Topics in this issue of Behind the Blue:
- Searching for America’s Best Blueberry Pie!
- Season 1 of ‘The Business of Blueberries’ Podcast Is a Wrap
- Save the Date! USHBC/NABC Fall Meetings Registration Coming Soon
Searching for America’s Best Blueberry Pie!
National Blueberry Month is coming up in July, and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council couldn’t be more excited! As part of the celebration, we’re hosting the first-ever America’s Best Blueberry Pie Contest for consumers, with a grand prize of $10,000! Help us spread the word about this contest and offer your own customers a chance to win big — while working with us to drive consumption and love for blueberries during this key power period for our industry.
To request FREE flyers and/or postcards to promote the contest at your operation, just fill out this simple form, and we’ll ship them out at no cost to you. The blueberry pie contest is open now through July 12, so order your materials today. Digital versions are also available!
In addition to all things blueberry pie, we’re also highlighting blueberry smoothies. With National Smoothie Day coming up on June 21, USHBC has developed a shareable social media image to download and post on your own social media channels.
And don’t forget that you can also access two amazing toolkits on the Grab a Boost of Blue industry resource hub to help you capitalize on some important milestones for our industry this summer. The toolkit for Brain Health Month (June) features free creative tools and resources for blueberry growers and marketers, including banner ads, social posts, recipes and Brain Health Fact Sheets. And the National Blueberry Month (July) toolkit provides everything you need to promote the month-long celebration, from tip sheets to social media content to digital advertising.
Season 1 of ‘The Business of Blueberries’ Podcast Is a Wrap
“The Business of Blueberries” podcast has reached a big milestone – one year since its launch in June 2020! During this inaugural year, the USHBC has spoken with leading voices in the blueberry industry on topics ranging from vertical farming to improvements in blueberry genetics, with lots more to come in Season 2. If you’re a regular listener and haven’t had a chance to take our listener survey survey yet, you can still share your feedback here. But don’t delay; it closes at the end of the week!
Want to start listening to “The Business of Blueberries” but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here are four episodes representative of the podcast’s key topics:
- Blueberry Technology: Mechanical Harvesting — ‘No Bruising, No Losing’ (Episode 38)
- Blueberry Genetics: Breeding Southern Highbush Varieties With Paul Lyrene, Ph.D. (Episode 26)
- Blueberry Markets: A Big Year for Blueberries With Brian Bocock (Episode 46)
- Blueberry History: The Birthplace of Blueberries With Denny Doyle (Episode 15)
Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you can download the episodes as they’re released.
Save the Date! USHBC/NABC Fall Meetings Registration Coming Soon
It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to gather, but in just a few months, the USHBC and NABC will bring back our in-person fall meetings, scheduled for September 27-October 1 in Salem, Oregon.
In addition to conducting official business of the USHBC and NABC, the week’s events will include riveting speakers, presentations on state-of-the-art tools and practices, and industry tours in the Salem area. A virtual attendance option will also be available.
Registration launches July 15, and you’ll want to act quickly as the event is expected to sell out.
Stay tuned for more details and additional reminders as we gear up for registration. We hope to see you in Salem!