By CarrieAnn Arias, Pear Bureau Northwest
As pear harvest gets underway across the Pacific Northwest this year, USA Pears is taking the season’s excitement beyond the orchard and onto college campuses, where school spirit, game-day energy and young consumers come together. Through partnerships with Washington State University and Oregon State University athletics, USA Pears is using sports to introduce pears to next-generation audiences in a fresh, memorable way.
College athletics offers a natural way to make pears relevant to these consumers whose food choices are shaped by social media, campus life and wellness trends. Through partnerships with universities rooted in the same agricultural regions that produce much of the nation’s fresh pear crop, the athletic programs command loyal audiences that extend well beyond students to alumni, families, local businesses and fans across the Pacific Northwest.
Our goal is to help the next generation of consumers fall in love with pears. College sports give us a way to reach students where they already are — on campus, at games and in the midst of the school spirit that shapes their college experience.
Younger consumers are quick to embrace avocados, berries and more exotic fruits, but pears are often missing from their radar, notes Barbara Ruhs, a registered dietitian nutritionist who holds a master’s degree in nutrition and is the director of communications and nutrition affairs for Pear Bureau Northwest. “With 6 grams of fiber per medium fruit, pears deserve a place in that same conversation, especially as students look for foods that support gut health, wellness and everyday performance,” she said.
The effort also reflects a broader shift in fresh produce marketing. Rather than relying only on seasonal ads or retail displays, commodity groups are increasingly looking for ways to meet next-gen consumers in places where they are already gathering, eating and forming habits. To introduce college students to locally grown pears, USA Pears will be providing samples at sporting events and fueling stations for student athletes, adding pears on menus in campus dining halls, and using social media.
At Washington State University, USA Pears’ participation in athletics-related events reinforces a longtime connection between the university and the region’s tree fruit industry. At Oregon State University, the partnership offers a similar opportunity to connect pears with students, athletes and fans in a state where the crop is part of the agricultural identity — and pears are the state fruit.
That local authenticity is central to the story. For growers, the partnerships offer more than visibility; they help tell a regional food story at the start of harvest. A pear handed to a student or fan is not only a snack but also a connection to local family farms, research institutions and the communities that support them.
Nutrition is expected to play a prominent role in that message. “Athletics gives us a compelling way to talk about pears through performance, recovery and everyday wellness,” Ruhs said. “Students and fans are looking for foods that taste good and offer health benefits. Pears check both boxes, especially as more consumers pay attention to fiber and digestive health.”
For the pear industry, the goal is to build long-term demand. Today’s college students are tomorrow’s household shoppers, parents, coaches, foodservice decision-makers and produce buyers. Introducing pears in a setting tied to positive experiences can help build familiarity before those consumers are making weekly grocery decisions on their own.
The timing adds another layer of value. As harvest begins, USA Pears can align the story of a new crop with the start of the college sports calendar. Both seasons carry anticipation, tradition and regional pride — qualities that can help make fresh pears feel like part of the moment.
For Good Fruit Grower readers, the campaign points to a larger opportunity for specialty crop promotion: pairing agricultural heritage with modern consumer touchpoints. The pear industry’s relationship with universities has long been tied to research, extension and grower innovation. This new wave of athletic partnerships adds another dimension, bringing the crop directly into the social and cultural spaces where younger consumers spend time.
As the first pears of the season move from orchards to packing lines and produce departments, USA Pears is betting that a little school spirit can help carry the crop’s story farther. From Pullman, Washington, to Corvallis, Oregon, and across the Northwest, the message is simple: Pear season is here, and the next generation is invited to the table. •
CarrieAnn Arias is the president and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest.
