In the early 20th century, people didn’t think blueberries could be domesticated, but Elizabeth White, the daughter of a New Jersey farmer, was determined to grow a flourishing industry for cultivated blueberries. In 1911, she teamed up with USDA botanist Frederick Coville to identify wild plants with the most desirable properties, crossbreed the bushes and create vibrant new blueberry varieties.[1]Fast forward a century, and blueberries and cranberries are produced in significant quantities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and have become an important part of culture. Although this is still the case, in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. demand is flattening while European and Chinese global berry appetites are quickly growing. Few Americans realize that the United States is by far the largest producer of blueberries and cranberries in the world. (see Table 2). In addition, many patents for a diverse array of berry varieties are held by U.S. farmers, scientists, and nurseries. Within the U.S., berry production is prominent on the West Coast, New England, and Florida. In fact, Oregon ranks as the 5^thlargest blueberry and cranberry exporter in the U.S. (see Table 1).

As part of a series on Eugene-area agri-food exporters, I visited Fall Creek Farm & Nurseryin Lowell, Oregon. Although Fall Creek has humble beginnings as a 5-acre, family-owned blueberry farm, it has grown to become one of the world’s leading supplier of wholesale, commercial blueberry plants, owner of blueberry patents, and provider of technical support in the world. Today, Fall Creek is strictly a nursery that producers over 35 million saplings annually for commercial replanting on farms around the world.

As a research institution and holder of numerous patents, Fall Creek generally germinates and grows small blueberry plants which are then shipped to distributors in the United States, Mexico, Europe, Peru, Chile, and South Africa, and ultimately replanted on commercial farms worldwide. Of the 35 million plants produced by Fall Creek, 50% are replanted by commercial growers in Oregon. Because of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) restrictions by the governments of Chile and South Africa – which ban the importation of all foreign plants unless quarantined for two years – Fall Creek finds it more economical to license its patents to partner companies in those countries to germinate and distribute the plants domestically. In addition to ongoing production, Fall Creek is committed to genetic research and expanding its breeding program. Like universities, Fall Creek’s Lowell, Oregon facility identifies and patents new varieties. Often, this is done by purchasing industrial quantities of a genetically-diverse mixture (colloquially called “germplasm”) which must be crossed repeatedly through labor-intensive research until new varieties are discovered. Given weather volatility being an increasing problem worldwide, Fall Creek continually strives to create weather-resistant varieties that are applicable to different regions worldwide. Although Fall Creek has only 500 customers worldwide, these customers are often very large, commercial growers that are actively seeking to grow the most economical and high-quality varieties.

When asked about their engagement with domestic and foreign agricultural agencies, Casey Whalen of Fall Creek explains that the nursery engages heavily with domestic and foreign agricultural agencies. Often, permitting in foreign countries can be a challenge. However, Fall Creek finds U.S. and Canadian agencies – including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Trade Representative, and Agriculture Farm Update Survey (AFUS) of Canada to be highly supportive and helpful.

As one of the nation’s largest producers and exporters of blueberries, Oregon’s blueberry industry is an important part of Oregon’s economy. The Oregon Blueberry Commission, located in Salem, is actively involved in encouraging the production, sale, and consumer understanding of blueberries. In particular, the Commission has encouraged the growth of “U-Pick” farms in which consumers can pick blueberries on their own. The Commission also works with over two dozen Oregon blueberry distributors.

[1]https://www.blueberrycouncil.org/about-blueberries/history-of-blueberries/