Overview

Blueberries rank as the second most important commercial berry crop in the United States, with a total crop value of $640.7 million in 2010 representing 18 percent of total U.S. berry crop value. The United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries, harvesting a total of 246.4 million pounds of blueberries in 2010. An additional 169.2 million pounds were imported, with Chile providing 62 million pounds of fresh blueberries in 2008. The top 14 blueberry-producing states represented an average farm-gate value of $534 million in 2009.  January 2012 . . . Blueberries

Marketing

• Berry Health Benefits Symposium - Three-day event with speakers from the science community, health and wellness practitioners, food industry professionals, educators and consumers.
• Blueberries (Domestic Production & International Trade Info), FASonline, USDA. 
• California Blueberry Association - Effective January 1, 2011, the California Blueberry Commission Law was passed by the State of California Department of Food and Agriculture Marketing Brand.
• Fruit and Vegetable Market News Portal, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), USDA - Custom data queries concerning weekly prices at terminal, shipping, movement and retail points for fresh organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables, sourced by product variety and regional locations, can be conducted using this excellent database.
• U.S. Blueberries: Update on Recent Industry Trends, Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook, Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA, 2011.
• U.S. Blueberry Industry, ERS, USDA - This site has production, consumption and world trade statistics.
• U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council - This grower association was established in 2002 to serve the U.S. blueberry industry and promote the consumption of blueberries.
• Wild Blueberry Association of North America - Since forming in 1981, this organization of growers and processors from Maine and Canada has promoted wild blueberries.

Processing/Manufacturing

• Blueberries Storage and Processing - U.S. Highbush Council consolidated titles, authors and abstracts of five research articles related to blueberry processing.
• Postharvest Cooling and Handling of Blueberries, North Carolina State University - This bulletin explains postharvest handling procedures used in commercial blueberry production.

Production

• Blueberry – 2010 Fruit and Nut Planning Budgets, Mississippi State University, Department of Agricultural Economics, Budget Report 2010-02, 2010.
• Blueberry Community of Practice on eXtension.org – Experts provide science-based, objective information related to blueberry production and consumption.
• Blueberries: Organic Production, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, 2004.
• Blueberry Production for Local Sales and Small Pick-Your-Own Operators (2002), North Carolina Cooperative Extension - This document provides general guidelines and includes sources for cuttings.
• Crop Profile for Blueberries in Tennessee, 2007.
• Economics of Organic Blueberry Establishment in Georgia (2008) – Kristy Plattner et.al., Journal of Food Distribution Research Vol. 39(1); pp. 115-15.
• Enterprise Cost Analysis for Rabbiteye Blueberries, Southern Highbush Blueberries in Soil and Southern Highbush Blueberries in High-Density Pine-bark Beds (2004) – Greg Fonsah, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist, University of Georgia
• Growing Highbush Blueberries,University of Maine Cooperative Extension - This how-to online guideprovides information for berry production in Northern New England.
• Michigan Blueberries, Michigan State University - This site lists numerous blueberry facts and resources.
• Northwest Berry & Grape Information Network Blueberry Production - This site provides a thorough listing of blueberry topics including marketing options.
• Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Fresh Market Blueberries (2009), University of California-Davis
• The Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium – Multiple links to blueberry marketing, production, pest information, newsletters and regional experts.
• Washington State University Small Farms Team – Blueberry links to information related to blueberry production, pest management, marketing, plant breeding, harvesting, nursery plans, economics, controlled atmosphere storage and food processing  provided specific to Northwestern U.S. blueberry industry.

Businesses/Case Studies

• Blueberry Hill Farm, Berkshire County, Massachusetts - This pick-your-own blueberry farm raises three varieties of highbush blueberries and has grown blueberries for more than 50 years.
• Blueberry Hill Farms, Edom, Texas - This farm features a 10-acre you-pick blueberry orchard.
• Bluegrass Blueberries, Edmonton, Kentucky - This case study, prepared by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in 2002, discusses how the owners plan to tackle future expansion of their own business first and then the Kentucky berry industry in general.
• Gillam Farms, Judsonia, Arkansas - This family farm consists of more than 500 acres of fruits and vegetables. Main crops consist of blackberries and blueberries.
• Gingerich Farm Products, Inc. - Since 1919, this Oregon family farm has focused on producing blueberries, hazelnuts and grass seed. The farm grows, ships and processes (frozen and dehydrated forms) sustainably-grown blueberries, which have been sold throughout the United States, overseas to China and Australia and more recently to Japanese markets.
• Merrill Blueberry Farms, Ellsworth, Maine - A fourth-generation operation whose harvested berries go through the Individually Quick Frozen method to preserve taste and nutrition.
• Springbank Farm, Lebanon, Oregon - This blueberry farm in Linn County, Oregon, used a VAPG award to study the feasibility of making and selling blueberry wine.
• The Tammen Treeberry Farm, Wilmington, Illinois - This farm markets cut-your-own Christmas trees and pick-your-own blueberries. Blueberries are grown on 50 acres and all are sold directly to customers.

Links checked January 2012.