After moving to Oregon in the early 1990s, the late Tom Peerbolt was introduced to the SW Washington berry community by a few long-standing berry growers in the region. With the help of his wife, Anna, he ran a successful berry crop consulting business, Peerbolt Crop Management (PCM), for 30 years. After a few years working with growers, he realized the importance of a strong berry community in the Pacific Northwest, and so his vision of connecting the berry industry began. In 2000, he created the Small Fruit Update which he faxed out to his regional network of growers and now reaches  nearly 1,500 people industry wide! He and his wife proceeded to build on the collaborative communication, technology, and on-farm research efforts to ensure applied results and farm connection were prioritized for years to come. The Peerbolts were instrumental in guiding new research and industry members throughout the entire Pacific Northwest region, collectively filling gaps in cross regional needs. In 2014, Tom realized that these broader regional efforts needed their own space so, with the help of his wife, established the Northwest Berry Foundation.