Northwest Berry Foundation, with Delphy, awarded USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant to assess controlled production systems for Oregon berries

Oregon berry growers will gain independent, Oregon-specific information that strengthens their position as they decide whether, and how, to bring more control to their production. The Northwest Berry Foundation (NBF), with Delphy, will lead Pathways to Controlled Environment Production for Oregon Berry Growers, a two and a half-year study funded by a $207,082 grant from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA).

The project is one of 13 Oregon awards announced by ODA on October 14, 2026, which together share nearly $2.7 million in 2026 block grant funds (ODA summary of awarded projects). The primary technical contractor is Delphy AgAdvisory (DAA), Peterson Projects & Solutions North America.

Pacific Northwest growing conditions are becoming less predictable, labor is changing and buyers expect consistent, high-quality fruit. In other leading berry regions, growers are addressing these issues with tunnels, covers, substrate and greenhouses that extend seasons, use water more efficiently, reduce pesticide use and improve fruit quality. These systems take capital and know-how, and they pay back only when they are matched to the crop, the site and the market, and managed with a clear plan. Until now, Oregon growers have had no Oregon-specific framework for choosing the solutions that fit the state’s weather and environment, its varieties and production windows, and the problems each system is meant to solve.

Our growers are asking hard questions about tunnels, covers and greenhouses, and they deserve answers built on Oregon’s conditions, not someone else’s climate or cost structure. This project gives them that, crop by crop, before they commit their limited resources,” said Julie Pond, Executive Director of the Northwest Berry Foundation.

Working with Oregon’s blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and strawberry growers, the team will begin with a grower survey and interviews with growers, input suppliers and other industry participants. It will then benchmark international case studies and assess their relevance to Oregon’s own costs, labor, water and weather, drawing on Delphy’s expertise in controlled and precision growing systems and on research at the Delphy Innovative Soft Fruit Centre (ISFC) in Horst, the Netherlands, where Delphy trials high- and mid-tech substrate production in greenhouses and tunnels.

The analysis will model yield, cost and risk from tunnels through greenhouses to fully enclosed production, and identify the most promising systems for Oregon, the barriers to adoption, and the policy, technical-assistance and public-private support that could help growers adopt them.

Findings will be presented at an interactive industry workshop, where growers and other stakeholders can review them and give feedback before the final report is completed. The results, a public summary with a technical annex and a decision-support framework, will be shared through NBF’s Small Fruit Update newsletter and website and DAA’s networks, together with a roadmap for future Phase II applied research and pilots.

The study is designed for growers of all scales. By letting growers evaluate options collectively before large-scale implementation, and sharing the findings across the industry, it reduces the burden and risk on any individual operation.

For Delphy, the project marks an important step into North American berry production. “Delphy’s strength lies in the knowledge and commitment of our specialists. This project lets us share what our soft fruit team has learned in Horst with Oregon growers, alongside a partner that knows them well. As part of Royal Peterson Control Union Group, partnerships like this are how we grow internationally and exchange knowledge with the sector,” said Edwin van Lenthe, Managing Director of Delphy Netherlands.

NBF will lead grower engagement and outreach. The subcontracted research, economic modeling and international benchmarking will be led by Bradley Gittings, Managing Director of Delphy AgAdvisory, working with Delphy experts in the Netherlands.

Funding for Pathways to Controlled Environment Production for Oregon Berry Growers was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of USDA.

About the Northwest Berry Foundation

The Northwest Berry Foundation (NWBF) is a regional non-profit that supports sustainable berry production in the Pacific Northwest. The organization represents over 650 berry growers and has strategic partnerships across the Northwest to promote berry research and provide information and resources to berry growers, researchers, and industry organizations. NWBF produces real-time information and moves resources where they are needed, while collaborating with multiple industry segments to ensure the Pacific Northwest berry industry operates effectively with the highest quality fruit produced. For more information, visit nwberryfoundation.org