Jenyne Loarca, the new blueberry and strawberry breeder for the USDA Agricultural Research Service, made the Finnito strawberry a top priority after she was hired by the agency in September. (Kyle Odegard/Capital Press)

AURORA, Ore. — A new strawberry called Finnito is on the verge of being released and continues the legacy of Chad Finn, a USDA Agricultural Research Service berry breeder.

Finn, who worked and collaborated at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore., developed new strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries for 26 years.

He created numerous selections that have become industry standards, including Columbia Star and Black Diamond blackberries and the Tillamook and Sweet Sunrise strawberries.

“He was just really prolific,” said Ted Mackey, a retired USDA ARS research technician.

Finn was working on the berry that would become Finnito before he died in 2019.

A few years later, growers started asking for the strawberry, which has good sweet and acid balance, high yields and vibrant red external and internal color.

“He would be grinning if he knew how well it’s been received,” Mackey said.

The strawberry was stuck in the paperwork shuffle until September, when Jenyne Loarca was hired by the USDA ARS as a blueberry and strawberry breeder.

Loarca — who was fired in federal budget cuts in February, then rehired — said she made Finnito a top priority.

“There was so much excitement from the strawberry grower community,” she said.

Finnito ripens later in June than most strawberries and could slightly extend the season’s finish.

The variety was meant to help Pacific Northwest growers diversify into the fresh market, as processed sales, traditionally the main channel for the fruit in Oregon and Washington, have been slipping for decades.

OSU’s strawberry open field tour on June 11 at the North Willamette Research & Extension Center included a “blind” flavor and appearance test for nine new varieties.

Finnito seemed to be a crowd pleaser, though that should come as no surprise given Finn’s track record.

Colleagues described Finn as a gregarious guy who loved getting together with family and friends over food.

His work will continue to feed future generations.

During the five years before Loarca was hired to replace Finn, a private breeder helped fill the void, experts said.

Matt Unger is mostly retired, but he and his wife Kathy Unger still grow berries and run MK Unger Farms in Cornelius, Ore.

In his spare time, he has been breeding strawberries, one of his favorite crops.

“I’m trying to get good flavor with a variety that’s pretty and large. I’m shooting for a fresh market berry,” Unger said.

Unger created about 30 selections, narrowed it down to six and is making more crosses.

Several of his berries were featured in the open field tour’s taste test. OSU also is growing some of his varieties to get data.

“The strawberry industry will be really excited about these,” Mackey said.

Ella Cole, a USDA volunteer,  sampled strawberries and listed her favorites. They turned out to be fruit from Unger’s varieties.

As they walked through test plots, Loarca suggested Unger patent some of his strawberries.

“There’s a couple of them,” Unger responded, then paused to reconsider. “Three, four, maybe six.”