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 Cort Brazelton, co-CEO of https://www.fallcreeknursery.com/ (Fall Creek Farm & Nursery), to discuss the latest International Blueberry Organization (IBO) State of the Industry report and the future of global blueberry production.
“If the IBO is going to create more value in the future, we need a strong partnership with the USHBC, because no organization in the world is carrying the weight like the U.S. council. It’s as simple as that.” - Cort Brazelton
“To get more share of the stomach, we don’t just do it through fresh, we get our product into more foods people eat. But to do that, the market – the buying side – has to have confidence, availability, consistency in pricing and getting the type of product they want. ”  - Cort Brazelton
Topics covered include:
Overview and function of the IBO State of the Industry report, now free to all. 
Importance of meeting in person and collaborating. 
IBO’s role in contextualizing the global blueberry business.
How having reliable and easily accessible data can help growing and production decisions. 

Crop Report
The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramírez in Mexico. This was recorded on January 5, 2022.
Marketing Boost
Both strategy and tactics play a key role in executing a program. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses the importance of proper planning as the New Year kicks off.