Cream of the Crop

In this episode of Cream of the Crop we are focusing on Crop IQ: The Ultimate Tool for Smart Farm Management!  Join us as Product Owner, Mikayla Rogers, and Director of Customer Success, Tara Stroud discuss the dynamic capabilities of Crop IQ. They'll share insights on how this robust platform is empowering growers to navigate the complexities of modern agriculture with unmatched ease and pre...

Kickstart your week with a fresh episode of Cream of the Crop! In this episode, we shine a spotlight on Highland Hub's newest feature, Compliance Tracker. This innovative platform is poised to revolutionize the management of compliance and regulatory obligations for a wide range of professionals, including consultants, marketers, retailers, large cooperatives, and brokers. It empowers them wi...

In this episode, we have Justin Machell, CEO, Brian Deese, Sales Manager, and Brent Lewis, Product Manager for Business Intelligence, delving into the latest iteration, Highland Ag MarketWatch 2.0, which introduces enhancements designed to optimize user experience and provide powerful functionalities.

In this episode, CEO Justin Machell chats with Product Manager - Brent Lewis and Sales Manager - Brian Deese about the latest feature FreshETA.  Discover what FreshETA has to offer: MarineTraffic & Fresh Cargo Peru At-A-Glance Comprehensive overview of shipments entering North America, Europe & Asia Discover the when and where of industry volumes, with the latest ETAs ETAs through CarrierG...

Highland Ag MarketWatch has made waves with its groundbreaking approach to analytics, earning it the 2023 AgTech Breakthrough Award for Analytics Innovation of the Year. In this episode, we dive deeper into the significance of real-time analytics within the fresh produce industry and offer our listeners a comprehensive understanding of Highland Ag MarketWatch's functionality and relevance.

At Highland Ag, we believe that data is the key to unlocking success in agriculture. But when it comes to aggregating, analyzing, and presenting that data, not all approaches are created equal.  In this episode, we discuss the need for a more reliable source of data in the fresh produce industry and why we built Highland Ag MarketWatch. 

Welcome to a fresh episode of Cream of the Crop! Join us as we explore sustainability and how it's being achieved through the Highland Hub. In this episode, our CEO, Justin Machell, with Highland's Director of Customer Success, Tara Stroud, unveil the exciting integration of Sustainable Food Group's Sustainability Standard into the Highland Hub. Discover how we're paving the wa...

In this episode we hear from podcaster Trevor Williams on the story of the Farm Traveler Podcast. Trevor shares with us the ups and downs of starting a podcast as well as the importance of sharing the heart of the ag industry. Education through communication is key, and Trevor has a lot of experience with that! Our host and Trevor both were previous ag teachers and share some of their learnings fr...

In this episode, we chat with Margaret Dominguez, Vice President of Food Safety and Compliance at Soli Organic. Soli (formerly known as Shenandoah Growers) is the nation’s most commercially advanced indoor agriculture company. Margaret shares the “secret sauce” behind Soli and their growth as the nation’s leading grower of fresh organic culinary herbs, providing sustainable, organic greens and pro...

In this episode, Jennifer Pulcipher, Director of Food Safety and Compliance and Kinsey Porter,  Food Safety Manager for North Bay Produce, discuss working in food safety for a grower-owned cooperative.  With 30 members representing over 2000 farms across North, Central, and South America, North Bay is a leader in fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, Nor...

Mental health in agriculture is often overlooked. Our industry tends to keep looking forward without looking inward. In this episode, we talk with Marshal Sewell, a fifth generation farmer who has observed the challenges and stresses of agricultural life. Marshal shares his story and the impact the stress had on his family, and walks us through his journey from tragic loss to advocate for mental h...

The agricultural industry is full of uncontrollable circumstances, which often leads to an abundance of stress. When you think about suicide, agriculturalists aren’t usually the first ones that come to mind. In this episode, we talk with Don McMoran, Director at the Washington State University Extension Office. Don and his team provide suicide prevention support and resources for those working in...

The Russell Group is Washington’s leading bipartisan government relations firm, focused exclusively on food and agriculture public policy. Established since 1985, the firm's legacy of results have established them as the industry standard-bearer. Today, their bipartisan team of 10 builds on that legacy with a modern approach, marrying time-tested, direct advocacy with strategic foresight on a...

Michelle Miller, The Farm Babe, is all about educating consumers on the production of their food. Michelle has created a following of 200,000 and an average social media reach of 2-3 million per month with a style that is straightforward and without gimmicks. She has made a name for herself as a dedicated myth-buster in the food industry, influencing powerful corporations such as Burger King. On t...

You might remember as a kid, that familiar Stuckey’s billboard on the highway and stopping at the one of their roadside stores just grab some pecan rolls and souvenirs during your family road trip. Such fond memories became the driving force for Stephanie Stuckey, granddaughter of Stuckey's and precisely why she chose to buy the company back. Stephanie Stuckey tells her family’s story, explai...

Ole Tyme Produce Inc. is a premier, wholesale fresh food and grocery distributor employing state-of-the-art technology and the highest industry standards in food safety to provide a vital link in the food supply chain between farmers, restaurants, hospitals, schools, professional kitchens, and charitable organizations. Their mission is committed to helping ensure the well-being of everyone in thei...

DNO Produce began in 1989 as a small co-op based in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, they have grown to become a leading produce distributor and processor for the Midwest. DNO provides customers with healthy and fresh solutions for food service, food manufacturing, school services, government, and retail industries. In this episode, Jeremy Taylor, Vice President of Sales and Marketing explains why his...

QIMA/WQS (formerly known as WQS) was founded in 1993, offering solutions to the food industry from farm to fork through GFSI recognized certifications (BRCGS, GLOBALG.A.P., SQF, IFS), food safety and ethical audits, quality seals, inspections, training, and supply chain management. Their team of food safety professionals innovates and streamlines processes to offer customers transparency, agility...

Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a non-profit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce ind...

Jordan Carter has been elected as the first female President of the National Watermelon Promotion Board. In this episode we discover how Jordan got involved in watermelon production despite her degree in fashion merchandising. As the Director of Sales and Marketing at Leger & Son, Inc., Jordan has proven that her dedication to learning has paid off.

What happens when two podcast hosts get together and talk about the ag industry? Patrick Kelly, host of The Produce Industry Podcast chats with us about being an entrepreneur, speaker, author and strategist in the produce and supply chain industry. Patrick's journey has been a pivotal one, mending generational gaps in the industry and helping produce partners thrive.

GLOBALG.A.P. works with more than 2,000 trained inspectors and auditors working for around 159 accredited certification bodies to perform independent third-party producer audits and issue our certificates. They are the most widely accepted private sector food safety certification in the world. Listen in as we talk with Roberta Anderson, the executive Vice President, GLOBALG.A.P. North America.

The Packer is the most trusted news in produce and an industry staple since 1893. Articles range from crop updates to retail news, to new product features to recognition of industry leaders. In this episode, we chat with editor Ashley Nickle, a brand leader responsible for content strategy, creation and marketing across print, digital and social media. Along with writing, interviewing and editing,...

Highland Fresh Technologies has been a leader in food safety and sanitation for the produce industry for more than 15 years. With a mission to improve arrivals and strengthen food safety sanitation programs, HFT has changed the way farms and packinghouses wash their produce and maintain their equipment  In this episode, we talk with Kyro Morales, Director of Operations, on how HFT got their start...

“The ag department is not just about cows, plows and sows,” says Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller. We caught up with Commissioner Miller from his front seat GMC studio and talked about handling a 6-billion-dollar budget, providing 5 million public school lunch meals, supporting young farmers and yes, inspecting ping pong balls. Plus, we discuss their support programs to aid farmers hurt by the rec...