Driscoll's Berries--Anytime, Anywhere

Berries weren't always available year round. As the Jul 7, 2026 New York Times article by Julia Moskin explains, berry espionage was necessary in 1712 when Louis XIV had Chilean berries stolen so that they could be crossed with European berries and eventually yield berries in March, rather than waiting until June. Smuggling isn't needed anymore--if you're willing to pay the price, berries are available nearly anytime, anywhere. This immense growth has been driven in large part by Driscoll's, a company that started as a multifamily farm in 1904 and patented its first strawberry strain in 1958.  The board of the company put forth a 1989 resolution to make raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries available during all 4 seasons, throughout the world. Their goal seemed impossible at the time but decades of hard work and science has led to a $7 billion company that ships four billion containers of fruit year round to 60 countries. And while working to meet their goal, the company has become less about farming and more about market data research, in other words: less dirt and more knowledge.  Driscoll's owns the genetics of their berries, subcontracts with farmers to grow the plants, then coordinates the distribution. 

The 2004 patent of the Maravilla raspberry was the start of Driscoll's global raspberry business. It looked good, and was stable enough to withstand the rigors of transit.  But.....it was not the tastiest berry--so agriculture scientists went to work, and have refined and improved the initial fruit ever since. Phase Genomics, a start-up founded in 2015 by Ivan Liachko out of the University of Washington, was tapped to help sequence the berry DNA for added insights into how to improve the fruit. The company has grown to 26 employees and is known for sequencing wacky creatures, giving back to the community, and exploring science for the joy of discovery.

Not only the berry, but the farming has changed considerably. Plants are now grown in pots, with a specially constructed substrate to maximize yield. This kind of farming takes a significant investment, but the trade-off allows farmers to concentrate on growing plants and leave the business to Driscoll's.

Not every farmer wants to join however, some want to follow their own instincts rather than having to follow Driscoll's plan. And there is plenty of demand for berries-- the United States' trend of "functional food" snacking has led to an explosion of the market–berries are convenient and healthy and fit well in today's busy world. Farmers in Mexico are switching over to the lucrative fruit, and Driscoll's is now the first foreign berry company allowed to operate in China. 

Berries are big business, and Driscoll's is the biggest. But this growth has had its costs. Driscoll's use of pesticides, plastics, water, as well as their labor practices have all been pointed to as the downsides to the availability of the sweet treat. But for now at least, whether in a toddler's sticky hands or a morning fruit smoothie, berries are available, anytime, anywhere.

Reference Articles: 

Why Are Berries Everywhere, in Every Season? Driscoll's. Julia Moskin. July 7, 2026. The New York Times

GeekWire Awards: How this Ukrainian-born CEO created a biotech startup 'where curious scientists thrive', Charlotte Schubert, April 20, 2023, GeekWire

Photo courtesy of the USDA Agricultural Research Service