The Produce Moms Podcast

"There's a food revolution underway and it's not a fad. It's not letting up. It's a really exciting place to be" Josh Schroeter (05:05 - 05:11)   Josh Schroeter is truly an entrepreneur at heart. After working as a TV reporter and journalist for years, he went head first into the food industry in 2004 after starting Sahale Snacks with his best friend. Focusing on innovation, the company truly rein...

"Our goal is to have a product that is so close to fresh produce as you can get it, but also making it shelf stable" Natalie Mariani Kling (04:48 - 04:55)   Attached to the Mariani name, Natalie Mariani Kling was already in the thick of growing produce and providing nutritious food to consumers. But that mindset elevated when she became a mother. In-depth research about eating habits from around t...

"I can walk out into every field and eat what I've worked for. It's fun to share that product with people."  Drew Ketelsen (10:05 - 10:13)   Family is at the center of HMC Farms, which has been owned and operated by the McClarty Family since 1887. Starting with just 40 acres of land more than a century ago, HMC Farms now grows, packs, ships and sells tree fruit and table grapes. After falling in l...

"As more sustainable packaging becomes available, the cost will go down. We just really need to invest in that"  Kaci Komstadius (14:23 - 14:34)   While she recycled household products as a child Marketing Manager at Sage Fruit Company, Kaci Komstadius was influenced to take further steps to living a more sustainable lifestyle after seeing how conscious her fiance's family is with reducing waste....

"I could have learned what I did about plant-based nutrition and kept it to myself. But that's not who I am. I need to curate some experiences for folks."  LA Dunn (6:04 - 6:14)   As a city-kid raised in New York, Founder of Black Girls Eat, LA Dunn's parents always made sure she had a green vegetable at dinner. As she got older and noticed some changes to her body, she decided to take her nutriti...

"Strong curriculum resources are part of the tool box that teachers reach into and pull out so that they are successful in delivering the lesson for the day.  "  John Flanagan (17:30 - 17:44) Executive Director of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Nancy Bock, and President of Goodheart-Willcox Publishing, John Flanagan aim to work in tandem to recruit, prepare, and support...

"We're working hard with the co-op to try and get SweeTango apples into the hands of more direct farm marketers so that consumers can find them in more grocery stores"    John Jacobson (16:46 - 17:08) Second generation grower with Jacobson's Pine Tree Apple Orchard, John Jacobson knew the SweeTango apple needed to be added to the farm the moment he tried it in 2006. It took a bit of convincing for...

"There's so many opportunities to travel, network, and broaden your horizons. I don't think you can get that anywhere  else. "  Hannah Jones (10:46 - 10:56)   Kevin Homan, FCS student at Purdue University in Indiana, Hannah Jones, National FCCLA First Vice President and incoming political science freshman at The University of Kentucky and Kenzlee Camp, incoming FCS freshman at Oklahoma State Unive...

"We want people to get this premium product, but they're not stretching for it. They're getting it at an affordable price."  Noah Robbins (6:30 - 6:39)   Growing up in agriculture, CEO and Founder of Ark Foods, Noah Robbins saw a need to not only make farmers market vegetables more accessible, but to build a brand around making them enjoyable to consumers again.   The taste of the products Ark Foo...

"Students can go anywhere in the world, if they are an FCS teacher, and get a job"  Dr. Jacqueline Holland (23:13 - 23:21) Dr. Jacqueline Holland, Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Family Consumer Sciences at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and Dr. Susan Turgeson, Associate Professor of Family and Consumer Sciences at The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ar...

"Sharing content all started because of an onion tree. Boring!" Shay Myers (4:10-4:14)   You've probably seen or heard of Shay Myers, third generation farmer and CEO of Owyhee Produce, through his TikTok and Instagram handle @shayfarmkid. He's been educating consumers and showing them behind-the-scenes of his farm on social media, which thankfully helped him harvest this year's asparagus when ther...

"I'm definitely optimistic about the future of the restaurant industry. People always have to eat!"   Seth Karm (16:56-16:59) Salad Savoy, a one-of-a-kind vegetable that grows in beautiful white and violet heads, is the namesake of the company behind some of the healthiest, nutrient-dense vegetables around. The company was hit hard during the pandemic, but is thankfully bouncing back with the help...

"We are going to address our family and consumer sciences teacher shortage and truly work to increase the number of highly qualified teachers that best meet the needs of our schools and community." Kristin Vest (5:49-6:02) Reno Palombit, CTE Workforce Development Specialist from North Carolina, Melissa Webb, Family and Consumer Sciences Consultant at the California Department of Education and FCCL...

"The great thing about cocktails is they are cultures in a glass. You can learn so much about the history of a place, its people and its traditions just by what you are drinking."   Erin Petrey (5:33-5:41)   Erin Petrey, mixologist, cocktail coach, and longtime cocktail and culture writer for www.bourbonbanter.com , started the pandemic sharing how-to videos on Instagram to teach how to make delic...

"As soon as the student steps into their first family and consumer sciences class, oftentimes that teacher can be a pivoting point for the student." Sandy Spavone (15:29-15:41)   FCCLA is the Family Career and Community Leaders of America which touches over 5,400 family and consumer sciences teachers across the US and connects with students to prepare them for careers with family and consumer scie...

"I quickly learned that physically, we can heal very quickly from anything. I started to become a true believer."    Beth McCarthy Smith (7:10-7:19)   Beth McCarthy Smith, founder of Simplicity Holistic Health, used to consider herself a typical American. Having the occasional martini and burger, wining and dining clients, and not putting much thought into what went in her body was Beth's lifestyl...

"We have found through research that the majority of states are recording a significant shortage in family and consumer sciences teachers to be able to fill the void within the classroom."     Dr. Carol Werhan (7:05-7:18)   Dr. Carol Werhan and Alyson McIntyre-Reiger are both former family and consumer sciences teachers who are now passionately doing all they can with the FCCLA to help put an end...

"Our company is not just about making our products. What we really stand for is having a chance to have an impact." Stephanie Paxton-Johnson (18:47-19:11) There's a product that you've interacted with countless times, that's probably in your home right now, and plays a very important role in food safety throughout the entire food supply chain, reducing food waste, our carbon footprint, ending huma...

"We really want to solve this mission. We can make the supply chain efficient and not have to exist in this space, but to do that, it requires having everyone be aware of what's going on and why we need to care about it." Rani Zimand (6:04-6:20)   Jacob Dudley, a student at the University of Wisconsin Madison studying economics and environmental studies, and Rani Zimand, a student at the Universit...

"Our family and consumer sciences professionals are on the front lines solving some of society's most pressing issues." Dr. Lori Myers (3:06-3:14)   When you think of family and consumer sciences, you might recall your middle school or high school home economics class and learning things like how to cook, sew or the importance of the nutrition pyramid. But this umbrella of education is so much mor...

"Remember that health is a journey; make it your life's journey to invest in your health." Dr. Susan Hewlings (31:21-31:22)   Is there anything Dr. Susan Hewlings hasn't accomplished!? Dr. Hewlings has a PhD in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology, is a Registered Dietician, full-time professor at Central Michigan University, has a graduate certificate in cannabis science, and is an...

"We have plenty of ketchup for everyone."   Colt Reichart (8:55-8:56)   All it took was one small statement from Heinz ketchup and the world was worried our fries, burgers, steaks and more would have to be consumed without our favorite condiment.   Thankfully, the false alarm of there being a ketchup shortage has worked in Red Gold's favor. The only American owned, grown and made ketchup brand, Re...

"We're not all trying to be Navy SEALS or Chris Hemsworth. Focus on moving better, staying mobile and understanding what your goals are." DaRulk (14:26-14:37)   Joseph Sakoda, aka DaRulk happens to be Chris Hemsworth's trainer, but that's just the icing on the cake to what this incredibly inspirational man does! DaRulk has founded the Raw Functional Training program, is a teacher on Chris's Centr...

"We wanted to offer a product that makes the user say, 'I can't believe this isn't plastic!'" Tim Busby (9:49-10:01) When John Oakley and Tim Busby came together to create Matter™, they were dead set on creating a product that can truly be a one-to-one alternative to single use plastics. Matter™ products are biodegradable, free from heavy metals, FDA approved and making it easy for you to improve...

"When you give a child a thirty second rundown of what food paint is, they understand it immediately and cannot wait to get their hands on it. All they hear is, 'this stuff's fun!'"    Tomo Delaney (4:42-4:59)   After leaving a 22-year long career in the fashion industry as a photographer and producer, Tomo Delaney became the stay-at-home parent for his two kids. The problem Tomo was facing, like...