Wild blueberry commission of maine

What Wild blueberry commission of maine does

The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine is a state government commission established in 1945 and headquartered in Orono, Maine, under the state's Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Its mission is to conserve and promote the prosperity and welfare of Maine's wild blueberry industry — the state's growers, processors, and related businesses — which collectively account for approximately 100% of US wild blueberry production across roughly 40,000 acres under active stewardship. The Commission operates three pillars: promotional programs (including the Wild Blueberries.com consumer platform, the School Nutrition Program targeting K-12 schools nationwide, and the Wild Blueberry Weekend agritourism event), research and extension delivered through a long-standing partnership with the University of Maine covering production science, disease management, pollination, agricultural economics, and mechanical harvesting, and policy advocacy at state and federal levels.

The Commission is not a commercial entity; it does not sell products or services directly to end customers. It is funded through the Maine wild blueberry industry tax, supplemented by federal and state grants — including a $15,586,000 USDA award in October 2024 and a $500,000 Maine Technology Institute grant in January 2023. Its core technology footprint consists of University of Maine research outputs such as AI-assisted harvest guidance and sensing systems for mechanical harvesting, rather than proprietary software products. Governance is provided by an appointed board of industry volunteer commissioners representing a diversified set of Maine operators (Welch Farms, Merrill Blueberry Farms, Cherryfield Foods, Blue Hill Berry Co., W.R. Allen, Wyman's, and others) plus an Advisory Committee that allocates tax revenue to UMaine research and a Fresh Pack & Value Added Committee established in 2020 to grow value-added product channels.

Name

Wild blueberry commission of maine

Legal name

Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine

Website

https://wildblueberrycommissionofmaine.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine is a state government commission founded in 1945 that promotes, funds research for, and advocates on behalf of Maine's wild blueberry industry — growers and processors producing essentially all US wild blueberries. It is funded by an industry tax and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Industry Commission Services

NAICS

Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334), Noncitrus Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (11133)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAGACAD

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Fruit & Tree Nut Orchards (Citrus, Apples, Berries, Almonds, Walnuts)

SECONDARYAFAMAFAE

Forest Berries & Wild Fruit Harvesting

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Non-Timber Forest Products (Resins, Gums, Mushrooms, Berries)

Keywords

• Wild blueberry promotion
• Agricultural research extension
• Industry advocacy services
• Agritourism events
• Commodity marketing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Orono

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine is a state government commission dedicated to conserving and promoting the prosperity and welfare of Maine's wild blueberry industry. It operates three core program pillars: (1) Promotion of Maine wild blueberries domestically and internationally via WBANA-US, the WildBlueberries.com platform, the School Nutrition Program, and the Wild Blueberry Weekend agritourism event; (2) Research and Extension delivered in partnership with University of Maine faculty covering production systems, disease management, pollination, irrigation, agricultural economics, and precision agriculture; and (3) State and federal policy advocacy on behalf of growers and processors.

Product overview

The Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine operates as an industry promotion and advocacy organization rather than a product company. Its offerings consist of three core program areas: promotion initiatives including the School Nutrition Program targeting public school systems nationwide and Wild Blueberry Weekend agritourism events; research and extension services delivered through partnership with the University of Maine covering production, disease, insects, economics, and technology; and policy advocacy supporting Maine's wild blueberry farms and businesses at state and federal levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Nutrition Program
• Wild Blueberry Weekend
• University of Maine Wild Blueberry Research and Extension

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University of Maine (UMaine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission has supported University of Maine wild blueberry research since 1945 through its Advisory Committee, which allocates part of the Maine wild blueberry tax to fund research and extension. UMaine faculty — including Dr. Lily Calderwood (Extension Wild Blueberry Specialist), Dr. Seanna Annis (disease research), Dr. Phil Fanning (insect systems), Dr. Jonathan Malacarne (agricultural economics), Dr. Bashir Khoda (mechanical engineering/harvesting), Dr. Rachel Schattman (climate resiliency), and Shane Mccaughey/Andrew Weston/Tyler Kirkmann (Advanced Manufacturing Center) — advance production science, disease management, irrigation, precision agriculture, and automation for the Maine wild blueberry industry.
• Wild Blueberry Association of North America – US (WBANA-US)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Commission annually invests in WBANA-US, a trade association of wild blueberry growers and processors. WBANA-US educates consumers about wild blueberry advantages, develops new overseas markets, and advances the wild blueberry health story. WBANA-US runs WildBlueberries.com and represents the Commission in national and international promotional efforts.
• USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Eric Venturini previously worked for three years at a non-profit in close partnership with USDA-NRCS in Maine, and the Commission continues to advocate for federal programs (e.g., Agricultural Management Assistance Act, Farm Bill provisions) that benefit wild blueberry growers through conservation and irrigation support.
• Fresh Pack & Value Added Sector MemberscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Commission's Fresh Pack & Value Added Committee (established 2020) develops initiatives benefiting the fresh wild blueberry and value-added sectors, including fresh pack operations and value-added producers such as Bluet Sparkling Wines, Fields Fields Blueberries, Bessey Ridge Farms, and others who sell to retail and foodservice channels.
• State of Maine / Governor's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Governor of Maine (Janet Mills) formally proclaimed Wild Blueberry Weekend, and the Commission works with state agencies on policy priorities including capital grants, irrigation programs, labor access, and regulatory reform for the wild blueberry industry.
• Maine Congressional Delegation (Senators Collins and King)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Commission actively advocates to Maine's Senators to advance Farm Bill proposals including the Agricultural Management Assistance Act and other federal relief programs for wild blueberry growers and processors impacted by crop losses and economic instability.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wild-blueberry-commission-me

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wild blueberry commission of maine