The Produce Moms Podcast EP 9
How Your Food is Farmed with Plant Breeding and Research from the Director at Pacific Berry Breeding, Ellen Thompson
“Traditional Plant Breeding is simply a selection process”
In Episode 9 of The Produce Moms Podcast, host Lori talks with Ellen Thompson, Plant Breeding and Research Director at Pacific Berry Breeding. Ellen brings practical experience in developing berry varieties and explains the careful, long-term work that goes into breeding plants for better flavor, yield, and resilience. Pacific Berry Breeding partners with the grower collective Naturipe Farms, which helps bring consistent, seasonal berries to consumers by coordinating production across different growing regions.
Naturipe Farms is a collaboration of several established berry growers who share resources, expertise, and field locations across North and South America. By working together, they aim to ensure year-round availability of fresh berries while maintaining a commitment to seasonal growing cycles and regional strengths. This cooperative approach supports strong farming communities and improves access to a wide variety of fresh fruit throughout the year.
“Classic Plant Breeding has been around for thousands of years”
During the conversation, Ellen answers common questions about how food is grown and what plant breeding really means. She describes classic plant breeding as a selection-driven process that builds desirable traits over many seasons. Unlike genetic engineering, which manipulates DNA in the lab, traditional breeding relies on selecting and crossing plants to combine traits like flavor, firmness, disease resistance, and adaptability to different climates.
The episode explores the steps involved in a breeding program: evaluating parent plants, making crosses, growing seedlings, and repeatedly selecting the best performers across seasons. This recurrent selection process is slow and meticulous, requiring patience, detailed record-keeping, and field trials in diverse environments. Over time, breeders aim to overcome challenges such as pests, disease pressure, and changing weather patterns by developing varieties that perform reliably for growers and taste great for consumers.
“We’re always trying to overcome any challenges that may be in front of us, and through plant breeding, we can, very slowly and meticulously, overcome through that recurrent selection process year after year”
The episode also clarifies the difference between classic plant breeding and GMOs. Ellen explains how selection and crossing are rooted in natural variation and generations of careful selection, whereas genetic modification introduces specific changes in the laboratory. Understanding this distinction helps consumers make informed decisions about the foods they choose and the techniques used to produce them.
Beyond technical distinctions, Ellen shares the purpose behind plant breeding: to create varieties that support growers, protect the environment, and deliver a better eating experience. Research focuses on traits such as flavor, shelf life, shipping durability, and disease resistance. For berry lovers, this means continued improvements in taste and availability across seasons and regions.
Some topics covered in this episode
- Introduction — Ellen Thompson (1:15)
- What is plant breeding? (3:10)
- The process of plant breeding (6:05)
- Difference between plant breeding and GMO (8:40)
- Purpose behind plant breeding (12:32)
- Varieties of berries in research (14:45)
- Naturipe Farms and grower partnerships (20:35)
- Wrap-up (22:38)
We also recorded a Facebook Live session with Ellen that complements this episode and dives further into practical questions from consumers and growers. The live video highlights real-world examples of breeding trials and the kinds of traits breeders prioritize for fresh-market berries.
How to get involved
- Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook to continue the conversation and share questions, experiences, and recipes featuring fresh berries.
- Reach out to The Produce Moms team to share where you are in life or business and to suggest future podcast topics. Visit theproducemoms.com for more information about the podcast, blog posts, and community activities.
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