The Hometown Fresh Podcast

Who could have guessed that meatloaf would be the new trend? Not Stephanie Hopkins DeMilio of Bella Vista, AR! When her advertisements for Martha Harp's famous meatloaf recently went viral on Facebook, she did the only thing she knew to do: ride the wave and make more meatloaf! From an idea to autographs, listen in to hear all about her experience and how you can stay up-to-date on the latest happ...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Director of Training and Leadership Development, Bob Arthur, as we discuss the upcoming Harps Emerging Leaders program. We as a company value holistic career development opportunities and are thrilled to offer yet another chance for our associates to progress in their professional relationship with Harps. Bob leads our HarpsLearningU program here at the company and...

Today we'll be hearing from our CEO, Kim Eskew, as he speaks with our Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Jim Antz, about his career and upcoming retirement. We'll discuss the pitfalls and rewards of working in the grocery industry as well as Jim's career accomplishments, advice to his younger self, his experience working with Harps for so many years, and what's next on h...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Director of Training and Leadership Development, Bob Arthur, as we discuss the topic of the Merit Profile Assessment offered to Harps associates for personal and career development. The MERIT Profile is not a pass/fail assessment, but rather a source of information designed to support both employee and management decisions within the company. This assessment offers...

This week, we'll be hearing from one of our amazing local food vendors, Bret Raymond of Neighborly Food Co., regarding food insecurity in Arkansas, the significance of Neighborly products, and how they have taken the world's best flavors and combined them to create one simple, accessible meal for the everyday shopper. Listen in to learn more about this special Harps item, Neighborly's mission, and...

This week, we'll be speaking with our NEW Loss Prevention Specialist, Haile Kasiner, as she spills some of the fun behind-the-scenes aspects of this mostly-serious job. Not only does Haile combat crimes such as gift card or credit card fraud, short-changing, and traveling con artists - she also gets to see some pretty unusual things on our store cameras on a daily basis. Listen in to hear all abou...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Director of Training and Leadership Development, Bob Arthur, as we discuss the topic of Self-Evaluation. Self-evaluation is the process of assessing your own performance, actions, behaviors, and progress against a set of criteria or standards. It involves critically analyzing your strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, and areas for improvement. Self-evaluation is...

Today we'll be hearing from our Project Manager, Scott Stout, about a recurring problem for a lot of people: fruit flies. Scott oversees a multitude of projects for Harps, from pest control to store remodels. There are a lot of ways to manage this issue from household to store level and Scott is our company expert, so strap in and grab a notepad because we're about to give all the tips and tricks...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Director of Training and Leadership Development, Bob Arthur, as we discuss the topic of Personal Growth. Personal growth is of paramount importance as it encompasses the continuous process of developing and improving oneself intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. This journey of self-improvement is not only beneficial on an individual level but also...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Produce Category Manager, Josh Rector, as we unpack the delicious Hatch Chile origin story. These peppers are only grown in the Hatch Valley region of New Mexico and are only ready for consumers one month out of the year - August! Listen in to hear about why these chiles are so special and how you can get your hands on them this season.-HATCH ROASTING SCHEDULE 2023:...

"Burnout" refers to a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion often caused by prolonged periods of stress or excessive demands, particularly in the workplace or other high-pressure environments. It can affect individuals physically, emotionally, and mentally, leading to decreased motivation, reduced productivity, and a general sense of being overwhelmed and drained. Today we’ll be heari...

Today we'll be hearing from one of our Loss Prevention Specialists, Travis Lee, as he speaks with our Director of Loss Prevention, John Rinks, about his career and upcoming retirement. We'll discuss the pitfalls and rewards of working in Loss Prevention as well as John's career accomplishments, advice to his younger self, his experience working with Harps for so many years, and what's next on his...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Meat and Seafood Category Analyst, Will McDoniel, as he speaks with our Vice President of Meat and Seafood for 45 years, Layne Chastain, about his career and upcoming retirement. We’ll discuss the ever-shifting and changing meat industry as well as Layne’s career accomplishments, advice to his younger self, his experience working with Harps for so many years, and wh...

Our mindset is so important, and it can influence our quality of life and negatively affect our mental health and relationships when not properly managed. So, what is the difference between who I am and who I want to be? How can we rewire our brains to completely change our lives? How can we begin to dig ourselves out of that negative self-talk mindset and renew our minds to feel refreshed, positi...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Assistant Produce Category Manager, Joel Cotrell. Joel works with our very own Mike Roberts to ensure that Harps is operating sustainably, supporting local farmers, abiding by food safety protocol, and acting in alignment with company values for the benefit of all customers. Join us as we talk about generational farming, local versus Big AG, and the push we’re seein...

Today we will be discussing point-of-sale protocol and how to detect different kinds of scams when a transaction occurs. What are the rules for money orders? Why are our associates supposed to ask to see some form of ID when someone is paying with a check or credit card? Why don’t we take checks for money orders or gift cards? How does the prosecutor get the victim's money back if they are scammed...

Do you love hosting? Are dinner parties kind of your thing? Well, have we got the thing for you! This week, we'll be speaking with Tiffany Tran from Better Butter about the beauties of serving a butter board, what pairings go well together, and how to take your hospitality to the next level this summer 😍🧈🍷✨ You won't want to miss this!-Better Butter Pinterest board for recipes ➡️ https://pin.i...

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of acquiring new store locations? What determines where we put a new Harps store? How long does it usually take to open a new store? What values do we keep in mind when purchasing a family-owned business or another chain? How can we be more proactive in both our personal and professional lives in order to make things happen quickly and accurate...

Have you ever taken your kid to the grocery store and had them embarrass the life out of you? Maybe you've seen someone ELSE'S kid make a scene, or you've been the cashier lucky enough to witness such unpredictable chaos. Today we'll be reading REAL, hilarious comments from our own customers about the ways that their children have embarrassed them out in public, as well as telling some of our own...

Internet scammers are a real issue... and with gift card scammers on the rise, you need to know what to look out for and how to avoid becoming victim to these con artists. This week, we'll hear from our Loss Prevention Specialist, Travis Lee, as he tells us all the tricks that con artists use to cheat you out of your money and how to ensure your finances are safe. We also discuss appropriate measu...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Director of Training and Leadership Development, Bob Arthur, as well as special guest Kim Eskew, Harps CEO, as we discuss the concept of how to practice humility. Bob leads our HarpsLearningU program here at the company and provides associates and listeners alike with the skills they need to be successful not only in the business world, but in life.-Kim discusses th...

What does being "Employee Owned" mean to our associates? If we had to fight 14 times our displacement in furious Canadian geese and could only have one non-projectile weapon, what would we pick and why? (Side note: apparently "flame thrower" is not the correct answer...) What determines the date of the Super Saturday Meat Sale every month? Should Rachel have gotten so mad at Ross? They were on a b...

Today we’ll be hearing from the first known dairy farmer to implement a robotic milking system into their operation in the state of Oklahoma, Logan Courtney. Logan is a 6th generation farmer and has a fascinating story as to how he acquired his dairy operation and began making steps towards a more efficient way of farming. Listen in to learn about how robots can change the face of the dairy indust...

Today we’ll be hearing from our Director of Training and Leadership Development, Bob Arthur, as well as our Vice President of Human Resources, Frank Ray, as they discuss the concept of creating unity in our professional and personal relationships and how to cultivate those relationships for the benefit of all parties. Their discussion today is super refreshing and a good reminder to take care of o...

Today we will be hearing from our Vice President of Bakery-Deli Operations, Hydie Hale, as we discuss the ins and outs of keeping our bakery-delis running smoothly. Are there mistakes and setbacks occasionally? Absolutely. Talented cake decorators? Of course. Has anyone ever ordered a 6-foot lobster cake? You'd be surprised... - Listen in with us to find out more about our in-store bakery delis! T...