The Produce Moms Podcast

"We have to trust in the capacity of women, not only to farm and to have kids, but to run families and … nations, and the next generation." Lorena Muro (9:02-9:11) Lorena Muro is a powerful force, elevating females in agriculture, specifically within the fresh produce sector. She is the CEO of Mama Pacha, a ten-year-old company from Peru which exports organic superfoods from the Amazon highland, e...

"Plastic is not the problem. It's plastic waste that is problematic." Dave Beck (12:27 - 12:31) Dave Beck is the National Sales Director at rPlanet Earth, a company dedicated to the mission of zero plastic waste on planet earth. rPlanet Earth is a well-capitalized, innovative manufacturer reusing post-consumer plastics as a feedstock to produce the highest quality packaging with the lowest carbon...

"In addition to a lot of international regions, especially in Latin America, in the United States, mangoes are grown in Florida, California, Hawaii, and in territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico." Eve Sapp (6:46 - 7:05) Eve Sapp is a board member at the National Mango Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. She works to educate the U.S. consumer about the flavor, c...

"Get into the kitchen and play. Get the children involved. Have them peel something or taste it when it's raw... we're all in it together." Brandon Fortener (31:32-32:06)   Brandon Fortener is the Product Development Chef for the Kroger company, which is the nation's largest supermarket retailer. Produce is one of the first things that Kroger's nine million daily customers see when they walk into...

"Qi Gong helps us get into that flow state where we feel our best selves and bring our best selves into all the activities of our lives." Lee Holden (8:56-9:08)   Would you like to be able to release stress and gain energy in just a few minutes?   By practicing a form of ancient Chinese medicine called Qi Gong, you can do just that. It's is an easy feel-good practice that can be done in just a sho...

"One of the things I love about Chadwick is that he understands and practices the idea that food is how life happens." Lori Taylor (28:03 - 28:14)   Chadwick Boyd is a food and lifestyle expert. He is the host of Reel Food , the first food entertainment series in movie theaters nationwide. Chadwick also appears on TV shows like Hallmark's Home & Family , Food Network's The Kitchen , and many other...

"The interest that consumers have in understanding where and how their food was grown is only going to increase." Wendelyn Jones (30:51-31:01)   In 2017, Dow Chemical and DuPont Chemical merged with the intent of spinning out into three different companies. Its Agriculture Division forms a company known as Corteva Agriscience with a purpose to, "enrich the lives of those who produce and those who...

"So much of life is centric to food, and being a picky eater can become problematic." Lori Taylor (7:00 - 7:14) Liz Weiss MS, RDN, is the Founder of Liz's Healthy Table, where she shares healthy recipes and mealtime wisdom through blog posts, cooking videos, and podcasts. Liz has been passionate about healthy food and family nutrition for over 20 years. Her previous company, Meal Makeover Moms, re...

"The new generations of Millennials and Gen-Zers are passionate about the connection between food and agriculture, and they're passionate about plant-based diets." Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak (5:18 - 5:29) Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN is the CEO and President of the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH). She is a leader within the agriculture and produce industry, and has re-invigorated PBH. We...

"Food is one of the main things that glue our communities together, and the Latinos take that concept to a whole new level." Sylvia Klinger (5:46 - 5:53) Sylvia Klinger is a registered dietician (RD), the Founder of HispanicNutrition.com, and an industry thought leader when it comes to Hispanic nutrition. Listen to this week's episode of The Produce Moms Podcast with Sylvia Klinger to learn more a...

"We at The Produce Moms are working on being a comprehensive, authentic, and highly engaged resource to empower you in your journey to eat more fruits and vegetables." Lori Taylor (31:10-31:23) On the 50th episode of The Produce Mom's podcast, we reached out to some of our partners, friends, fans, followers, and supporters to gather questions for Lori. Question #1: Where does your passion for prod...

"Solving the problem of getting food from the ground to the dinner table is a pretty big job, and we have to do it right." - Chris Sutton Lori Taylor The Produce Moms Chris Sutton is the Sales Manager at the  Salad Savoy Corporation. He is one of the most dynamic personalities in the produce industry, and he is passionate about bringing tasty and nutritious vegetables to dinner tables across Ameri...

"There's quite a bit of scientific research that shows a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean plant-based proteins can be really conducive to fertility health." Elizabeth Shaw (4:15 - 4:45) Elizabeth Shaw is a registered dietician (RD), a certified personal trainer, and the Founder of Shaw's Simple Swaps, where she provides fact-based nutrition advice. She is a regular contri...

"We believe that it is not only our duty to be sustainable in our own operations, but also to motivate and inspire other businesses to do the same during this critical moment our planet is going through." Hans Sauter (4:16 - 4:39) Hans Sauter is the Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Agricultural Services at Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. He has over 30 years of experience in the pro...

"One thing that draws me into your work is that you really have a way to make the topic of nutrition and meal prep and relatable and easy to execute for people." Lori Taylor (7:08 - 7:28) With over 18 years experience in the food and nutrition industry, Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN is a leading dietitian and recipe developer who believes that healthy and wholesome can also be delicious. She is also th...

"Being a mother, I remember going through the difficulty of trying to get my son to eat an array of fruits and vegetables when he was growing up." - Linda York (2:59 - 3:12) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms   Linda York is the Founder of Sticky Lickits, a company committed to making fruits and veggies fun for kids. As a mother and grandmother, she has experienced the difficulty of getting children to...

"What I'm concerned about is that when we see negative headlines over and over again, we start thinking that we need to avoid these healthy vegetables." - Jackie London (10:08 - 10:27) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms Jackie London is the Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping magazine, and she is a repeat guest on the podcast. She is also the author of the book Dressing on the Side (and Other Di...

"Gathering goodness is a mindset to have in all walks of life." - Laura Hearn (23:28-23:36) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms The amount of food that's wasted each day is just another example of the unnecessary depletion of limited resources. Much of the food that goes to waste never finds its way onto store shelves in the first place, further adding to the severity of this problem. Farmers have to fin...

"We're now working on robots that can go through a field, and through imagery, differentiate between weeds, plants, and insects, and target them as they go along." - Jenny Maloney (11:24 - 11:47) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms   Jenny Maloney is a Food Chain and Sustainability Manager at Bayer Crop Science. She is extremely passionate and knowledgable about the agriculture industry, and she has been...

"People are reluctant to buy fresh food items online because they don't trust other people to pick the freshest produce for them." - Brittain Ladd (7:02 - 7:18) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms The Online Grocery Shopping Trend   As consumers, we have become increasingly comfortable with online shopping throughout the years, except when it comes to fresh food products. What we put in our bodies is rat...

"The rich vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in fresh fruits and veggies are the building blocks of a healthy childhood diet." - Dr. Rachael Bilello (5:48 - 6:01) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms Childhood obesity is a growing issue in the United States.   According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), almost 90% of children in America are getting less than the recommended five servings of fresh...

"Even as a little girl, I connected Idaho to potatoes. The branding has become synonymous with the crop and it's quite impressive." - Lori Taylor (3:04 - 3:10) Lori Taylor The Produce Moms Not all potatoes are created equal.   Potatoes are one of the most widely used food sources in the world, and they have an abundance of benefits that make them a staple in many different diets. They are packed w...

  "We hope that when anyone comes into a Jason's Deli, it feels like family. And they know that the people in their family are making decisions on what food to bring in." - Kimberly Andreason (5:37-5:50)   It's not always easy to know where your food comes from when dining out. Parents who want their families to eat nutritious foods need to know that a restaurant truly cares about the produce it s...

The Produce Moms Podcast EP 37 Food Safety - Truth, Evidence, and Facts with Sonia Salas of Western Growers   "Food safety is an issue that affects all consumers of fresh food across the USA and the world." - Lori (01:21)   As consumers, it is crucial to have confidence in the fresh produce that we are purchasing and consuming. As I'm sure you remember, two days before Thanksgiving in 2018 there w...

"One of the most beautiful parts of responsible sourcing is the effort put into raising communities and empowering the farm workers that feed our families." - Jessie Gunn (3:52)   When mentioning responsible sourcing in the produce industry, most people may immediately think of the standards implemented to yield healthy, safe produce. However, responsible sourcing is about more than just the produ...