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 Kevin Hamilton, vice president of global marketing and communications for USHBC and NABC. Over the past two years, Hamilton and his team have elevated how we look at what’s next for driving consumer demand for blueberries at retail, helping to reshape how blueberries show up as a category. He joins the podcast to share about the USHBC’s efforts at retail, and the impact these programs and retail relationships are having on the blueberry industry.

“ We're here to simply do exactly what (retailers) want to do: Sell as many blueberries as possible at the best price. And then with the pilot projects that have turned into recurring projects with these retailers – they're seeing results. So the evolution has gone from introducing ourselves to now us getting phone calls from them, having a more collaborative relationship.” – Kevin Hamilton

Topics covered include:

An introduction to Hamilton and his work at the councils.
A discussion of the efforts underway with retailers, and the importance of these relationships on driving demand for blueberries.
A look into the strategies and tactics for growing the blueberry category at retail.

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, Derrin Wheeler in Georgia, Kristin Brinkley in North Carolina, Alec Arena in New Jersey, TJ Hafner in Oregon, Eliza Spreitzer in Michigan, Pat Goin in Indiana, Sunny Brar in British Columbia, Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on April 30, 2026.