The Produce Moms Podcast

International Women's Day is powered by the collective efforts of all. Collective action and shared ownership for driving gender parity is what makes International Women's Day impactful and today, TPM is talking with two sourcing managers from Walmart who have wonderful stories to share; making International Women's Day a day that will make a positive difference for men and women tuning in to the...

Jeff Tripician, Matt Byrne and Ashley Finster of SunFed Ranch belive in delivering locally produced, consistently delicious grass-fed beef that's better for our environment and better for your health. They have their hands and hearts in every stage of raising our beef. From the first blade of grass to your dinner plate, you can feel good about the origin and quality of what we're serving up. Their...

NatureSweet, the number one selling brand in snacking tomatoes is doubling down on the company's commitment to transform the agricultural industry by partnering with more retailers and selling high-quality produce beyond snacking tomatoes. The company's portfolio includes nationwide distribution of bulk and packaged tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. NatureSweet's proven success in this expanded ca...

In this pre-recorded episode, Lori speaks with lead dietician for the Super Bowl bound Kansas City Chiefs, Leslie Bonci, who's also the owner of Active Eating Advice- Be fit, fed and Fearless? – A nutrition consulting company.  Find out how fruits and vegetables play an important role in the sucess of these prominant athletes and how thier diet is key to staying in peak performance shape.   Leslie...

Identifying food trends is one of Pamela Riemenschneider's favorite guessing games of the year, and TPM is excited to hear what the buzz is for 2023. Pamela talks about how we've navigated abrupt shifts in food at home vs. food away from home, food costs and inflation, the back and forth balance of work from home versus work in-office, and, of course, the juggernaut that is TikTok influencing not...

Rachel Cruze is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, financial expert and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. Growing up as Dave Ramsey's daughter, Rachel hated budgeting for years until she experienced the freedom of budgeting for herself.  Find out some tips and tricks to healthy grocery shopping amongst these inflation driven times to food and produce. To keep up with the latest in the produce in...

In our latest TPM episode, Aarón Sánchez joins us, who's an award-winning chef, TV personality, author, and philanthropist who founded the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund as a means to support Latino youth across the United States. Jennifer Killian also joins the pod, who is responsible for identifying critical funding that supports Chef Aarón Sánchez's philanthropic initiatives, as well as managing his...

Solely was founded as a way to help kids in the community gain easy access to fresh fruit. CEO, Simon Sacal noticed that for many children, fresh fruit was scarce and kids were loading up on cheap processed foods at home and in school. Solely's idea was simple: create a real fruit bite with the fewest possible ingredients to replace sugar filled, highly processed snacks. It needed to retain the nu...

Yes, Chrissie may brand herself as a "LinkedIn specialist," but she does so much more than that. What she REALLY does is help people shine as their best selves in the business world.  How does she do that?  Through the written word.  Which is one of the many reasons how and why Chrissie created First and Sober, a LinkedIn Newsletter, that so many of us can relate to, even in the Produce world. Liv...

Chef Todd's career has commanded prestigious kitchens and continues to push the dining scene into relevant trends. The bounty that farmers grow locally and ranchers have raised responsibly have always inspired his menus, both seasonally and creatively which is why TPM is excited to ring in a New Year with Chef Todd! To keep up with the latest in the produce industry, be sure to follow The Produce...

The Produce Moms® is on a mission to put more fruits and vegetables on every table to change the way the WORLD eats. Through our platforms and produce supplier partnerships, we educate consumers on the benefits of eating fresh produce, the growing process, and how to select, store and serve it. The Produce Moms® was founded by Lori Taylor whose experience as a mom and produce supply chain professi...

Little Saints was born during the pandemic as an antidote to drinking too much alcohol and feeling terrible about it. Having spent pretty much her entire adult life as a cocktail enthusiast, Megan ignored the initial signs that alcohol was doing more harm than good to her body and her mind. Without access to any option more interesting than a "sparkling water with lime", it was hard to convince he...

The year 2022 was an exciting time to be working in fresh produce!  From sustainable harvesting to mega grocery mergers and let's not forget the many women making an impact in produce. Robert Lambert, Founder of AndNowUKnow, is constantly exposed to the latest in produce news and he's here to recap some of the top headlines in 2022.  Plus, Robert shares his unorthodox entry into the produce indust...

The youngest of 21 children, Sarah Frey grew up on a struggling farm in Southern Illinois. At 15, she started her own fresh produce delivery business out of an old pickup truck. Soon after, she took over the family farm and started doing business with the largest grocery retailers in the country. Frey's story is one of never giving up, negotiating with some of the biggest businesses in the nation...

Wada farms is a premier example of what can be accomplished through hard work and tireless dedication. Originally established in 1943, Wada Farms was founded by Frank Wada who immigrated to the U.S. from Japan in 1922. To pursue the love of farming, Frank and his family decided to settle in Pingree, Idaho, where they put down family roots. Together, they grew their first crop of Idaho potatoes on...

Visiting the apple orchard is an American fall tradition – as soon as the weather starts to cool, family favorite varieties start to ripen on the trees and call our names. This year, we were on the hunt for SweeTango, a bright red blush over a yellow cream breaking background and officially holds the Guinness world record for the loudest crunch.  So we are talking with John Jacobson of Pine Tree A...

Portland Public Schools is extending its free meal program, now offering no-cost breakfasts and lunches at 53 of its 81 schools. Whitney Ellersick with PPS Nutrition Services says it's about bringing everyone to the table. This is thanks to the Community Eligibility Provision Pogram. It's part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, which provides free meals for school di...

The Kroger-Albersons merger announcement came hard and fast. So has the reaction from grocery retail industry stakeholders and observers, including strategy executive, Brittain Ladd. The $24.6 billion deal, will create a supermarket company with the reach and resources to fend off big retail grocery competitors like Walmart and Amazon. To keep up with the latest in the produce industry, be sure to...

NatureSweet is more than the name on the freshly grown goods you see in stores. It's also the people behind the produce. This week, we have Lori Castillo, VP of Marketing to tell us why NatureSweet is able to bring you the best tasting tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers in the world because.  Plus, why they have a belief of "Unleashing the Power of People" and why this saying is what makes "Raised R...

Fruits talk, and Strella Biotech listens through proprietary sensors collect data throughout the supply chain to power first-in-class shelf life data. Coupled with decision algorithms for each supply chain segment, we're putting better produce on the shelf with less waste.  In this latest episode we're talking with the leadership team at Strella Biotech to learn more! To keep up with the latest in...

Food Forward is a Southern California nonprofit organization that "rescues" fresh local produce. The organization's mission is to "harvest food, fight hunger and build community." The volunteer-driven organization is dedicated to food justice and eliminating hunger in communities.  The Produce Moms caught up with Food Forward's founder and executive director, Rick Nahmias, and Communications Direc...

Our choices about what we eat represent our single biggest daily opportunity to change our environmental footprint. Eat the Change combines marketplace solutions with education and activism to empower consumers to make dietary choices aligned with their concerns around climate and health. Eat the Change was born because there's a more delicious and planet-friendly wat to eat, and we want to learn...

Upcycled food is the easy way for anyone to prevent food waste via the products they buy. Upcycled products prevent food waste by creating new, high quality products out of surplus food. It's an innovative approach to food waste because it is the first consumer product-based solution, making it highly scalable and economically sustainable. Co-Founder and CEO, Turner Wyatt joins us on our latest ep...

Why would we buy a packaged bag of apples when they are easy to slice, or could even be eaten whole?  Easy. In our country, 40% of fresh produce is wasted, and a large portion of this percentage happens in our homes. Produce is purchased with the best intentions and then life gets in the way.  Crunch Pak's efforts are a simple, yet effective, way to take control of your grocery efficiency. Value-a...

In 2014, Burnell Cotlon spent his life savings to open the only fresh grocery store in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. When the pandemic put many in his community out of work, he began allowing customers to take groceries on credit. Within a month, he'd opened tabs for more than 60 customers who could no longer afford to buy food. Cotlon, an Army veteran who lived in a FEMA trailer for three...