Produce Buzzers - A Podcast for Lovers of Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Have you ever been disappointed with the fruits and vegetables you have bought in the grocery store? Of course you have! There is nothing more frustrating in the grocery shopping experience than finding some beautiful fresh produce on the shelf only to get it home and find that it is flavorless or the texture is just not right. Well never fear! There are some very smart people in the field of hort...

This week we are going to hear about some very important work being done by organizations helping to alleviate hunger. When we think of places that are experiencing a lack of food and malnutrition, we often first think of places in third-world countries or far-off nations. But hunger is a big problem right here in the United States and has been for many years. But fortunately, there are people and...

It’s peak season for all kinds of berries right now. So today we have a very special guest to tell us about some of the exciting new varieties of berries you can find in your local produce aisle. Laudan Chauffin is Marketing Director for the Berry Fresh company joins us today to enlighten us about blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Founded in 2005, Berry Fresh, is dedicated to providing f...

Spring has arrived and spring vegetables have been showing up in your local produce aisles and markets for a few weeks. now. But this week is the sweetest week of the spring vegetable season. That is because this is the week that the sweetest onions in the world will be first shipped for the 2025 season. Yes, it’s time for a fresh crop of Vidalia Onions. Today we are going to celebrate Vidalia Oni...

On this week’s podcast, we have two very special guests who are redefining snack foods. But this is more than a story of a successful start-up and exciting new food product. This husband-and-wife team turned a deeply personal tragedy into a mission to help others eat healthier. In doing so, they created a company that is disrupting the snack food and fresh produce aisles to offer delicious product...

This week we welcome back to the show a very special guest. He is a longtime friend and colleague who used to work with the four of us Produce Buzzers many years ago. Since that time he has been a rising star in the produce business and has worked for some of the biggest names in the produce industry. With over 36 years’ experience in the business, he’s a true veteran of the produce world who coul...

Our guest this week is a fellow podcaster who also promotes the eating of more fresh fruits and veggies, so we are especially delighted to welcome her to the show. Amanda Keefer handles brand partnerships and marketing communications for the Healthy Family Project in addition to producing and hosting their podcast. The Healthy Family Project is making a huge impact in getting people to eat healthi...

On this week’s episode, we are telling our listeners to Beet It! But that’s not spelled b-e-A-t but instead b-e-E-t. Yes, today we are rootin’ for our favorite root! That’s right! We’re digging deep into the world of beets. The veggie that stains your fingers, confuses your taste buds, and somehow ended up in both salads and desserts. From the history of beets to beet recipes, beet myths to beets'...

Love is in the air, and… on your plate! Welcome to this week’s special Valentine’s Day episode of The Produce Buzzers Podcast, where we’re diving into the most romantic fruits and vegetables to set the mood for love. From the aptly named passion fruit to mythical artichokes to heart-healthy beets and the silky sweetness of strawberries, we’ll explore the aphrodisiac powers, symbolism, and deliciou...

Super Bowl LIX is here! The week of Super Bowl is the biggest week for sales of avocados in the U.S. There are a lot of choices for snacks and meals for America’s biggest annual TV event, but fans know that avocados and guacamole have to be on the table. And that’s good for them because avocados are one of the healthiest foods you can eat, unlike perhaps a lot of the other dishes on the party menu...

Today we have a very special guest who understands that the people who grow our fruits and vegetables are special people. In fact, they are stars. Our guest has been highlighting these stars for over thirteen years on her beautiful Website FarmStarLiving.com. On that Website you will find stories of these heroes and the challenges they face to bring us the bounty of fruits and veggies you see in y...

January is more than just a fresh start to the year—it’s also National Slow Cooking Month! As the winter chill sets in, there’s nothing more comforting than a steaming hearty stew packed full of veggies slowly blended together over hours of slow cooking. These meals can warm you up and satisfy you like no others. And it’s a convenient and easy way to get your five to ten vegetables a day with the...

This week, we’re diving into one of the most universally celebrated events: New Year’s! But, as we know, how people ring in the New Year varies widely depending on where you are in the world. From feasting and fireworks to unique superstitions and rituals, the way we say goodbye to one year and hello to another can be incredibly different—and deeply meaningful. We will look at the history of New Y...

So as the new year begins, we thought we would look back on the most tortuous moments in 2024’s Produce Buzzers podcasts. Yes, our infamous “Home Groans.” We tried our best to “PUN-ish” you in every episode, with our fearless leader, Theresa Nolan’s terrible puns. We were going to call it “The Best of Home Groan” but the word “best” just doesn’t work with these awful attempts at humor. So we had t...

This week we are so delighted to have our favorite guest back on the podcast. The man widely known as the “Produce Expert” is back to tell us about the delightful fruits and veggies his company Melissa’s World Variety Produce sells. Which frankly could be any fruit or vegetable on the planet because Melissa’s sells every fresh produce item that exists and can be sold commercially. They have thousa...

This week, we’re diving into the colorful world of purple vegetables! From nutrient-packed purple cabbage, to purple beets, to the majestic purple eggplant, we’ll uncover the secrets behind their striking hues, their incredible health benefits, and how they’ve become stars in cuisines around the globe.  We’ll share tips on cooking with them, stories behind their origins, and even spotlight some su...

Today we will talk about some traditional dishes that you can serve at your meal, but we also want to feature some unique fruits and vegetables that are in season during the fall but perhaps you have not thought about including in your menu. Not that we are trying to dissuade you from the usual fruit and veggie dishes like sweet potatoes, green beans, mashed potatoes, and the like, but we thought...

Our guest this week is leading a renaissance in agriculture that is spreading across the country. With this movement, he believes that hunger can be eliminated. His work is not just in theory. For decades, he has been spearheading grassroots efforts in local communities in Southern California not just to provide food to needy people but to teach them all about how food is grown and the tremendous...

This week we are going to have some more game show fun on the podcast and test our Produce Buzzers knowledge of different fruits and veggies. Once again, they will play a version of the classic TV Game Show “Jeopardy” with all the categories being about fruits and veggies. Since we are at the height of summer, we will feature summer fruits and veggies in the game. The categories are: • Berries • S...

This week’s guest returns to the Produce Buzzers Podcast for his second time. He is a man who pioneered podcasting about fruits and veggies. He was probably the first person to have a radio show that focused on fresh produce. Long before we had the term “podcasting” our guest was on the radio airwaves across the country with a show called “The Produce Pair’ that he started way back in 1998, he tea...

Have you heard of “Sugar Mangos?” How about “Goldenberries” or “Cape Gooseberries?” If not, you will want to stay tuned to hear about these wonderfully unique fruit varieties. Goldenberries are like nature’s candy with the perfect amount of sweet and tart. And Sugar Mangos, well they are a lot like other mangos, but smaller and how you can eat them will surprise you. Let’s just say a lot of the wo...

July is the month when Americans celebrate their nation’s independence. The Founding Fathers started the country to ensure its citizens’ life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And July is also a time when the nation celebrates a fruit that helps in that pursuit of happiness. Yes, it’s National Watermelon Month and the Produce Buzzers are honoring this delicious and joy-inspiring fruit. They...

Doing good is good business. That is the belief of Raul Fernandez and Martin Casanova of THX! Dreams, a fresh produce company that donates part of their profits to help farm workers fulfill vital needs. Raul and Martin join us this week on the podcast to tell us how THX! Dreams is providing many types of necessities to needy families who work on the farms where their fruits and veggies are grown....

You may have noticed that beautiful, delicious cherries are starting to show up in the produce sections of your favorite grocery stores. Yes, it’s a wonderful time of year when the new crop makes its way to the fresh produce aisle. Our guest this week has spent his career at one of the largest and premier fruit growers in the nation. Mac Riggan is the Director of Marketing for Chelan Fresh and the...

Have you ever tried microgreens? If not, you will be fascinated by this week’s episode. We have an expert on them who is pioneering growing methods for these tiny little versions of the veggies and greens you know so well in adult form. They are packed with flavor and nutrition. Microgreens are vegetable greens (not to be confused with sprouts or shoots) harvested just after the first little leave...