Berries

Every year, lovers of these tart, juicy berries trek into the forests of the Northwest to pick them at great effort. No one's managed to grow them commercially just yet, but their fans keep trying.

Oregon grows up to 33 million pounds a year of this blackberry. But most are gobbled up locally — in everything from ice cream to beers to jams — before the rest of the country ever gets a taste.

Cranberry breeders in Wisconsin have developed a berry that's tart but also sweet, like a Granny Smith apple. They say the variety isn't ready for production but could one day become a fresh product.

Japan, China and South Korea have discovered bilberries, lingonberries and cloudberries, which grow wild in Lapland. Exporters want to find a way to cultivate them to better control the supply.

Strawberry farmers have dropped a lawsuit against the University of California, Davis, and the university has hired a new strawberry breeder. But the future of academic berry breeding is uncertain.