The Produce Moms Podcast

"We fight through the growing pains because that's what we love to do. We see it as failure not being an option because this is our life. It's truly empowering." Carley Parsley (5:57-6:12) Carley Parsley's family are fifth generation farmers and third generation blueberry growers at Brookside Farms (they've been growing since the early 50s). Even though Carley is the Direct of Food Safety, being a...

"The system is not set up to facilitate wellness and health. My goal is to help connect regular people with the current research and help make a difference in their lives and help reduce the global burden of Alzheimer's."    Tamara Claunch (34:51-35:18) Tamara Claunch had a first hand experience with Alzheimer's that left her feeling hopeless. Her grandmother passed away in 2008 from Alzheimer's r...

"My goal is for someone to walk into any place where there is a board meeting and you're looked at as an individual, not thinking that you might not be worth the position or worth being there because you're a female." Aribel Aguirre-Beck (22:01-22:20)   There's no better way to kick off Women's History Month and The Produce Mom's three-part miniseries than with three phenomenal, empowering, inspir...

"Black walnuts are the cadillac of tree nuts! I've done a lot of baking with them in my kitchen and can tell a true difference in flavor."   Lori Taylor (2:01-2:12) The best part about Hammons Black Walnuts isn't how deliciously bold, flavorful, healthy and versatile they are, it's that they are 100% wildly sourced!    Hammons Black Walnuts is a third generation family owned nut shelling business...

"If you're not aware of mushrooms, saddle up! Mushrooms are hot. They are the hottest item in the produce department right now."   Lori Taylor (2:07-2:20)   There's no doubt about it… mushrooms are one of the hottest items in the produce department right now and if anyone knows mushrooms like the back of their hand, it's Mike Stephan, Director of Sales for Monterey Mushrooms. Mike has been with th...

"Every time somebody picks up a Good Sam product, they know that the people who are finding it on the other end are taken care of and this is truly a fair product taking care of the planet, people, and you and your needs."   Heather Terry (18:01-18:17) When Heather Terry started her first company Nibmor Chocolate with co-founder Jennifer Love, the two had no idea the amount of supply chain issues...

"I've always known that when people say Idaho, I think about potatoes first!"   Lori Taylor (5:21-5:25) As Jamey Higham, CEO of The Idaho Potato Commission, puts it, "I've got some potato DNA in my blood!"   Jamey was born and raised in Shelley, Idaho, a small town right in the heart of potato country. Growing up with two weeks out of school each year for potato harvest and cheering on his school...

"I have learned so much from hosting the show because I get to listen, inquire and directly conversate with some of the most brilliant people in the world."    Lori Taylor (35:57-36:10) From launching The Produce Moms as an in-house marketing idea for Indy Fruit, to growing a blog, to posting weekly podcast episodes since 2018, The Produce Moms has grown exponentially from a grassroots concept to...

"Apples are the number one fruit in American households. It is a go-to. It's something that even if it's not on your grocery list, you're buying it."   Lori Taylor (23:57-24:07)   The Produce Moms has proudly co-branded with Applewood Fresh not just because of their 20 incredible varieties of apples, but because of their dedication to sustainability, protecting the environment and educating the co...

"It sounds like a complicated technology advancement for grocery retail, but man is it going to make the lives of the consumer a lot easier."   Pamela Riemenschneider  (14:06-14:16)    Pamela Riemenschneider is a catalyst for the produce industry. As one of our most top, celebrated trade journalists, she's constantly pushing industry leaders to think bigger, more innovative and identify opportunit...

"This is the company that really changed the access the rest of the United States had to get fresh, leafy greens."   Lori Taylor (5:28-5:35)   Even though Tanimura & Antle wasn't "officially" launched until 1982, the families that make up this incredible fresh produce team have a legacy that stems from 100 years of growing experience. The Tanimura family and Antle family lived 40 miles apart from...

"Every piece of the supply chain literally is being affected by inflation, from availability issues, to transportation, starting all the way down at the plant material and taking it all the way to the consumer."   Ryan Lockman (23:21-23:45)   In the ladder part of 2021, you've probably experienced several delays in packages or going shopping for items that weren't at your local retailer. It's clea...

"That's our tagline: scratch-made quality with more convenience than a can."   Michelle Huff (22:11-22:17)   'Value added' is a pretty popular term in the produce industry. It's when someone takes a basic commodity, like a fruit or vegetable, and innovates the actual produce itself, its packaging, or turns it into something like a meal kit. But for some reason, no one has come up with a way to inn...

"No one truly needs our groceries in 10 minutes, but we now have the ability to do it and we must embrace the technology and the business models because it's going to improve the quality of life for everyone."   Brittan Ladd (48:03-48:17) You may remember Brittain Ladd from Episode 41, one of our top 20 most downloaded episodes of all time, or Episode 141 where he discussed Amazon divesting Whole...

"Food is culture. Food is what connects us all and food is a catalyst, a magnetic force for bringing people together to have the best day of their life."   Lori Taylor (17:31-17:44) "I have so many, so many mixed emotions. My wish for everyone is peace and joy. I want to tell everyone that is part of our community at The Produce Moms that you've been a huge part of my inner peace, my professional...

"We all need to work together across the entire value chain, even as consumers, to make a difference to ensure that fruit and vegetable consumption really becomes a part of everyone's diet." Kelly Bristow (39:39-40:00)   The UN declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. With this declaration, the UN gifted Bayer with an invitation to raise awareness to the importance of frui...

"If we want to continue to see truly organic, truly sustainable produce, we need to be willing to pay a fair price for it." Daniella Velazquez De Leon (23:35-23:51)   Even pre-supply chain crisis, pre-pandemic, banana prices have been unfair and almost unethical. But especially in the past three years the organic banana industry has faced enormous cost pressure. Packing materials, cartons, pallets...

"We never waver in what our message is. We only work with brands and we only convey a message that is sustainable, that is ethical, and that is healthy above all costs ." Ashley Hawk (12:06-12:16)   The Produce Moms and "How Healthy Happens" have so much in common in terms of the message and the mission that they're trying to convey. It's kind of two-fold - increasing fruit and vegetable intake bu...

"For us to take the love that people have for berries and then provide them in additional settings, which allows us to go into non-traditional outlets is a great opportunity. It makes us excited to get up every morning ." Steven Ware (6:02 - 6:16)   Naturipe Farms was founded in 1917 as a strawberry co-op in Salinas, California. Today, they sell many types of berries including fresh and convention...

"Usually when people think of avocados, they think of guacamole. Fortunately we have an avocado that's a little more versatile." Chris Gonzalez (07:02 - 07:09)   Avocados have become household favorites in the United States, as of late. The small Hass avocado is the most popular, but to our neighbors in Latin America, the tropical avocado is the norm. WP Produce was founded to provide these avocad...

Live from Western Growers Annual Meeting in San Diego, California! Lori is joined by Jenny Maloney and Marshal Sewell from Bayer Crop Science to discuss this year's events and the critical issues that America's specialty crop farmers are facing right now.   Founded in 1926,  Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New...

"It's going to take us all to work together to get the food system in a place that we really need it to be." Meg Savage (14:24 - 14:30)   For some food insecure families, it's not a simple task getting access to food, let alone healthy food. Pantries are sometimes in scarce supply, or simply don't provide healthy options. In the five boroughs of New York, Feed Forward is on a mission to make healt...

"Pears are so versatile because they have a mild flavor that plays well with a lot of ingredients"  Lisa Carrington (10:56 - 11:02)   Pears may be a type of fruit not thought of in your daily consumption, but it should be. With a sweet, but not overwhelming, flavor, pears are a healthy addition to any recipe whether it be cooked, baked, or even mixed into your favorite cocktail.   87% of commercia...

"NO one individual, one company or one sector of the supply chain could or should be expected to come up with sustainable solutions on their own. It's about working collaboratively and each taking responsibility to do their part." Nikki Cossio (25:14 - 25:23)   In the grand scheme of things, the focus of sustainability is to reduce our environmental footprint on the world. While we, as consumers,...