In 2018, USHBC began the journey of taking blueberries to the next level with an awareness-building advertising campaign. Its goal was, and continues to be, elevating blueberries to a status beyond that which we have already established. The “Positively Bluetiful” campaign created a strong foundation for making blueberries part of the daily lives of moderate...

Executive Director Mark Villata set to retire at the end of 2019 FOLSOM, Calif. – June 18, 2019 – The North American Blueberry Council (NABC) and U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) have named Kasey Cronquist as the new president, effective July 29, 2019. The Council’s current executive director, Mark Villata, is set to retire at the...

New Research Examines Blueberries’ Effect on Cardiometabolic Health In Adults With Metabolic Syndrome A large, long-term human study, funded by the USHBC, has published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a well-known and widely recognized peer-reviewed journal in the field of clinical nutrition. The research study found that participants with metabolic syndrome who consumed...

From March 23-31, 2019, USHBC Export Program Manager Alicia Adler traveled to South Korea and Malaysia to meet with importers, retailers and foodservice operators ahead of the season. In South Korea, Ms. Adler joined USHBC in-country representatives, Mr. Ken Yang and Ms. Hyewon Shin of Korea Business Services Inc., in hosting a trade seminar for...

USHBC Shares Latest Blueberry Health Benefit Findings with Japanese Media Group From May 5-8, 2019, USHBC hosted five Japanese health journalists at the Berry Health Benefits Symposium in Portland, Oregon. A special “Blueberry Day” was held the day before the Symposium began, where the journalists were able to learn about the latest health research findings...

As American Heart Month kicks off, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is excited to announce that blueberries now are certified as heart-healthy through the American Heart Association Heart-Check Food Certification Program. The Blueberry Council and its grower members can use the official heart-check mark on blueberry packaging and throughout online, print and other promotional materials...

The 2018 Farm Bill was passed by both houses in Congress and President Trump hinted that he would sign the bill this week. The legislation includes expanded farm subsidies, permanent funding for farmers markets and local food programs, and increased funding and flexibility for a variety of federal grant programs. Specifically, all USDA Foreign Agricultural...