
From the USDA to the United Nations: Luke Lindberg on Trade, Policy and Feeding the World
The Business of BlueberriesShow Notes
In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Luke Lindberg, the former USDA's Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, who’s now serving as executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). In his role with USDA, Lindberg worked alongside Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to expand market access, strengthen American agriculture's competitiveness and reduce our nation's agricultural trade deficit. Cronquist and Lindberg have traveled together on USDA agricultural trade missions to Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. “I've been really fortunate to be able to, in this position, represent what I think is one of been the most fun constituents to ever work with, which is America's farmers and ranchers and growers all around the country.” – Luke Lindberg Topics covered include: An introduction to Lindberg and his efforts at USDA. The impact of U.S. trade negotiations and agreements, and how they directly affect American farmers. The connections between food security and national security.
Crop Report The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from Liczy Sotomayor in Mexico. This was recorded on Oct. 15, 2026.
More from The Business of Blueberries
In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), welcomes back Cort Brazelton of Fall Creek Farms and Nursery. A regular contributor to the podcast, Brazelton brings his characteristic energy and insights to the conversation, which covers recent changes at Fall Creek — including his decision to leave space for new leadership. Brazelton describes rapid global blueberry growth and a bimodal market where “better blueberries” command higher price floors, driven by genetics, execution and consistent quality at scale.
In this special episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), delivers a keynote on why industry progress comes from people working together, and shares USHBC’s role in growing the entire blueberry category. Cronquist outlines the need to balance a 148% supply increase over 15 years with demand growth through health research, advertising, data and market development, emphasizing “a home for every berry” across fresh and frozen, and new usage occasions.
In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Oregon Blueberry Sales Manager Doug McCann. Oregon Blueberry is one of the largest wholesale blueberry nurseries in North America. McCann brings deep expertise in supply-and-demand forecasting, and his work supports decision-making across the blueberry supply chain. He’s also an active participant in industry conversations, regularly engaging through research, conferences and fellow growers to stay ahead of emerging trends.
In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), , is joined by VentureFuel Founder and CEO Fred Schonenberg. VentureFuel is an innovation advisory firm that helps major brands, such as Netflix and General Mills, unlock growth through startup collaborations. The USHBC partnered with VentureFuel last year to launch the Blueberry Boost Accelerator, a first-of-its-kind program supporting emerging brands using blueberries as a prominent ingredient. Schonenberg reflects on the first year of the program, and builds anticipation for the second accelerator cohort and live pitch competition that will take place at The 2026 Blueberry Convention.
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 Walmart Senior Merchandising Director Melissa Byland. As one of the world’s largest blueberry buyers, Walmart relies on experts like Byland to ensure customers receive great quality and value with each purchase. Byland plays a pivotal role in understanding and fulfilling customer needs, and ensuring that the highest quality produce reaches shoppers nationwide. Byland says omnichannel expectations have risen, making consistent quality, reliable availability and recognizable value critical across in-store and online shopping. She first appeared on the podcast in 2024 on episode 173.