WHEN I THINK of the recent challenges growers have faced, I’m reminded of a quote, which I’m sure many of you have heard: “The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” Made memorable by Will Rogers, this quote rings true for today’s growers as much as it did in his era (if not more).

With the hurdles of weather, diseases, pests, and high production costs, just to name a few, you can sometimes be hard pressed to find the silver lining. But that’s where optimism, hard work, and ingenuity comes into play. With many of the research and feature updates in this edition, you’ll find a running theme — that members of the blueberry industry are constantly looking for ways to learn and innovate.

To that end, we here at The Blueberry News are constantly looking for ways to share how the industry is growing and succeeding. For every challenge, there is always at least one possible solution being presented, and that’s what we are here to focus on— the solutions. If you ever have a topic that you’d like to read more about, or an innovation you’d like to share with members of the blueberry industry, don’t hesitate to contact us.

CREDIT

column by CELESTE JO WALLS, Editor of The Blueberry News
[email protected]