Topics in this issue of Behind the Blue:
From the Desk of USHBC President Kasey Cronquist:
Hurricane Helene has impacted a number of our blueberry industry colleagues, their families and friends, and their operations. During these challenging times, many in our blueberry family need your support.
Please join me in reaching out to those who may be suffering to let them know you’re thinking of them and offer any assistance you can.
NABC staff and our volunteer leadership have been reaching out to our growers in the affected regions to understand the scope of the damage and the impact to blueberry farms, farming families, their communities and the industry at large. NABC has also been in touch with members of Congress, their staffs, USDA and members of the Biden administration to ensure that blueberry growers are represented and accounted for in the short- and long-term response to this crisis.
I will be in Washington, D.C., next week for a meeting with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack where I’ll have the opportunity to share the testimony of those who have been impacted, and encourage a swift response and support for our growers.
Sincerely,
Kasey Cronquist, President
Here’s Your Blueberry Summit Recap
Educational, fun, uniting and inspiring are just a few of the words that describe the blueberry industry’s time together at The Blueberry Summit in Denver. A special thanks to the nearly 300 attendees who joined us to learn, grow and get a big dose of inspiration!
If you weren’t able to attend, we missed you and hope you’ll join us at our upcoming events, including The Blueberry Hill Climb and Industry Meetings, March 24-28 in Alexandria, Virginia, and The Blueberry Convention, Oct. 8-10 in Seattle.
Here’s a recap of our time together in Denver.
Day 1 – Let’s Kick Off the Festivities!
The Blueberry Summit kicked off with a welcome reception for exhibitors, the President’s Welcome Reception, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the trade show floor.
Day 2 – Full Speed Ahead
Day two began bright and early with a BerryFit Club 5k run. Then, during the Opening Keynote Breakfast session Do Blueberries Drive the Retail Basket?, USHBC/NABC President Kasey Cronquist sat down with Albertsons Companies National Vice President of Produce Shawn Peery to unpack the opportunities blueberries provide to retailers when it comes to driving produce profitability and influencing store strategy.
During this session, we also honored NABC Chair Pat Goin for her service with a thank you video and honorary gavel. And Rep. Rudy Yakym of Indiana submitted a recognition for Goin into the Congressional Record.
Other meetings and sessions of the day included:
- USHBC Promotion Committee meeting.
- Fireside Chat with the Next Generation of Leaders, including Anna Jesse, vice president, Forest Hills Farms; Kolby Lewis, owner, Blue Raeven Farms; and Kyle Straughn, managing owner/CEO, Straughn Farms.
- BerrySmart Session: Harnessing the Data, with Steve Mantle, Founder/CEO, innov8.ag; and Joe Vargas, NABC/USHBC director of business intelligence.
The afternoon continued with NABC members gathering for the NABC board report and crop report (complimentary for NABC members), and an NABC United Blueberry Advisory Committee meeting.
The day concluded with the NABC and USHBC Reception and Dinner at The Ellie Caulkins Opera House within the Denver Performing Arts Complex, which featured the annual NABC Awards! The Blueberry Hall of Fame Award, the council’s highest honor, went to Mark Villata, former executive director of USHBC and NABC. Gene J. Galletta, Ph.D., was recognized (posthumously) with the Duke Galletta Award. And Andres Armstrong and Keith Mixon were celebrated with the Alex Wetherbee Award.
Day 3 – It’s Not Goodbye, but See You Later
The final day together started for some with a bit of namaste at the BerryFit Club’s yoga session. Then, USHBC/NABC President Kasey Cronquist sat down with industry leaders during the Keynote Breakfast Session to explore Navigating the Industry’s Crossroad: How Do We Match our Means to Our Dreams? In this session, Cronquist and a host of blueberry industry leaders updated attendees on conversations about the united effort needed to respond to data that shows blueberry supply will outstrip demand in coming years, and discussed what that means for the critical decisions ahead.
During this session, we also honored USHBC Chair Shelly Hartmann for her service with a thank you video and honorary gavel. And Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan recognized her efforts with a special certificate.
The afternoon continued with two concurrent lunch sessions:
- Health Research and Nutrition Forum: It’s Never Too Early to Start Loving Blueberries, with Minghua Tang, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado Anschultz Medical Center; and discussion of the new trend of baby-led weaning with dietitian Kinzie Matzeller.
- VacCAP Updates, a community-based project to develop advanced DNA and phenotyping breeding tools to improve fruit quality in blueberries (and cranberries), with Massimo Iorizzo, Ph.D., associate Professor, University Faculty Scholar, North Carolina State University.
The day also included the USHBC Industry Engagement Committee meeting and the USHBC Council meeting, both of which were open to all attendees and provided a full update on the USHBC and its work on behalf of the industry.
Attendees ended their night with a Grab a Boost of Blue Happy Hour to toast all the possibilities for blueberries and share final farewells.
Feel like you missed out? Don’t miss our upcoming events: The Blueberry Hill Climb and Industry Meetings, March 24-28 in Alexandria, Virginia, and The Blueberry Convention, Oct. 8-10 in Seattle.
