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 Brandon Raso, Variety Farms farm and operations manager, and the recent recipient of the 2026 National Outstanding Young Farmer award. Raso is a fourth-generation grower at Variety Farms in Hammonton, New Jersey, where he manages over 750 acres of production. He also serves on the USHBC Council as treasurer, and is chair of the Finance Committee. Whether he’s advocating for growers in D.C. or implementing the latest mechanical harvesting tech at home, he’s at the forefront of the “next gen” movement.

“We obviously have a lot of runway left with reaching higher consumption levels and, so, I just think there's a lot of light at the end of the tunnel on this, and it's something we don't have to fight tooth and nail for. I think as long as we make the right moves and stay conscious about the decisions we're making, I think this thing is naturally going to catapult itself into a new category in terms of consumption, people realizing the benefits and reaching new audiences. It's like we're so fortunate to be part of this.” – Brandon Raso

Topics covered include:

An introduction to Raso and his work.
The history Raso represents as a fourth-generation grower.
The impact he’s having on the industry due to his involvement at the local and national levels.
Where he sees the most potential for growth in the industry.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Ryan Rainey in Michigan, Pat Goin in Indiana, Kristen Brinkley in North Carolina and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on May 28, 2026.