Oregon Berry Study Tests Controlled-Environment Growing
A $207,082 USDA grant will fund a two-and-a-half-year study of controlled-environment berry production for Oregon growers.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Organic Food
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The Northwest Berry Foundation will lead Pathways to Controlled Environment Production for Oregon Berry Growers, funded by a $207,082 USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant. The Oregon Department of Agriculture announced the award on October 14, 2026, as one of 13 Oregon awards totaling nearly $2.7 million.
Why it matters
Pacific Northwest growing conditions are becoming less predictable, labor is changing, and buyers expect consistent, high-quality fruit. Oregon growers have had no Oregon-specific framework for choosing controlled-environment solutions.
The project is one of 13 Oregon awards sharing nearly $2.7 million in 2026 block grant funds, with $207,082 going to this study. Findings on yield, cost and risk have not yet been produced, as the analysis is still in its early stages.
The players
Northwest Berry Foundation
A nonprofit organization that leads the Pathways to Controlled Environment Production study for Oregon berry growers.
Oregon Department of Agriculture
The state agency that administers the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant in Oregon and announced the 13 awards.
Delphy AgAdvisory
A horticultural advisory firm serving as the primary technical contractor on the study, with trial operations in the Netherlands.
The details
The study, led by the Northwest Berry Foundation with Delphy AgAdvisory and Peterson Projects & Solutions North America, covers blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and strawberry growers in Oregon. It will begin with a grower survey and interviews, then model yield, cost and risk from tunnels through greenhouses to fully enclosed production, drawing on Delphy trials at its Horst, Netherlands site.
Timeline
October 14, 2026: Oregon Department of Agriculture announced the 13 Oregon awards.
Two-and-a-half-year period: Duration of the study.
Industry Trajectory
The project is funded through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, which directs federal money to fruit, vegetable and nursery crops. It applies that funding to controlled-environment berry production as Pacific Northwest growers face less predictable conditions.
Oregon berry growers gain a state-specific framework for weighing tunnels, greenhouses and enclosed production against their own costs and risks. The findings will be shared at an industry workshop and through the Small Fruit Update newsletter.
The takeaway
Berry growers weighing controlled-environment production can watch for the study's yield, cost and risk findings, which will guide choices between tunnels, greenhouses and enclosed systems.
Further reading
Explore more on Organic Food to see how growers are adapting production methods.
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