The Packer Podcast

Summary: Chris Pawelski, a fourth-generation farmer, grassroots public policy advocate and the subject of a recent documentary titled “Muckville” joins Christina Herrick, produce editor of The Packer, to talk about the challenges modern farmers face and the intersection of farming and mental health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todd Fryhover , president of the Washington Apple Commission who will retire this year after 18 years leading the organization, joins Christina Herrick, produce editor of The Packer, to talk about where the apple industry is headed and his career highlights. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maisie Ganzler, author and strategic advisor for Bon Appetit Management Company, joins LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications with the Equitable Food Initiative, to discuss how companies can get started on creating a sustainability plan. Our websites:  producemarketguide.com ,  thepacker.com  and  ProduceEDU.com . Email:  news@thepacker.com  and  artists@producemarketguide.com...

Get the inside scoop of the educational sessions, activities and events for The Packer’s upcoming West Coast Produce Summit and Sustainable Produce Summit. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Mitcham, Ph. D., professor of cooperative extension and the emeritus director of the Postharvest Technology Center, joins Christina Herrick, produce editor for The Packer to talk about the innovations in postharvest technology, the challenges to delivering fresh fruits and vegetables and the future of postharvest research in this podcast sponsored by AgroFresh. See omnystudio.com/listene...

Ali Cox, CEO and founder of Noble West, an agriculture marketing consultancy sits down with Christina Herrick, produce editor of The Packer, to look at how specialty crop growers utilize regenerative ag currently, its benefits and its potential for the future. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray Hatch, CEO of Quest Resource Management joins Christina Herrick, produce editor for The Packer to talk about the importance of reducing food waste and the solutions his company provides to help reduce the amount of produce in landfills. How to connect with The Packer and PMG magazine: Websites: com ,  thepacker.com  and  ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com  and  artists@producemarketgui...

Paul Mikesell, founder and CEO of Carbon Robotics, sits down with The Packer's produce editor, Christina Herrick, to talk about the barriers to implementing technology, how his company's LaserWeeder cuts down on sprays and the importance of data in the future of agriculture. How to connect with The Packer and PMG magazine: Websites: com ,  thepacker.com  and  ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker...

Collin Juurakko, founder of Advanced Agriscience, sits down with Christina Herrick, produce editor for The Packer to share how his research as a doctoral candidate led to some interesting discoveries about how frost crystals form and how he’s parlaying what he’s learned into a potential solution for tree fruit growers across the globe. How to connect with The Packer and PMG magazine: Websites: com...

Jasna Kovac, Ph. D., associate professor of food science and a professor of food safety at Penn State University, shares insights into her research on foodborne pathogens in packinghouses. Kovac shares actionable items to take to reduce risks in packing facilities. Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@producemarketguide.com...

Jim Bair, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association joins Christina Herrick, produce editor for The Packer, to talk about the conversation surrounding rising food prices, slowing grower returns and the current challenges to maintaining a profitable apple business. Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@producemarketguid...

Kam Quarles, chief executive officer of the National Potato Council, Bob Mattive, president of the National Potato Council and a potato grower from Monte Vista, Colo., and Kelly Turner, manager of the Potato Growers of Michigan, sit down with Christina Herrick, produce editor for The Packer, and talk about the importance of potatoes in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the economic impacts of...

Sean Sundberg, business integration manager for John Deere, sits down with The Packer’s produce editor, Christina Herrick, to talk about the collaboration with Sonoma County Winegrowers and how the technology utilized in the “vineyard of the future” will benefit other specialty crop growers. Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and art...

Omer Davidi, CEO and co-founder of BeeHero, a beehive technology platform talks with The Packer’s Produce Editor Christina Herrick about how his company’s innovations can help maximize crop yields for the produce industry’s most important resource.  Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@producemarketguide.com LinkedIn: PMG:...

Jon DeVaney, president of the Washington Tree Fruit Association sits down with Christina Herrick, produce editor of The Packer, to talk about some of the legislation that directly impacts the fresh produce industry in his state and what this could mean for the rest of the country. Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@produc...

Marissa Dake, vice president of brand and people for DNO Produce, joins LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing and communications with the Equitable Food Initiative, to discuss the age-old adage, if you’re not at the table you’re on the menu. Dake shares how everyone in the fresh produce industry can be an advocate and outlines the small steps to get started. Our websites: producemarketguide.com...

Kieran Ficken McNeice, director of sustainability programs with Measure to Improve, shares the trends she sees making a big impact on sustainability in the fresh produce industry this year and how to make the most of them. To find us: Our websites:  producemarketguide.com ,  thepacker.com  and  ProduceEDU.com . Email:  news@thepacker.com  and  artists@producemarketguide.com LinkedIn: PMG:  Produce...

You’re more vulnerable than you think, says Eric Regnier, vice president of operations at Zag Technical Services on the latest Tip of the Iceberg podcast, who shares ways produce businesses can prepare for threats. To learn more: visit zagtech.com To find us: Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@producemarketguide.com Linke...

During her state of the industry address, Cathy Burns noted that we are experiencing a global human energy crisis and attributed it to a lack of employee engagement. Louisa Clarke from Confidently There coaches individuals and teams around the importance of and skills needed to have difficult conversations. In the podcast, she shares tips for creating workplaces that have the right balance of chal...

How does the industry move from endorsing responsible labor practices to taking action? Peter O’Driscoll, executive director of Equitable Food Initiative, and Kim Combs, supplier verification manager with The Kroger Co., explore the topic, along with EFI Director of Marketing Communications LeAnne Ruzzamenti, in this “Tip of the Iceberg” podcast brought to you by EFI and The Packer. To find us: Ou...

To learn more: visit zagtech.com , joeproduce.com , joeproducesearch.com , joejproresumes.com To find us: Our websites: producemarketguide.com , thepacker.com and ProduceEDU.com . Email: news@thepacker.com and artists@producemarketguide.com LinkedIn: PMG: Produce Market Guide and The Packer Instagram: @packernews and @producemktguide Facebook: @ProduceMktGuide and @PackerNews Twitter: @producereta...

Learn how to make your supermarket a destination for fresh from Rob Nickels, who handles category management, procurement and merchandising of fresh produce and floral for Giant Food. Part of Ahold Delhaize USA, Giant Food has stores in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area. In our case, it’s fresh produce. Nickels covers several areas of focus: variety, quality, value, local...

What if every college student hated wasting the excess meal credits on their dining card enough to figure out a way to share it? And what if that eventually meant that a major produce wholesale market could cut its organic waste by 50% — while feeding people who can’t afford to buy the food they need? Evan Ehlers asked these questions and then tackled the problem — with sustained, practical action...

What are AI prompt engineers, besides some of the highest-paid people these days? What tech skills do job seekers need to thrive in their search? Addressing these questions and more is the president of Joe Produce, an online job center for produce, agriculture and related companies and produce people across the entire food chain — from seed to store. In this ZAG Tech-partnered episode, Rex Lawrenc...

In this partnered episode with Equitable Food Initiative, learn about an innovative approach to increasing sustainability on farms from special guest Lilian Autler, EFI’s organizational and workforce development manager. Autler lead a project that placed multi-disciplinary teams on three different California farms to address waste management — something that helps meet the state’s newer SB 1383 bi...