (340)
- Drainage Water Management (554)
- Forage Harvest Management (511)
- Forest Stand Improvement (666)
- Irrigation Water Management (449)
- Mulching (484)
- Nutrient Management (590)
- Pest Management Conservation System (595)
- Prescribed Grazing (528)
- Residue and Tillage Management, No Till (329)
- Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced (345)
- Stripcropping (585)
Additional information is available in the Regenerative Pilot Program Frequently Asked Questions.
NRCS is also setting up a Chief’s Regenerative Agriculture Advisory Council that gives farmers, consumers and private partners a seat at the table, ensuring NRCS programs remain practical, transparent and responsive to real-world needs. The council will consist of 15 members – nine regenerative farmers representing production systems, three corporate supply-chain or consumer packaged goods (CPG) representatives and three consumer or Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) representatives. The council will meet quarterly with the chief of NRCS for one year.
How to Apply
Farmers and ranchers interested in regenerative agriculture are encouraged to apply through their local NRCS Service Center by their state’s ranking dates for consideration in fiscal year 2026 funding. Applications for both EQIP and CSP can now be submitted under the new single regenerative application process.
Stay Tuned for More Information
The North American Blueberry Council (NABC) is working to schedule a member webinar in early 2026 with USDA-NRCS to address your questions about this new pilot program. Stay tuned for details!
USHBC’s Hamilton Appears on ‘Shopper Matters’ Podcast
USHBC Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications Kevin Hamilton was featured on the latest episode of the Independent Grocers Alliance podcast “Shopper Matters.”
Hosted by Independent Grocers Alliance Vice President of Brand Development Michael La Kier, the podcast explores the rapidly changing world of retail, focusing on omnichannel shopping and consumer behavior insights.
During the episode, Hamilton shares what it takes to grow demand for blueberries at retail, how marketing drives demand, the differences between product and category marketing, and more.
Tune in for a deep dive into the core strategies for successful grocery retail in today’s dynamic market.
USHBC Represented at Washington Small Fruit Conference
Earlier this month, USHBC Promotion Committee Chair Brian Bocock joined the 2025 Washington Small Fruit Conference and met with Washington blueberry growers to share updates on the work underway to build blueberry demand for the long term. Brian spoke candidly about the need for greater focus and investment in USHBC’s efforts to give consumers more reasons to choose blueberries more often.
Also attending the conference were USHBC Chair Bryan Sakuma and President Kasey Cronquist, who used the opportunity to meet with the heart of the industry: our growers.