The Produce Moms Podcast

"Most of the rest of the world knows about this fruit and loves it." Karen Nardozza (16:13-16:17)   On the Florida Avocado Administrative Committee's 2021 Schedule there are 23 major varieties and 38 minor varieties of tropical avocados listed alone.   Karen Nardozza, President and CEO at Moxxy Marketing , helps brands grow and evolve in the agriculture and fresh food industry. She helped The Prod...

"We are like Navy Seals. Nothing can get us." Julie Krivanek (18:08-18:13)   Julie Krivanek is a self-proclaimed deep generalist, member of boards, trusted advisor to board of directors, chief strategist and Founder and CEO of Krivanek Consulting, who has helped startups to global brands in the produce industry come out on top and weather any storm.   With a background in business management and a...

"We really do believe that what you get out is what you put in."   Lori Castillo (5:00-5:04)   NatureSweet is a powerhouse, iconic brand selling the best tasting tomatoes in North America who's focused on transforming the lives of agricultural workers around the continent.   Do you ever taste the difference between a take-out meal and one that you spent hours at home cooking? For some reason, you...

"Overnight our grocery bill quadrupled." Emily Brown (6:46-6:50)   The Food Equality Initiative is the nation's leading organization that is working to increase access to allergy friendly and gluten-free foods to individuals who need them the most. Did you know Black children are 7% more likely to have food allergies compared to white children and free-from foods cost 2-4 times what those with com...

"Food safety is about making the supply chain safer." Ralph Towell (16:06-16:09)   The Produce Traceability Initiative is an industry wide initiative to properly track packages to ensure food safety events are identified as fast as possible.    Have you ever struggled to trust name brands or your local produce suppliers due to news headlines of dangerous salmonella or E. coli outbreaks? It's hard...

"Our children are learning by watching us. We are so important to what they believe and what they think about themselves."   Dr. Yami (19:28-19:36)   Dr. Yami's tagline is "pediatrician on a mission", and for good reason. This powerhouse mom, pediatrician, public speaker and author wants children to grow up with a healthy body image and relationship with food that sets them up for success.   Dr. Y...

"Our mission is to make every home cooked meal a special occasion." Suzette Overgaag (11:18-11:20)   Attempting to be a sustainable and healthy household is difficult when items like fresh herbs go bad in just a day or two after buying them. Wouldn't it be nice to have living, fresh and beautiful herbs that made any meal an occasion, without being rushed to use them?   Suzette Overgaag and her thi...

"How could we find a way back home?" Bella Hughes (6:50-6:52)   Shaka Tea is 100% plant based, project non-GMO verified, sustainably sourced and created from Mamaki, the rarest herbal tea in the world.   Native Hawaiian Bella Hughes is a trailblazer in the best way possible. With a former profession in the non-profit and contemporary art world, Bella took a sharp left turn when she co-founded Shak...

"We're facing as a nation a fruit and vegetable consumption crisis." Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak (2:50-2:53)   September is National Fruits And Veggies Month hosted by the Produce For Better Health Foundation!    Founded by Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, President and CEO, and internationally celebrated dietician, the Produce For Better Health Foundation not only wants to help increase fruit and vegetable con...

"When you have a passion and you can apply that type of energy to something you know is making the world a better place, it really is rewarding."     Kurt Wagaman (30:36-30:47)   If the U.S. Navy and most hospitals have access to chemical free cleaning devices, why can't I?   That probably isn't a question you've ever asked yourself, but thankfully, it's one Tim Busby, co-founder and managing part...

"A hungry kid can't learn." Adam Russo (15:01-15:03)   There's no one size fits all for school meal programs, let alone with a global pandemic.   If there's anyone who's passionate about the success of school children and feeding them healthy meals, it's Adam Russo and Mollie Van Lieu. Adam is the Director of School Food and Nutrition Services at Prince William County Public Schools located in Vir...

"I didn't know as a child if I would make it out alive." Sarah Frey (12:48-12:51)   Sarah Frey is one of the most inspirational women in the agricultural industry.    Her phenomenal story starts on her family's farm in southern, rural Illinois where they hunted, processed and grew their own food, and only had a wood burning fire stove for heat. Sarah can even recall the first time she saw a thermo...

"It's got one ingredient. What more could you ask for?" Case Samuel (10:10-10:14)   Sunrise Fresh is the #1 seller on Amazon in the dried fruit category and has been for the past four years. This fourth generation, family owned company is dedicated to producing the freshest dried fruit with no added ingredients.   Have you ever wondered why most dried fruit or products containing dried fruit are s...

"How do you communicate something so that it's a message that people can grab onto?" Barbara Ruhs (13:15-13:21)   The top three leading causes of death and morbidity in the United States are diabetes, cancer and heart disease, three diseases that could be virtually eliminated if people ate the recommended two to three cups a day of fruits and vegetables.   Barbara Ruhs didn't originally set out to...

"Logistics are the heart and soul of our  industry." Lori Taylor (2:14-2:17)   Without advancements and logistics, we wouldn't have accessibility to produce 365 days a year, or the array of seasonal produce in virtually any climate.   The Produce Moms Podcast welcomed today it's very first logistics company guest, Chad Ogden, Director of Transportation for Sunrise Logistics. Sunrise Logistics is p...

"The whole family's going to eat it and it's going to be made with clean, real ingredients, and it's going to taste delicious!" Jennifer Wiese (4:21-4:28)   What was originally a decision to help her son battle autism turned into a movement to help families everywhere enjoy plant-based products that are made with real, clean ingredients.   Jennifer Wiese, founder of BeeFree and mother of four sons...

"If we can increase positive interactions with avocados, we're going to grow as a category." Patrick Cortes (17:13-17:17)   Food sustainability is possible without the use of harmful chemicals, but instead, with chemistry-driven technology that helps reduce waste and supports our health.   Chemistry has a bad wrap in the agriculture world, but companies like Hazel Technology are changing that. Haz...

"It's one of the most important times that we maintain a focus on globalism, we maintain a commitment to multilateralism and to working together." Beth Bechdol (34:56-35:06)   Almost 2 billion people around the world experience a moderate or severe food insecurity.   Although this trend has been decreasing for the past 20 years, we've recently seen a plateau and even reverse trend in some countrie...

"Anytime one of us is brave enough to stand up and speak on an issue, it does inspire other people to do the same." Robyn O'Brien (13:19 - 13:26)   Food security is national security, and this is one of the most fundamental issues of our time.   Robyn O'Brien, Co-Founder of rePlant Capital, Found of Do Good, Found of AllergyKids Foundation, author of The Unhealthy Truth, and Adjunct Professor at R...

"Empowering women to trade benefits everyone." Liz Becerra (5:19-5:22)   The SheTrades Initiative is on a mission to help connect three million women entrepreneurs in Agriculture by 2021.   The United Nations and World Trade Organization have come together to create the SheTrades initiative in order to create a sustainable economic impact globally. By helping women entrepreneurs, buyers and partne...

"Family mealtimes are more important than ever right now to create unity in the family, to be connected, and have an opportunity for meaningful communication at the end of the day."  Stefani Sassos (9:00)   Stefani Sassos, MS, RDN, CSO, CDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for the Good Housekeeping Institute. She has been involved in everything from clinical work, work as a fitness instructo...

"Restaurants are not just good for business, but good for life." Lori Taylor (19:54)   As a champion of the fresh produce industry, The Produce Moms has made it a top priority to cover the recent pandemic, and its effects on the produce industry, from the front lines.    We have so many friends and partnerships who have been directly affected by the recent events, and we have watched in awe as the...

"There is such an incredible profile of nutrition in each tiny button of a mushroom." Mike O'Brien (15:20)   Founded in 1971, Monterey Mushrooms is the national leader in mushrooms. Their 4000 employees supply retailers and restaurants around the country with over 200 million pounds of fresh mushrooms each year. One of the best things about Monterey Mushrooms is that they are always locally grown!...

"Food safety is the paramount goal for everyone in agriculture." Lori Taylor (16:42)   Jennifer Pulcipher is the Director of Food Safety and Compliance at North Bay Produce. With a degree in Food Safety from Michigan State University, and nearly a decade of experience in the field, she is an expert when it comes to keeping your food safe from the field to the fork. She oversees all programs relate...

"We have created this content over Zoom and in our home kitchens. It's inspiring to look at how many people are enjoying it, and bringing this goodness into their homes." Lori Taylor (30:38)   Celebrating our beginning and looking towards the horizon.   Eight years ago Produce Mom founder, Lori Taylor had her first healthy cooking demo at a local Indianapolis library. She welcomed ten visitors to...