In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Tom Barnes, interim director of data and business intelligence at the USHBC and NABC, and president and CEO of Category Partners. Barnes is a veteran of the perishables industry with a deep passion for how data drives retail success. He has spent over two decades helping major retailers and suppliers navigate the relationship between business insights and market performance. Under his leadership, Category Partners has become a go-to resource for primary consumer research and technology solutions in the fresh food space. He joins the podcast to share his unique perspective and insight into the impact of market data on the blueberry industry.

“ Price is always a factor and always will be a factor. You can't just sell it for whatever you want, but it tells you that there is higher demand for blueberries every year, and the consumption is moving up, which isn't the case for every commodity.” — Tom Barnes

Topics covered include:

An introduction to Barnes and his work for USHBC/NABC and Category Partners.
How the data behind blueberry sales can inform future decisions and opportunities.
The excitement Barnes feels regarding the direction and growth of the blueberry industry based on the data.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. You’ll hear from Brittany Lee in Florida, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Michelle Borges in California, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on April 2, 2026.

Decoding the Retail Landscape – What the Latest Data Tells Us