Oct 6, 2021

Bernadine Strik honored with Duke Galletta Award from NABC 

Bernadine Strik, a veteran professor of horticulture and a berry crop specialist and researcher at Oregon State University, was honored with the Duke Galletta Award for Excellence in Horticultural Research by the North American Blueberry Council.

The award was presented Sept. 29 during Innovate 2021: USHBC+NABC Tech Symposium and Fall Meetings, held in Salem, Oregon, and virtually. 

During her more than 30-year career, Strik’s research has focused on whole plant physiology, improving yield and quality, machine harvest efficiency, pruning, optimization of production systems, plant nutrition and organic production systems in all berry crops. She has published over 240 scientific papers, as well as book chapters and other writings on berry crop production and physiology. She also operates a berry crops consulting business to aid growers and companies internationally. 

As an extension specialist, growers come again and again to her field days, and attend her online “blueberry school” to brush up on the latest trends and knowledge on blueberry production. She also led the only Vaccinium Symposium to be held in the Pacific Northwest, which drew hundreds of blueberry and cranberry researchers from all over the world.  

“Presenting the Duke Galletta award was a wonderful opportunity for our industry to recognize Dr. Strik for her years of dedicated service and commitment to helping our growers grow better blueberries,” shared North American Blueberry Council President Kasey Cronquist. “Her impact will be felt and recognized by generations of blueberry growers to come.”

In addition to the recognition from NABC, Strik was elected a Fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science (2007) and the International Society for Horticultural Science (2021), their highest honors, and received the OSU Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award (2014) and the Chad Finn Ambassador Award from the American Pomological Society (2021).

Since 1965, the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) has been the voice of the blueberry industry in the U.S. and Canada. NABC’s members represent approximately 70% of the North American highbush blueberry crop.

NABC was instrumental in the establishment of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHABC), a federal agriculture research and promotion program with independent oversight from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Learn more at nabcblues.org.

Bernadine Strik, pictured here with Oregon blueberry grower Mark Hurst, after receiving the Duke Galletta Award. Photo: NABC