Fresh From the Field Fridays

Dan doesn't usually replay past episodes, but this is one that deserves another look. While Dan is on the road this week, he's bringing back an important conversation with Chris Zanobini of the California Pear Advisory Board, originally recorded this past April. Now that California pear season is in full swing and the challenges discussed in this interview still persist, we felt it was important t...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , Dan the Produce Man brings you four groovy goodies for your 4th of July weekend. No watermelons. No corn. Just four fantastic summertime favorites. We're talking legendary Brandywine heirloom tomatoes and why they're considered by many to be the best tasting tomato ever grown. Then it's the king of pluots. Which one is it? You'll have to stick around and...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Dan "The Produce Man" Avakian takes you through some of the best fresh produce in season. This week's lineup includes Mini Midnight watermelons, legendary Suncrest peaches, sweet and flavorful Peach Pie donut peaches, Sun Gold tomatoes, Italian sweet Marconi peppers, plus a quick produce tidbit on Chipperbec potatoes. Whether you're shopping at your local...

This week on Fresh From the Field Fridays, Dan The Produce Man is serving up a table full of summer flavor! From Yumi watermelon and Adriatic figs to Northwest cherries, Stockton sweet red onions, serpent cucumbers, fresh-picked berries, rhubarb, butter lettuce, domestic shiitake mushrooms, juicy plums, and expert tips on choosing the perfect peach—it's all here. Brought to you by the Produce Indu...

This week on Fresh From The Field Fridays, Dan The Produce Man brings another helping of produce knowledge, seasonal insights, and practical tips you can use the next time you shop. On the produce table are Dulcinea Tuscan cantaloupes and one of the great fruit debates: What's the difference between Royal apricots, Blenheim apricots, and Royal Blenheim apricots? Are they one and the same, or are t...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Dan the Produce Man welcomes Dr. Joel Fuhrman, board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized expert in nutrition and disease prevention. In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr. Fuhrman explains what it means to be a Nutritarian, the importance of nutrient density, the health benefits of...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays with Dan the Produce Man, on the produce table: early-season Santa Rosa-type plums, Japanese cucumbers, tamarillos, and the first California figs of the season. Find out what makes white peaches taste sweeter than yellow peaches, why organic bell pepper prices are so high right now, and get tips on how to pick the perfect pineapple and the perfect ear of c...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , California melons are in from El Centro, and May marks the beginning of California cantaloupe season. Dan the Produce Man dives deep into the fascinating history of the cantaloupe - from ancient times, to the papal villa where the melon is believed to have received its name, to the American railroad system that helped spread cantaloupes across the United...

It was May of 1976 when 15-year-old Dan the Produce Man walked into a produce market in his hometown of Alameda, California. That’s where it all began. This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Patrick Kelly joins Dan to look back on some of the moments, memories, and fun from Dan’s 50 years in the fresh produce industry. From retail to wholesale, foodservice distribution, home delivery, and owni...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Dan the Produce Man has a whole lineup on the table - starting with rain-damaged Apache apricots and as peaches and nectarines begin filling the stands we’re saying goodbye to one of the season’s favorite citrus items - sweet, easy-peeling Ojai Pixie tangerines. Dan shares a quick purple artichoke tip, talks about items for his Juice Cleanse, Maradol papa...

This week on Fresh From the Field Fridays , Dan the Produce Man is joined by Marc Wall and Neil Smith of Sandy Shore Farms in Ontario, Canada . And right now, one of the big crops coming out of Ontario is asparagus . Marc and Neil talk about the Canadian asparagus season, how they work alongside growers in Michigan and New Jersey, and how imports from Mexico are affecting the market. They also sha...

This week on Fresh From The Field Fridays… Dan is joined by Chris Zanobini from the California Pear Advisory Board. We’re digging into what’s really going on with imported pears flooding the market right when California fruit - especially Bartletts - is coming on. What that means for our growers, what you’re seeing at retail, and why it matters more than most people realize. We also get into how t...

This week on Fresh From the Field Fridays with Dan the Produce Man We’ve got Bei Bei Kabocha squash, baby fava beans, Seascape strawberries, first of the season California Tioga cherries, plus fresh California apricots, peaches, and purple asparagus It’s all right here - your produce market on the podosphere Fresh From the Field Fridays, from the Produce Industry Network, powered by Ag Life Media...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , Dan the Produce Man brings you four outstanding spring items that are sure to get your attention. First, we head into the tropical fruit world with the exotic and delicious longan . Then it’s off to Watsonville, California for beautiful red Little Gem lettuce and fresh new crop sugar snap peas . We also explain the difference between stringless and tradi...

This week on Fresh From the Field Fridays with Dan the Produce Man, we’re talking spring. Four items that are really shining right now. Savoy or Bloomsdale spinach, fresh harvested English peas, young spring radishes, and new crop California blueberries. Then we take a trip to the farmers market and catch up with Eric Arias of Castellano Farms out of Dinuba, California. He gives us an update on th...

This week, we’re talking Gravenstein apples, a Sonoma County classic that is fading fast. Up in the Yuba City area, peach orchards - gone! At the same time, a whole wave of new fruit and berry varieties is coming your way. And in the bigger picture, restaurants are closing left and right. What is really going on out there? Plus, seasonal specialties like fiddlehead ferns and baby artichokes. And a...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Dan the Produce Man dives into what this early spring heat wave here in California could be doing to the cherry crop, those blossoms still hanging on, and how it may impact early stone fruit still on the trees. Then we head over to the produce table where he has purple snow peas, Padrón peppers, Ojai Pixie tangerines, jumbo heirloom artichokes, and red se...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , Dan the Produce Man dives into St. Patrick’s Day cabbage —a classic that’s been showing up on produce stands and dinner tables for generations. Then we take a trip over to the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market , where we talk with growers about Gem and Zutano avocados and what makes those varieties special. We also get into spring onions and the f...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , we’re getting into some late-season citrus with sour oranges and kumquats. We’ve also got mini sapotes on the table, the difference between Hawaiian ginger and Chinese ginger, California garlic versus Chinese garlic, Meyer lemons, and we’ll talk about what happened to all the California asparagus. It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays from...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Dan has King Oyster mushrooms on the produce table. Learn how you can turn these incredible mushrooms into vegan pulled pork and delicious tacos. Also on the table is Dazzle variety sweet apples, Ataulfo mangoes, Kinnow mandarins, and three varieties of blood oranges to taste and compare. It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays with Dan the Pr...

Join Ross the Produce Boss as he fills in for Dan with special guest Patrick Kelly to dive into the role of fresh produce in fueling athletes at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Explore how Italian cuisine and seasonal fruits and veggies are powering peak performance, plus insider tips on what’s fresh and local this season. Tune in for fresh industry insights, Olympic highlights, and a celebrati...

This week on Fresh From the Field Fridays , Dan the Produce Man and Ross the Produce Boss welcome Caroline Lewis , founder of The Farmer’s Feed —all about reconnecting people with the farmers who actually grow their food. We dig into the cabbage trend that’s heating up in foodservice and retail, talk about why farmers need to tell their own stories , and how getting closer to the consumer really m...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , we’re talking earthquakes, snowy weather, and the real-world challenges facing the produce industry right now. On the fresh side, we dive into Gold Nugget mandarins, Cuties in bags, Enchanted cider, cello radishes, the sweetest batch blueberries, blood orange varieties, and pineberries. We also cover bringing healthier produce options to a kids’ dance co...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays with Dan the Produce Man and Ross the Produce Boss, Ross is fresh back from the SWIPE show and brings us a brand-new item called Zucchiolo. We also talk frozen grapes and why they’re such a great snack. On the produce table: Gold Nugget mandarins, Valentine pomelo, and a full lineup of cauliflower – white, green, purple, orange, plus the wild looking Roman...

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays , Ross “The Produce Boss” and Dan the Produce Man share some great finds from the market. Ross talks about the Juicy Crunch tangerine, some air-fryer-ready frozen produce from PictSweet Farms, and a sweet treat — chocolate-covered pistachios. Dan dives into more microgreen varieties and shows off those beautiful bunched, multi-colored watermelon radishes....