The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council says it celebrated the graduation of its second class of fellows in its Blueberry Industry Leadership Program during a ceremony held in late September at The Blueberry Summit in Denver. The fellows also presented their capstone project, a vast library of resources for blueberry growers, at the event.
The leadership program helps up-and-coming leaders in the blueberry industry grow their leadership skill set, learn from decades-long industry leaders and develop their network of connections, according to a news release. The in-depth, hands-on training features immersive learning experiences, engagement with key industry players and exposure to the many components of the produce supply chain, USHBC says.
Class 2 graduates include:
- Cecilia Allende, Sunny Valley International.
- Chad Don, Oasis Farms Inc.
- Joseph Klick, Naturipe Farms.
- Ben Lahr, Driscoll’s.
- Kolby Lewis, Blue Raeven Farms.
- Katiuska Morales, Camposol S.A.
- Sarah Quackenbush, North Bay Produce Inc.
- Ranjeet Randhawa, Fall Creek.
- Kyle Straughn, Straughn Farms.
- Joel Whitehead, Wish Farms.
“It’s been a pleasure to watch this talented and curious group expand their experiences, make new connections and develop as blueberry industry leaders over the past two years,” Amanda Griffin, vice president of engagement and education for USHBC and the North American Blueberry Council, said in the release. “We can’t wait to see the many ways these passionate ag professionals will help guide the blueberry industry into a bright future.”
USHBC said Class 2’s capstone project is a grower resources page, now live on the USHBC website, that provides growers with a one-stop shop for information on federal and state programs on topics like farm loans, disaster assistance, risk management, sustainable agriculture, food safety and more. The resource library will help growers reduce the time they would otherwise have to spend searching out this information on their own, and it also helps highlight and emphasize the importance of these efforts as an industry by providing a consistent set of resources everyone can refer to, the release said.
Meet Class 3
Fellows in the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program’s third class, whose training is already underway, were also introduced at the summit. Class No. 3 fellows include:
- Yvan Berrospi, Family Tree Farms.
- Gabriel Bocock, Bumbleberry Acres.
- Joshua Carlton, JLC Farms.
- Sergio Carrasco, The Fruitist Co.
- Jake Johnson, Fall Creek.
- Stephanie Kleiner, Driscoll’s.
- Peter Machala, Wakefern Food Corp.
- Brody Schropp, MBG Marketing.
- Zach Semerikov, Scenic Fruit.
- Jessica Silver, United Exports Sales and Marketing.
The fourth group of fellows to enter the program will be selected in the fall 2025. More information and application details are available on the USHCB website.
