All National Provisioner Podcasts

Corbion's Rob Ames shares insights on how shelf-life extension and sodium-reduction intersect with meat and poultry processors' food safety efforts.

Christopher Roach, CEO of Better For Butchery, discusses the company’s acquisition of a 27,000‑square‑foot USDA‑inspected processing facility in Princeton, Ky. The move transforms Better For Butchery from a DTC‑focused meat business into a platform‑scale processing, co‑packing, cold‑storage, and fulfillment hub built to support independent farmers and regional meat brands.

Don Smiley, director of food and beverage for Messer, shares insights on solutions to help meat and poultry processors and handlers reduce reliance on CO2 and improve production efficiency.

In this interview, the Country Natural Beef CEO discusses how producing RaiseWell certified beef for retailers including Whole Foods meshes with the ranching co-op's prioritizing what's best for people, animals and the environment.

Legacy Maker Farms leaders Steve Hershberger and Ian Baer discuss the company's new ownership, rebranding, and AI-driven strategy.

Mike McCarthy of Foods Connected, a cloud-based software platform with protein-specific tools, shares insights on how production management software solutions can help processors across the globe navigate the constantly evolving variables of the meat industry.

Michael Burgess, director of marketing for Charcuterie Artisans, explores the evolution of the meat snack consumer.

Kim Rice, vice chair for the Poultry Industry Food Safety Council (PIFSCo), discusses PIFSCo's recent launch and how the initiative can benefit the breeder, broiler, duck, layer and turkey sectors.

The National Provisioner sits down with Blake Albers, founder and CEO of Nebraska-based Albers Craft Meats, to discuss whole-animal utilization, value-added products, and consumer price sensitivity.

PS Seasoning recently launched four new seasoning blends for commercial meat processors: Pesto Sausage, Curry Sausage, Birria Snack Stick and Candied Jalapeño Jerky. The innovative flavors were Inspired by the company’s 2026 Flavor and Consumer Behavior Trends Forecast. In this interview, Alex Betances and Stephanie Neu share insights on what role seasoning can play in a meat or poultry product's...

Wixon's Marketing Manager Rachael Jarzembowski and Executive Chef – Culinary Manager Ryan Kukuruzovic explore Wixon's 2026 Flavor Forecast and implications for meat and poultry processors.

Edmund Chin, managing director and co-founder of packaging supplier Lucid Corp., details Lucid’s new Infinity tray, a 100% recyclable pad-less tray for meat and poultry products. He discusses benefits the Infinity tray offers for meat and poultry applications, including preserving freshness, texture and flavor.

John Burrows, seafood technical director at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, joins ASMI Communications Director Greg Smith to discuss Alaska’s seafood industry and seafood marketplace trends, including the role of Alaska’s long embrace of sustainable fisheries practices.

The National Provisioner Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with Andrew Baltz, chief operating officer of Creekstone Farms, and Chafik Barbar, CEO of Marble, as they discuss their recent collaboration on bringing AI-automation to Creekstone's Kansas plant.  In this interview, Baltz and Barbar discuss how plant workflow will improve with their automation efforts, how AI will change the en...

Hormel's Blake Flores shares insights on adding value for foodservice customers. With 70% of restaurant operators reporting hard-to-fill positions and 45% struggling to meet current demand, the foodservice industry is facing unprecedented operational challenges and looking for labor solutions to keep up. Hormel Foods offers insights on emerging trends in labor-efficient technologies, such as pre-c...

James Beard Award-winning chef and author Tim Byres teams up with Southern Recipe Small Batch. In this interview, Tim Byres explains how to use the brand's Pop Your Own Pellets in both home kitchens and foodservice operations.

Anne Malleau, VP of agriculture and animal welfare programs at Open Farm, explains how regenerative practices and third-party verification can strengthen value and trust across the entire protein sector, from the pet nutrition space to human food production.

Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink, shares insights from his experience across the food supply chain regarding best practices to help food companies focus on the areas that matter most to ensure they are recall-ready.

In this exclusive interview, The Hermit brand Founder Steven Shonts shares how he came up with the idea for a shelf-stable calamari jerky made from American wild-caught squid.

The National Provisioner's Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with Patrick Montgomery, CEO and founder of KC Cattle Co., as they discuss the brand's new Wagyu Bacon Cheeseburger Bratwurst.  In this interview, Montgomery explains the biggest challenges of creating an unorthodox meat product, what separates KC Cattle from similar brands on the market, and advice for any meat company attemp...

Mario Ortez, assistant professor of agribusiness and entrepreneurship at Virginia Tech, shares his insights on the current beef market and what is happening to address the tight US beef supply, including how strong markets for beef discourage herd rebuilding and how input costs and availablility are shaping the market.

National Provisioner Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with Dennis Traver, director of insights for Butterball, as they discuss the company's annual Togetherness Report, which polls consumers about their feelings and plans when it comes to grocery shopping, meal planning, and execution for the Thanksgiving Holiday. In this interview, Traver explains the data results that surprised the c...

Burns & McDonnell food and beverage manufacturing project managers Dan Blake and Niyush Sharma discuss how EPC/design-build project delivery is helping protein manufacturers tackle facility expansion challenges such as tighter timelines, rising construction costs, supply chain delays, and regulatory pressure. They share integrated approaches to meat and poultry facility expansion projects to h...

National Provisioner Multimedia Specialist Brett Parker sits down with James Zamory, owner and co-founder of Carnal, as they discuss the brand's launch of two new products: Beef Sticks and Umami Cut Beef Jerky. In this interview, Zamory explains how the flavors were selected, how these products differ from similar meat options on the market, and the biggest challenge of creating these products.

Dawg Food offers fully cooked, high-protein meals for consumers looking to eliminate meal prep while still prioritizing health and nutrition. To explore what's driving demand for protein-packed convenience food products and meal solutions, The National Provisioner sat down with Dawg Food Chief Operations Officer Jilber Galadjian.