Wish Farms Moves New Berry Genetics Closer to Market

Wish Farms is advancing new proprietary raspberry and blackberry varieties toward commercialization through its breeding subsidiary, Berry Sweet Research (BSR), as the program enters its fourth year of large-scale seedling evaluation.

Based in Plant City, FL, Wish Farms is a year-round grower and marketer of berries, with operations spanning strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and pineberries. Each year, BSR evaluates approximately 10,000 seedlings, narrowing the field to about 100 elite selections for further trials in California and Mexico. Selections are assessed for yield, postharvest performance, and flavor — traits increasingly critical for both fresh-market growers and retail partners.

Wish Farms COO James Peterson, in a press release, said that early results from 2025 raspberry test plots show strong promise, reinforcing the company’s confidence in the program’s trajectory. BSR plans to begin full tunnel pre-commercial trials in 2026 with two leading raspberry selections, expanding to additional grower trials and targeting the release of up to two commercial varieties in 2027.