Blueberry Boost Accelerator — Kasey Cronquist

Fred Schonenberg

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the VentureFuel Visionaries podcast. I'm your host, Fred Schonenberg. On today's show, we have Kasey Cronquist. Kasey is the president of both the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council. Roles he has held since 2019. 

Kasey has over two decades of leadership experience in agriculture. He has been recognized as the National Agri Marketing Association's Ag Association Leader of the Year. He is dedicated to making blueberries the world's favorite fruit through strategic marketing, industry collaboration, and innovation. Kasey led initiatives like the Grab a Boost of Blue campaign and launched the Business of Blueberries podcast to connect and educate the industry.

Today, we're going to talk about the new blueberry boost accelerator and how innovation is a growth lever for the industry. So everyone, please enjoy this conversation with Kasey Cronquist. Kasey, welcome to the show.

Kasey Cronquist

Hey, Fred, it's great to be here. Thanks for inviting me.

Fred Schonenberg

Of course. I'd love to start with your story. You've built a career in agriculture and been a leader in that space. So what first drew you to this world and what has kept you in this world for so long?

Kasey Cronquist

Well, first, I've loved being in the agriculture space. It has been really rewarding. It's not where I started. I started when I got into association management and 26 years old, I was in a Chamber of Commerce. So I kind of cut my teeth in working for nonprofits or working for organizations that are basically doing for everyone what no one company could do alone. And I just loved it. I loved the sense of being a bit of an underdog, needing to work, do more with less. And I really achieved those things that groups of people were willing to come together and put time and talent towards in order to make a difference. I still get energized by that today. It is what drives me.

I'm in the agriculture space now. I got involved in the cut flower industry before I came to blueberries. Spent 12 years there and have been at blueberries ever since. So it's been a journey. One that I've just loved and enjoy all the opportunities that have kind of come through this career path to be able to make a difference. And that's really what the career has been about.

Fred Schonenberg

I love the underdog sort of innovation story. Do more with less. And I know we'll click into that a little bit. I was curious if you could introduce people to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and what it does to support the blueberry industry.

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, so the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is a USDA program overseen by the Department of Agriculture that is one of 22, what they call research and promotion organizations. And those organizations, again, there's only 22 of them in the world that I really, again, do that thing that is uniquely positioning them to accomplish for their industry.

What no one company and I would even venture to say organizations could do in the way that these organizations do them. They require a mandatory assessment, which is very different from your average trade nonprofit that requires everybody to have some skin in the game. Ours is dependent on size and pounds. So how many pounds come through our program or grow or grow is the assessment rate at which they pay. 

And they're unique tools that have been made available to the industries that have them at their own choice. So it's a voluntary organization and it's and it's on set. They have to choose and vote to get one started. They're very difficult to get started with. Not every industry has one. Like I said, there's only 22 and the blueberry industries have had one since 2000. There's nothing else like it in the world.

There are these organizations are unique in the way that they are able to bring everybody together and require everybody to contribute to something greater than themselves in the effort to, in our case, grow the blueberry category and make blueberries the world's favorite fruit.

Fred Schonenberg

I love that. Now, can you explain how that is different from the North American Blueberry Council?

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, so the North American Blueberry Council, for those that are in agriculture, familiar with the Farm Bureau and in case my background of being in the Chamber of Commerce, it's a voluntary organization. You pay to be a member of it. It's not mandatory. And so it is what I like in the North American Blueberry Council to be the Farm Bureau of Blueberries. 

Not everybody's a member. But what it's there to do is advocate on behalf of the blueberry industry. And we are always looking to grow that membership. And so it's a constant effort of advocacy and, of course, driving the category membership.

Fred Schonenberg

So can you talk about how your vision of the blueberry industry has evolved over time? You've been at the helm of these groups for six years at this point. Are there any evolutions there in any pivotal moments that have shaped that vision?

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, I mean, I think initially we recognized that we needed to organize around a common strategy and vision. And I think that in twenty twenty one was the beginning of our most recent strategic plan. But that conversation started before that on how do you unite the industry around a common vision? And that's a continued conversation. It's not by any means perfection. But what you're trying to do is what's the best and highest use of these resources to accomplish what was intended to do?

And I think that evolution has certainly been a part of the industry's growth and maturation moving from in a product that was not a lot of people were familiar with or maybe even aware with. And and now where many people know about blueberries certainly know about the health benefits of blueberries, evolving that that vision to beyond the United States, looking at this being a global opportunity for everybody involved, especially for our industry who recognizes that we need more places to put all these blueberries and driving that consumption and that demand. 

So moving from awareness to how do you become a part of the culture? How do you become not just grabbing people's attention? Hang on here, I'm trying to think of a word. Oh, not just being there for the impulse purchase of consumers, but also being on the list before they enter the store. That's a completely different approach. And on top of that, we've got to figure out how to move a lot of processed or frozen berries into markets like Southeast Asia and or the food ingredient space and or the food service space. So there's, I think, a shifting of gears for us as an industry as we've gone over this latest lattice. I'm sorry, as we've gone over this latest strategic plan that has really helped us see the opportunity ahead and then continue to evolve the organization accordingly.

Fred Schonenberg

I think one of the things that is so interesting to me is the evolution of innovation. And I would say maybe some of the people listening, the first word when they think of blueberries, innovation might not be tied to that. But it seems like that has become a clear priority for you and the organizations. Can you talk about why you believe innovation is important for the blueberry industry and the growers that you support?

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, well, for us, it's just a matter of how do we get people to get us out of that morning park when people think of us as a breakfast item? How do you innovate away from just being a functional resource to people? So how do you create something that's not just because it's healthy, but because I just desire having that as a part of another engagement with a social group or or another opportunity where people would want to have blueberries be a part of an occasion. 

So we're really focused on some of the fun and innovative things. We've seen other products go before us and accomplish and try to become that for our industry. And that takes resources. It takes getting some creatives together. It takes getting innovators together, helping us reimagine what it is that people think about blueberries as a category or as a product and letting people have fun with it. I think there's a lot more runway ahead for blueberries, certainly looking at the data that we have, both in food ingredient work and food service, but also with consumption and consumers generally retail. It's a small population of people still today that are eating blueberries.

And there's lots of reasons that we could go on and on to talk about why that is. But we've been very successful with what we've been doing to get here. But where we need to go next is going to require more than what we've been doing. And that requires being very innovative and thinking about the product and the category very differently than we thought about it for the last 25 years. 

Fred Schonenberg

I think one of the things is exciting, and this will be a transition to talk about the Blueberry Boost Accelerator. But when we first spoke, I talked to my team, I basically said, hey, we've got this opportunity and the passion for blueberries like people were knocking me over to be like, how do we work on the blueberry business? Like my son is obsessed with blueberries, right? And the health benefits. And so I think there's such a passion and love for it. 

So I think some of this is just about opening that door and making it a thing and going beyond the day part as you mentioned. But it was to say it was oversubscribed internally for VentureFuel. But can you talk a little bit about the blueberry boost accelerator? What made you launch it? What are you hoping to accomplish? What are you excited about?

Kasey Cronquist

Well, I love… I followed a little bit as a fan with what the milk industry has done on a number of fronts, not just what they've done with all of you and the VentureFuel program. I think what we were thinking with the accelerator program is something that would kind of get the attention of people that may be not paying attention to us.

I think we've had a food ingredient program that's been working alongside food manufacturers and certainly innovators. But this program, I think, will really help shape the conversation we want to have as a category with people who are in this space. That there is a lot of volume coming and there is a lot of opportunity coming, and that there's a lot of opportunity for those who want to work with us to make blueberries the world's favorite fruit. And that could be through a program like this. And I think that's what gets me excited. 

I think it'll help continue to put us on a roadmap towards success. And like I said earlier, I feel like it's punching above our weight. I think it's a great platform for us to be able to do something that will grab the attention of people who want to help put their shoulders to the wheel. So the enthusiasm that you feel that you had when your team was saying they wanted to be on the account, we want to welcome that enthusiasm because we know it's out there in a conversation like this.

Fred Schonenberg

I love it. Are there certain types of startups that you all are looking for or interested in? And why should startups consider this?

Kasey Cronquist

Well, I think we're open to a lot of different categories. I'd hate to limit opportunities to those who are thinking about blueberries creatively, but I do think our industry thinks of snacks a lot. I think we should think about where we can become a product that's giving consumers choices, especially one that has something as exciting and as healthy as blueberries.

And I think our industry always thinks of things through that lens. And so I think we're looking for manufacturers who want to put value adding ingredients into something. Maybe they know it could be more popular by including blueberries or something that could be anchored by the fact that they're using blueberries. We think there's a lot of equity in what we've built as a program and a category as a brand. And we want to raise the flag of awareness that says, hey, we would love you to partner with us as a category. We'd love to see how we can make what you're doing more popular and certainly make blueberries more popular with consumers.

Fred Schonenberg

Can you talk about maybe some of the challenges that the blueberry industry and the stakeholders within it are facing today?

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, I think, one, there's increasingly more competition for the shared stomach. And I think we're going to have to continue to rise above that as an industry. And It's going to take more than we're doing today to compete for that share. I worry about where science is taking us in terms of how the whole food concept is going to compete with the pharmaceutical concept. And I think there is just a need for us to stay on the front end of that and continue to compete. 

That's all we can do is continue to show that what work we've done in health research stands the test of time and that these things that you put in your body and the way that we can help drive blueberries as a part of that ingredient use because people care about using real food is the way in which we can continue to be relevant in the future going ahead from here. I think we're challenged in that.

I think we're challenged as any agriculture group by the way in which we're supporting our farmers and helping continue to drive back to the roots at which we get all things. And I think that's a really important testament to what it is that we stand for as an organization. But it also comes through the ethos of any product you create. I think we're here to help people understand that this came from somewhere and it and it was toiled over to get there. And it's more than just an ingredient. I think that's something that we hope to bring to any participant in this program or anybody when we're talking about what we do for our growers.

Fred Schonenberg

Yeah, I think it's interesting, too, when I look at some of the amazing creative platforms you all have launched, whether it's Grab a Boost of Blue or Inspiring Possibilities. It feels like those are so rooted in what you were just talking about. Can you talk about what sparked those ideas and maybe like the power of those rallying cries?

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, I think part of it is, it's such a multidimensional piece of fruit that we're promoting that it does have a huge health halo. Hard stop. That's true. However, there's just so much more both involved with the product. I would point to flavor. I would point to new varieties. I would point to size. There's just a lot more stories to be told that go beyond health that makes it something for people to start paying more attention to. 

I say this and I've said it before, but just if you enjoy blueberries today, wait five years from now, wait 10 years from now. This party is only getting better. And it's going to continue to grow in a way that I think is going to inspire more people to come to the category. But also, I think it's going to inspire innovators to try things better and differently because of the way that the industry is changing and evolving. Yes, through genetics and a lot of the good work that a lot of companies are doing to bring more flavor to the blueberry.

But just simply thinking of new creative uses of it, because there's a lot of great blueberries out there today that will continue. And we are charged with trying to figure out how to provide a home for every berry. I think when you say Grab a Boost of Blue, that person on the other end of that message is interpreting that for them, knowing there's a lot of goodness in that grabbing a boost of blue and letting that person decide for themselves what what that boost is going to be is a boost of fun, is it a boost to energy, is it a boost to health? That's up for interpretation.

Blueberries can deliver on all those things. And that's what I love about that message when we talk about it and when we promote it. And I think the ethos under inspiring possibilities kind of drives towards the innovation that we're hoping for in the future, which is who wants to jump into this game with us and think about all the ways in which we haven't on the use of blueberries going forward from here? And where else could they go? Who else could they be appealing to? What other ingredient use could we create? So, it's really amazing when you stop and think that table grapes have been around for thousands and thousands of years.

Blueberries grown commercially have only been around for the last 100 years. Roughly, that creates a lot of space, a lot of white space for somebody to come and think through what is it that we've seen before in other products that blueberries haven't jumped into yet? What is it about blueberries that makes it unique that somebody would like to innovate with? And I think that's what makes the opportunity right now for blueberries being really, really exciting. So inspiring those possibilities is really what USHPC is about.

Fred Schonenberg

Kasey, I'm so excited. Like your enthusiasm is so contagious, right? One of the things that you just said, like if you think this is great now, wait, wait five to 10 years. I'm curious, like what your vision is for the industry. You know, if someone doesn't listen, listen to this podcast until 2030. How is the blueberry industry going to be different? How do you think it's going to evolve? And what is your vision for where it needs to go or where it will go?

Kasey Cronquist

Well, this is a big question, because some of me, some part of me wants to start with the numbers. I think we're at less than half a household eating blueberries today. Per capita, we're under three pounds per person. Those are simple statistics that really speak to a larger opportunity that you see other categories enjoying, which is a much stronger strawberry than high 60s, low 70s household penetration. Avocados per pound doing much better than blueberries. These are just benchmarks at which relatively we would like to be positioning blueberries to. We should be there. We want to be there.

And yet we want to do it in a way that continues to drive value. And that's another vision of ours is just making sure that we remain a profitable commodity over time, meaning that the value is not lost on the people who are using it as an ingredient or they're using it in their home or they're thinking about buying it. It's worth it. It's something that people are willing to pay for. And I don't want us to ever lose that halo of value. So that's something I continue to see us striving for in the future ahead.

But most importantly, I think it's also about accessibility. I think it's about where we can continue to provide blueberries in places they're not today that gives people the opportunity to experience them in many different ways. We talk a lot about schools and a lot about especially the current conversation about healthy eating within the government, the dietary guidelines. What is it that we can be doing to help differentiate blueberries that makes them unique today? 

There's a reason why we're known to be healthy. It's tied to the blue color. You know, and I don't think Americans appreciate that the dark fruit or the blue fruit that we represent have flavonoids in them that make us uniquely healthy. And I think that's partly because we haven't done a good enough job as an industry to position the category within these dietary guidelines to help differentiate fruits. Not all fruits are equal. Doesn't mean that everybody shouldn't enjoy more fruits and vegetables. But when you just leave it like that, when you just say just enjoy more fruits and vegetables, it's not really recognizing the points of differentiation that separate us as fruits and vegetables.

And blueberries have a story to tell that's uniquely its own. And I just hope that in the future we continue to find ourselves elevating this product in the way that it deserves. And so that's part of the work ahead is just continuing to help highlight why this is a great opportunity right now to put ourselves in a position to be in more schools and to be used as an ingredient for more kids.

There's so many things that are being talked about today that we already represent, and we just have a responsibility to tell that story, get that research in front of the right people and help them see why. Again, not all food is equal and not all fruits are equal. We have a really unique position and a unique story to tell.

Fred Schonenberg

Kasey, where can people go to learn more about USHBC as well as the Blueberry Boost Accelerator Program?

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, so USHBC can be found at blueberry.org. And then you'll find there. I think we're positioning this now if we haven't already for a call out box. And then that's where you can go and simply apply to the accelerator program. Then you'll find that over on our food professional section of the website. 

So if you go there and you're looking for more resources for food manufacturers that are looking to use blueberries, that's where you're going to find information about the innovator program. Or I'm sorry, that's where you're going to find more information about the accelerator program. And we just encourage people to, yeah, jump in. Be a part of the innovation and part of the effort ahead. It's an exciting time.

Fred Schonenberg

Yeah, I know when we first started the conversation, one of the things we said was like, this is an opportunity to make blueberries a thing. Air quotes on thing. And it's really cool to see innovators that are embracing this incredibly healthy product and thinking about it in new ways. And the output of that is obviously to drive demand and excitement around blueberries. But it's going to be a lot of fun to see the way innovators are taking this sort of super superfood and using it to drive that excitement and then that demand. 

So, Kasey, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, share your story a little bit today and also everything you're doing to spark such meaningful change in the industry and throughout agriculture.

Kasey Cronquist

Yeah, it's my pleasure. Thank you for having me on the show today, Fred.