Fall Creek Nursery Adding Blackberries and Raspberries to Its Portfolio

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc., a leading blueberry genetics and nursery company, has announced it has acquired Berryplant, an Italy-based leader in raspberry and blackberry nursery production, and Berrytech, its dedicated breeding and intellectual property company. The acquisition strengthens Fall Creek’s genetics platform with the addition of raspberries and blackberries while maintaining its global leadership in blueberries and extending the company’s ability to serve growers who operate across multiple berry categories.

Berryplant is a family-owned business headquartered in Baselga di Pine, Trentino, Italy, with more than three decades of experience in raspberry and blackberry propagation. The company offers commercially proven raspberry varieties, including ‘Amalia’, ‘Clarita’, ‘Optima’, ‘Shani’, and ‘Eros’, and blackberry varieties including the ‘Loch’ series.

Its sister company Berrytech, established in 2019, manages the group’s breeding and intellectual property portfolio. To date, Berrytech holds 10 Plant Breeders’ Rights titles for raspberry and blackberry varieties. Berryplant is one of only four certified prebase material centers for raspberries and blackberries in Europe. The team’s founders, Maddalena Grisenti and Ilario Ioriatti, were among the first in Europe to undertake a private raspberry and blackberry breeding program.
In recent years, Berryplant and Berrytech have expanded their global reach, supplying plants and genetics to customers around the world.

“For nearly 50 years, Fall Creek has built its business alongside the blueberry industry: shared fields, shared customers, and a shared conviction that better genetics make better growers,” says Fall Creek CEO Marc de Beer. “Expanding into raspberries and blackberries was never a question of whether, only when. Growers and retailers increasingly need a trusted partner across berry categories, not just one, and we have spent years building the teams, breeding programs, and commercial infrastructure to serve that need. Berryplant is an exceptional team, and we are proud to take this step together.”

Berrytech will continue to operate as a standalone entity during an initial transition period. The nursery operations and assets of Berryplant will be integrated into Fall Creek Italia, ensuring continuity for employees and customers.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
For more information, visit fallcreeknursery.com.