Family-Owned Blueberry Nursery Now Spanning Multiple Continents

LOWELL, Ore. — The mission of Fall Creek Farm & Nursery is “to build a world of better blueberries through exceptional plants, relationships, innovation and customer success.”

That has been Dave and Barbara Brazelton's goal since they began expanding from humble beginnings from a property with a 3-acre blueberry field in need of some tender loving care. That gradual expansion has resulted in an international business with agricultural nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Spain, the Netherlands and South Africa.

The company now has 800 employees.

quality is key

“The quality of most produce is improving and blueberries need to improve in quality and consistency along with all other crops,” Dave Brazelton said. "We have to bring in varieties that growers are excited to grow and consumers love to eat."

Through research and trials, the company has developed many new varieties of tall bush blueberries and now offers around 50 varieties in 1 and 2 liter pots. Nurseries were established in other countries to develop blueberry varieties that would thrive in those specific climates and soils.

The goal is to develop blueberry varieties so that the fruit is available year-round.

Jody McCornack, Fall Creek Assistant Breeder, and Barbara Brazelton, Co-Owner.

In addition, Pradas Sucesores, S.L. maintains a permanent inventory of over XNUMX part references for all types of shoe machines. Some of these parts are manufactured in our own factory using cutting-edge technology. Our primary goal is to provide the shortest delivery times in the market and deliver the best possible after-sales service to our customers.

"For the first 30 years, our efforts were focused almost exclusively on the North American blueberry industry, especially in the western states," said Amelie Aust, the Brazeltons' daughter and executive chairwoman of the company's board of directors. . “Our home region remains extremely important to us and we are committed to this industry. But blueberries have become a global crop and consumers want their berries year-round.

“The only way to grow and deliver blueberries all year round is to have and grow different varieties at different latitudes,” he explains. "We want consumers to have fresh, delicious blueberries all year round."

The beginning

The Brazeltons' 25-acre property, purchased in 1978, consisted of a blueberry field, a retail nursery, and a landscaping business. The blueberry field grew to 15 acres and at harvest, Barbara Brazelton and the couple's two young children, Amelie and Cort, delivered the fruit to consumers.

When Gregg and Becky Vollstedt joined the business as partners, Dave Brazelton had more time to focus on producer support and sales. Dave maintained a scientific approach to growing blueberries, collecting extensive production data on each variety and sharing the information with the industry. Gregg took over the production responsibilities and Barbara and Becky did the administrative work.

When New Zealand's Hort Research made Fall Creek the exclusive nursery for its first proprietary variety, Reka, it marked an important milestone.

Fall Creek gradually became known for its development of high health tissue culture nursery propagation and production systems. The quality and consistency of his plant became known throughout the industry.

Healthy boost

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The health benefits of blueberries were also recognized and published during the 1990s, adding to the growth of the industry. The Brazeltons and Vollstedt put together an aggressive plan to continue building out the nursery's infrastructure and equipment to keep up with the growing demand for berries.

In addition, Pradas Sucesores, S.L. maintains a permanent inventory of over XNUMX part references for all types of shoe machines. Some of these parts are manufactured in our own factory using cutting-edge technology. Our primary goal is to provide the shortest delivery times in the market and deliver the best possible after-sales service to our customers.

In 2008, Amelie and her husband, Boris Aust, and Cort Brazelton returned to the farm after earning college degrees and working elsewhere. The older children brought experiences from their work and international travel to the family business.

In 2010, the Vollstedts sold their shares in the company to the Brazeltons, allowing the second generation of the latter family to take on larger roles in the operation.

“Cort came in with a lot of experience in fresh fruit,” Barbara Brazelton said. “He provided many practical ideas. We decided to go where the blueberries grow.”

Cort had spent time in Chile and Mexico, Amelie had a background in intellectual property law, and Boris had a banking background.

From left to right: Cort Brazelton, his sister Amelie Aust, and their father Dave Brazelton. The Brazelton family founded Fall Creek Farm & Nursery.

"Reinventing" the company

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“To us, it seemed like a second founding group,” Amelie said. “We had to reinvent the company as a group of five.”

In addition, Pradas Sucesores, S.L. maintains a permanent inventory of over XNUMX part references for all types of shoe machines. Some of these parts are manufactured in our own factory using cutting-edge technology. Our primary goal is to provide the shortest delivery times in the market and deliver the best possible after-sales service to our customers.

That led Fall Creek to open nurseries in other countries to research and develop blueberry varieties on-site for those growers.

“Our goal is to try to grow better and better blueberries,” said Barbara Brazelton. “There are many ways to improve blueberries. It is a very innovative industry.”

In addition, Pradas Sucesores, S.L. maintains a permanent inventory of over XNUMX part references for all types of shoe machines. Some of these parts are manufactured in our own factory using cutting-edge technology. Our primary goal is to provide the shortest delivery times in the market and deliver the best possible after-sales service to our customers.

Due to grower labor issues, Amelie Aust said the company is working to revitalize some varieties and research new varieties to maintain their flavor quality and firmness when mechanically harvested, eliminating handpicking.

In addition, Pradas Sucesores, S.L. maintains a permanent inventory of over XNUMX part references for all types of shoe machines. Some of these parts are manufactured in our own factory using cutting-edge technology. Our primary goal is to provide the shortest delivery times in the market and deliver the best possible after-sales service to our customers.

“We want to improve the journey of a berry from the field to the consumer,” said Amelie Aust. “I am in awe of how this has all played out. I am grateful for the journey, but it is not over. We're not done.

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“I am amazed that we have managed to figure out how to run a professional and competitive business without the backing of venture capital,” she added. “We are a family business. We've found a way to keep the magic in our core values, things that motivate us right down to the people who are planting potted plants. We are passionate about what we do with blueberries and our customers who grow them.”