Listen On:
In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of
the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry
Council (NABC), is joined by NABC Director of Government Affairs Alyssa Houtby.
Houtby leads the NABC’s advocacy efforts and works closely with Monument Advocacy,
the council’s Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm. She shares the current state of the
Farm Bill and discusses what specialty producers have to look forward to.
“We are well positioned with members of Congress and the administration to
deliver for specialty crop producers. I think there is more interest than there ever
has been in the past. We’ve got members on the House and Senate Ag Committee
that represent states that are heavy into specialty crops. In the past, you may
have seen more representation from your middle-America, row-crop producing
states.” – Alyssa Houtby
Topics covered include:
● An introduction to Houtby and her role with NABC.
● The efforts and successes of the NABC’s advocacy on U.S. policy.
Crop Report
The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout
important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and
Daniel Bustamante in Peru. This was recorded on November 23, 2023.