The smell of fresh berries is both intoxicating and uplifting, especially during this fall and winter season. There’s no limit to what these tiny produce stars can offer on retail shelves and foodservice plates. From the dark hues of the blackberry to the deep ruby of the strawberry, everyone has a favorite—especially the berry producers themselves. Our industry friends paint the perfect berry portrait to get those sales rising and those packs moving...
HAILEY CLARK, MARKETING COORDINATOR, WISH FARMS“As this year progresses, we are seeing an increase in consumer demand in the berry industry. I am not surprised, as I find my own family enjoying more meals at home as well. Whether it is providing the family with a snack to munch on or cooking up a berry-inspired recipe to get the kids involved, we are all looking to fuel our days with healthier choices. In my house, a simple bowl of fresh berries has become a staple. My one-year-old might just turn into a blueberry! I can’t complain—they are the perfect superfood!”
RC JONES, MANAGING PARTNER, BOBALU BERRIES“This is an exciting time of year for us as farmers, when we celebrate the end of one crop and the beginning of another—all at the same time. Regardless, we love the fact that our strawberries bring color, flavor, and aroma to the retail produce department during the holiday season when shoppers are cooking more than ever. Fresh strawberries keep that fresh spring look and taste top of mind even as winter is knocking on the door, complementing smoothies, salads, cobblers, sauces, and your favorite holiday cocktail.”
PEPPE BONFIGLIO, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES, MASTRONARDI PRODUCE®/SUNSET®“When we think of a strawberry, we all likely expect the same look and taste: red in color and sometimes sweet in taste—but not always! SUNSET® is setting out to change that. We have expanded our WOW™ ultra-premium line of Berries Elevated™ with three uniquely flavorful strawberries: dreamberry™, pearberry™, and lolliberry™. From dreamberry with its true, classic strawberry taste, to pearberry, a light-pink strawberry with notes of pear and tart apple, to lolliberry, a super-sweet strawberry, we’re expanding the category with a strawberry for every taste. Now that’s pretty sweet.”
Brian Bocock, Vice President of Product Management, Naturipe Farms“At Naturipe, we’re in the midst of an extremely exciting time. We’re sizing up our conventional and organic blueberries, working on perfecting our new raspberry and blackberry varieties, and producing fresh and tasty strawberries. We’ve listened hard to our retailers, and they’ve been requesting our berries all year long. Our berries are perfect for snacking or as a wonderful element in any dish. Versatile, flavorful, and delicious, Naturipe berries work incredibly well in sweet or savory dishes, no matter the season!”
AJIT SAXENA, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER, MUCCI FARMS“When it comes to strawberries, I look no further than our very own Mucci Farms Smuccies™ Sweet Strawberries. They are greenhouse grown to perfection, and the flavor is unmatched. Strawberries were always hit or miss for me. Sometimes they were sweet, sometimes they were tart—you rolled the dice every time. Worst of all, I almost never got through an entire package without having to throw a few berries out! Smuccies, on the other hand, are grown in the cleanest environment with ideal growing conditions to maximize that same sweet flavor in every single berry. Even better, they’re grown year-round!”
RYAN LOCKMAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES AND PROCUREMENT, NORTH BAY PRODUCE“The holiday season is full of opportunity in the bush berry category. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all in peak production during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time period and are the perfect ingredients in pies, salads, or simply consumed in their fresh form. Retailers should have large berry displays—both conventional and organic—with at least one of the bush berries on promotion every week. Bush berries are the perfect healthy, colorful, and tasty addition to any holiday celebration.”
KYLA OBERMAN, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, CALIFORNIA GIANT BERRY FARMS“What I appreciate most about fresh berries is their diversity. They can be eaten as a nutritious snack, added as a topper for color, used as an ingredient item in sweet treats, or creatively in savory entrées—the sky’s the limit. I love to see retailers have fun with their merchandising tables or restaurants feature a unique berry-centric menu item. My favorite appetizer of fresh strawberries, blue cheese, honeycomb, and water crackers paired with a good wine is so easy for a restaurant to assemble and offer on a bar menu or dessert plate. Anytime is a good time for berries—just ask my kids! They eat berries as an appetizer and/or ingredient item at every meal of the day at my house.”
CHERIE FRANCE, MARKETING MANAGER, HOMEGROWN ORGANIC FARMS“What can I say about blue organic goodness? So many things. Blueberries are the quintessential any-time berry and they’re a regular part of my grocery run. Whether they’re added to my post-workout smoothie, a crisp, or just a topper on a salad, they are the perfect healthy addition to any meal—morning, noon, or night. Although, having grown up a farmer’s daughter, I’m fairly certain the absolute best way to enjoy a blueberry is straight off the bush. Retailers can take advantage of promoting this explosive category at by putting berry destinations front and center in the produce department. Create a gateway that welcomes and the entire department will get a boost!” 
