Produce Buzzers - A Podcast for Lovers of Fresh Fruits and Veggies

You may have noticed that beautiful, delicious cherries are starting to show up in the produce sections of your favorite grocery stores. Yes, it’s a wonderful time of year when the new crop makes its way to the fresh produce aisle. Our guest this week has spent his career at one of the largest and premier fruit growers in the nation. Mac Riggan is the Director of Marketing for Chelan Fresh and the Joyfully Grown brand, one of the largest growers and shippers of cherries in North America. Mac estimates that they harvest about 120 billion cherries a year!   Chelan Fresh is a shipper of apples, pears, and cherries owned by the farmers who grow the fruit. Their farms are family-owned, many of which are now being led by the fourth, fifth, and even sixth generation of those families. Growing fruit and growing it well is just in their genes.   As cherry season is now starting, we are delighted to have Mac on the show today to tell us about the delicious varieties of this fruit that Chelan Fresh grows. Tune in to learn how cherries are grown and the challenges the growers face in their labor of love to bring you these delicious treats.

Have you ever tried microgreens? If not, you will be fascinated by this week’s episode. We have an expert on them who is pioneering growing methods for these tiny little versions of the veggies and greens you know so well in adult form. They are packed with flavor and nutrition. Microgreens are vegetable greens (not to be confused with sprouts or shoots) harvested just after the first little leaves come onto the plant. They are used to add sweetness and spiciness to foods. They are loaded with nutrients and have been shown to have five times as many vitamins and carotenoids as their mature plant counterparts! Our guest this week is Eric McClam who owns City Roots Farm in Columbia, SC. They grow their microgreens in greenhouses in soil (not hydroponic) and they grow these certified organic microgreens year-round. Their operation is 100% carbon neutral!

May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This week we have a very special guest on the show who is going to tell us about the substantial contribution that Japanese Americans made to American agriculture, especially on the West Coast, from California through Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Ron Inatomi is a third-generation (Sansei) Japanese American who has been working in the produce industry for over 40 years. In our discussion with him, we will learn how industrious the first and second-generation Japanese Americans were and how they rose to be some of the largest growers of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. That was before the war. But after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all of them were incarcerated and their lands taken from them. After the war, many of them returned and started over from scratch and once again rose to prominence. And some had some help from unexpected places. Tune in to hear this sad but inspiring story.

Mangos are available all year round but this time of year is one of the best times for the best quality mangos. So in this week’s episode, we celebrate this delicious and healthy fruit, one of the most popular fruits in the world, if not the most popular. Often called “The World’s Fruit,” mangos are one of the oldest fruits known to humans. Indian Hindustan writings referenced them over 4,000 years ago. India is where they originated and are considered a sacred fruit there as well as in other Asian cultures. They became symbols for many rulers and spiritual leaders throughout Indian and Asian history. According to legend, Buddha meditated under a mango tree. We don’t know if mangos are actually sacred, but we do know that the experience of eating them is divine! Today’s guest is Daniel Spellman, marketing director for the National Mango Board. He will tell us all about these nutrition-packed natural energy boosters.

Time once again to celebrate a quintessential American holiday; Cinco de Mayo! Yes, that's right. It's more American than Mexican despite celebrating the wonderful culture of our neighbors down south. Most people don't know the history of Cinco de Mayo. And even more don't realize that the battle it celebrates was more important for the United States than for Mexico, even though Americans didn't fight in it. Tune it to learn the surprising history of the day. You will also learn how to pick the perfect avocado and keep them perfect for weeks, the amazing health benefits of cilantro, and all about limes. And we would be remiss if we didn't give you a great guacamole recipe along with the perfect Margarita recipe.

On the Produce Buzzers Podcast, we usually only feature fresh fruits and veggies instead of processed products. But there are some good processed products in the produce aisle. Most juices in the grocery store are not very good for you. They are often made with concentrated fruit juice which is almost like pure sugar syrup. But if you look in the produce section you will find some that are loaded with nutritional benefits. One of the best brands is Suja Juice. All organic and non-GMO, their juices undergo “high-pressure processing” to extend their shelf life without using any heat or preservatives. This keeps the nutrition and the delicious flavors locked in, unlike most juices that undergo heat pasteurization. Because of that, you will only find Suja Juice in the produce aisle. They are like fresh produce in a bottle. This week’s guest is Jody Cnossen, EVP of Sales for Suja Juice. Listen in to learn about their delicious and nutritious line of products. They have immunity boosters, energy, digestive, and cleansing shots, and just plain juice made with the most nutritious fruits and veggies. They can definitely juice up your diet!

The Giumarra Companies have been fulfilling those two missions for over 100 years. This week’s guest will tell us about that legacy and about some delicious new varieties from this company that sells almost every fruit and veggie. Have you heard of the new “Lemonade” apple? This week’s guest on the podcast represents a company that began as a family farm over 100 years ago. Gary Caloroso is Regional Business Development Director for the Giumarra Companies, founded along with his brothers in 1922 by Giuseppe “Joe” Giumarra an immigrant from Sicily. The company started as a wholesaler and distributor for California farmers, primarily citrus. But within a few years the family started growing its own fruits and vegetables. They were a pioneer in growing table grapes and quickly became one of the largest grape companies in the world. Now Giumarra markets almost every type of fruit and vegetable under their wonderfully named “Nature’s Partner” brand. Gary is a longtime colleague of the Produce Buzzers and he joins us to tell us all about his long career in “Feeding the World in a Healthy Way,” the company’s tagline. The other company motto is “The Love of the Land” and the company has lived up to that priding themselves on being a good steward of the acreage they tend. Gary will tell us about those visions and also about a few of the fantastic fruits and veggies the company specializes in. They have some exciting new varieties that you will want to learn about. Have you heard of the “Lemonade” apple? Tune in. You will want to look for this delicious new treat.

Yes, once again, it's one of the most sacred times of the year. Yes, Easter, Passover, and Ramadan. But for fruit and veggie lovers, it's also a new season of artichokes. It's here and in full swing. So we are going to peel away the leaves on this heavenly veggie, (which technically is a flower!) to get a closer look at it. To do so, we welcome back a great friend of the Produce Buzzers, Mark Munger. Mark is Senior Director of Marketing for Ocean Mist Farms based in Castroville, CA in the Bay Area of the State. The company has been around for almost 100 years and was the first to grow artichokes commercially in the U.S. Today they are the leading grower of artichokes in North America. Mark worked for Theresa’s Nolan Network alongside Rick, Cynthia, and Edwin in the early 1990’s. He was a valuable part of our team of merchandisers representing our clients of companies and commodities on the West Coast. Since that time, he has been a rising star in the produce business. He will tell us all about artichokes and how to prepare and eat them. We will learn about some new varieties and one of the most beautiful varieties, the purple artichoke!

This week we are delighted to have Robert Schueller, Director of Public Relations at Melissa’s World Variety Produce, back on the show. Robert has been dubbed the “Produce Expert” by the media since he has unique access to such a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. He has written several books about the cornucopia Mother Nature has to offer in the world of fresh produce.   In this week’s episode, Robert has a long list of new and delicious items from Melissa’s Produce, the largest purveyor of fresh produce in the U.S. Listen in to hear about spicy popcorn, ready-to-eat pastas, great spice blends, kumquats, Ojai Pixie tangerines, pink pineapple, quince paste, sweet young coconut, coconut flavored snacks, and a flight of dragonfruit!   

A Group of Young People Are Diminishing a National Tragedy to Help Solve a National Emergency. Listen to the Inspiring Story of The Farmlink Project and Their Heroic Procurement Officer to Learn How Food Waste is Being Redirected to Hungry Families.  This week we have an inspiring story to tell you about a group of young people who came together during the Covid crisis to help address one of the world’s biggest problems—hunger. And our guest today became one of their advisors and eventually a full-time soldier in their war against food insecurity. Luis Yepiz, the Chief Procurement Officer for The Farmlink Project, an organization based in Los Angeles, CA that connects farms that have surplus fruits and veggies to food banks and people in need. The organization is only about four years old, but in that short time they have delivered over 165 million pounds of food and over 137 million meals to people and families facing hunger.  Luis has worked for over 20 years helping find food that was destined for the dump and redirecting it to people who most needed it. His personal story is also an inspiring one. A man with many talents, he works hours and hours tirelessly every day to fulfill what he believes is his calling. Luis knows how to connect people and build synergy among companies, farms, and charity organizations to get the job done most effectively. He is also talented in another way. He is a trained opera singer! And he will sing a few lines of one of his favorite melodies to show off his beautiful voice.

As our regular listeners know, we love to feature family farms on our program to help dispel the myth that agriculture in the U.S. is all huge corporations. Our guest this week is a third-generation farmer of a family farm that has been growing citrus in Florida for almost 100 years! It is a testament to their hard work and dedication to keep their land in production. To do so over those many years, they have faced overwhelming odds created by adverse weather, devastating pests and disease, and perhaps the greatest pressure of all, escalating real estate and land costs. Many farms in Florida have given in to that latter factor especially when the first two factors became too much. This week’s guest is Quentin Roe, president of William G. Roe & Sons and the Noble Citrus label based in Winter Haven, Florida. Quentin will tell the inspiring story of his family’s farm and how they battled so many obstacles, like freezes, hurricanes, and seemingly unstoppable pests to keep the farm producing all varieties of citrus and blueberries. You will learn about how citrus is grown and the challenges these heroic farmers face.

This week on the Produce Buzzers Podcast we are going to learn about a unique citrus fruit that is taking the fruit world by storm. It is fast becoming a “heavy weight” in the produce aisle. It is a fruit that no doubt you are seeing front and center in the produce departments right now and will see for the next few months. But they are not a pretty sight! They are odd shaped and covered in bumps. And to top it off, they have one huge bump on the top of the fruit that makes it look like it is deformed. It’s kind of like the “Elephant Man” of the fruit world! But we here at Produce Buzz think they are beautiful. Rather than an “elephant man” we think they are more like that pug-nose or bulldog that so many dog lovers adore and love. It’s their strange shape and gnarly look that draws us to them. Because just like that bulldog, there is something very special going on underneath their lovable skin. We are talking about Sumo Citrus. One of the sweetest citrus fruits you can get. And they are super easy to peel and seedless. Today we have Sunnia Gull, VP of Marketing for Sumo Citrus, as our guest and she will tell us everything we wanted to know but were afraid to ask about these weird and wonderful treats.

This week we are going to have some more game show fun on the podcast and test our Produce Buzzers knowledge of different fruits and veggies. They will play a version of the classic TV Game Show “Jeopardy” with all the categories being about fruits and veggies. They will choose clues from these topics:  ·      Fruit Fiesta ·      Veggie Ventury ·      Berry Bliss ·      Citrus Spectacle ·      Tropical Treasures ·      Veggie Impersonators That last category features produce items that are thought of and used like vegetables but technically they are not. Each category has clues worth $100, $200, $300, $400, and $500. The contestants have to choose a category and amount. The clue is revealed and is in the form of an “answer.” They have to determine the correct “question” to be right and get the dollar amount added to their score. If they get it wrong, the amount of the clue is detracted from their score. How will they do? Who will win? Can you match their knowledge and get the right “questions” to the “answers?” Listen and play along. You are certain to find it entertaining. And you will learn some very interesting facts about fresh fruits and veggies.

Peanuts are a superfood. Most everyone knows they are loaded with protein. But they are also loaded with many other nutrients. And they are super in several other ways. They rejuvenate the soil and, like soybeans, they can produce more protein per acre than all other plants. They are also environmentally and ecologically good for the planet. This week’s guest has been practicing and teaching medicine for almost 40 years. He is going to tell us about this superfood that you should be eating every day to build and sustain your health. Perhaps you eat peanuts often. But most likely you are not eating it in the way that is the most nutritious way to consume them. And those that know this secret say this way to eat them is the most delicious way to prepare them. Dr. Phillip Flexon joins us along with his daughter Lauren Marcinkoski, CEO of the Luray Peanut Company in Hardeeville, SC, just across the border from Savannah, GA. They are growing and packaging boiled peanuts and working hard to spread the gospel of this miraculous food. Tune in to be amazed at the power of peanuts, especially boiled peanuts.

What a fantastic year it has been on the PB Podcast! Our audience grew steadily and continues to grow. And that is in large part to the wonderful guests we had on the show during the past year. So today we are going to dedicate the last episode of the year to these giants in the produce industry and the world of fruits and veggies and the nutrition they provide. We are going to reminisce about some of the highlights from these interesting experts. There are way too many highlights from the show that we would like to review today. But we only have time to pick a few that stood out to each of us. Tune in to see which podcast episodes we think you should check out first. Thanks to all our guests and thanks to you the listeners for tuning in. Happy New Year!

Many, if not most of you have grown up knowing and consuming delicious grape flavored products made by Welch’s. Grape juice, jams, and jellies. Along with a whole line of other fruit based products. The company has been around for over 150 years! But did you know that you can also get delicious fresh fruit from Welch’s? That’s right. You can. And today we will be hearing from a man who knows all about them. And makes sure those treats are in your produce aisle year-round.   Andy Kampa is our guest this week. He is general manager of sourcing for C.H. Robinson, a global fresh produce distribution company based near Minneapolis. Also known as Robinson Fresh, they have the license to package and distribute fresh fruit under the Welch’s brand. Andy is charged with making sure those products live up to the standards of Welch’s many decades of superior quality. We will learn about the challenges he faces in getting the grapes and berries to market. Be inspired by the values he and his team adhere to as they work hard to supply the world’s best fruit. You will also learn about the history of the Welch’s brand, how it got started and what fueled its international growth. It was so popular that it featured regularly in the Flintstones cartoon series!

This week we are delighted to have Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce back on the show. He has been dubbed “The Produce Expert by countless consumer and national trade publications along with TV and radio personalities.   There is probably no one on the planet who is more of an expert on produce than Robert because his company sells over fifteen hundred different varieties of fresh fruits and veggies from all over the world. He has written several books on fresh produce including Melissa’s Great Book of Produce which tells all about some of the most exotic fruits and veggies from around the world.   This week we are going to focus on veggie side dishes for all the upcoming holiday meals But as you might expect, a Thanksgiving, Hannuka, or Christmas meal featuring fruits and veggies from Melissa’s might be a little different than the traditional ones we serve up in America. And while Melissa’s does sell all those traditional fruits and veggies, they have some very interesting alternatives to give your Thanksgiving meal an exciting twist. Robert is going to tell us how to have a “Fresh and Modern Thanksgiving.”

This week we are launching a new segment for the podcast that we hope will become a regular feature throughout each season. As our regular listeners know, all of us Produce Buzzers like to cook. None of us are professional chefs, but we are all “foodies” and have a good sense of what makes a good dish and how to pair those dishes to make a good meal. So, I am confident that each of us could stand his or her own on a show like the “Iron Chef.”   So today on the podcast, we are going to play our version of the Iron Chef that we call “The Veggie Iron Chef!” Each of our contestants will receive three random ingredients and they will have to come up with a recipe using those ingredients before the end of the show. Their ingredients will be chosen by our “Veggie Wheel of Fortune!” This is a roulette wheel with ten veggies on it. We will spin it and whatever veggie it lands on that will be the veggie our contestant will have to work with. We also have a “Spice Wheel of Foturne” and a “Fruit and Nut Wheel of Fortune” to select the other ingredients. Those also have ten ingredients each on the wheel. They can also use any other ingredients that they want to add to the dish to make it more interesting or flavorful.   Edwin will be the primary judge of the recipes they create and award points according to his superb taste and sophistication. But he will be making the rules up as he goes along, so don’t pull too hard for your favorite Produce Buzzer or you might be disappointed!   And one surprise element in our game will be that, after they create their recipes, the Produce Buzzers will see what Artificial Intelligence (AI) would do with their ingredients. Can they beat ChatGPT?   Now all the veggies on our Veggie Wheel of Fortune are in season now in the Fall, so hopefully listeners you can be inspired by our work today to create your own fall veggie dishes.

We haven’t yet had an episode on the podcast that featured packaged products of fruits and vegetables. But that doesn’t mean we don’t think there are not any good ones in the produce aisle. Pre-cut, prepared, and pre-packaged fresh fruits and veggies have gained a lot of popularity with consumers over the past decade and for good reason. With our lives becoming busier and busier, these products can save a lot of time on getting the evening meal on the family table. This week we have a guest who is going to tell us about some fantastic and delicious treats that can really spice up your meals with hardly taking any of your valuable time.   Today we welcome Tara Murray, VP of Marketing for Fresh Innovations and the ¡Yo Quiero brands based in Texas. The name of the company and the brand are spot on because they are truly creating some very innovative products that will make you say “¡Yo quiero ¡Yo Quiero” when you see them. They specialize in all kinds of avocado dips including a package of fresh avocado that’s nothing but avocado. But they have also created some other delicious dips. Bean dips, cheese or queso dips, salsas, and many more combinations that will truly spice up your plate. And they are all fresh, natural, and clean with no preservatives or chemicals. They truly belong in the produce aisle.   Tune in to hear about their revolutionary and safe way of packaging these products without needing heat or chemicals to preserve them and ruining their delicious flavor. And Tara will reveal an exciting new product that will be in your local produce aisle very soon.

Watermelons are never out of season. And today we have a special guest to tell us how that can be and why you should be including watermelon on your shopping list all year long. She will reveal some surprising info about them that will convince you of this. Rachel Syngo is Chief Marketing Officer of Melon 1, the oldest and largest shipper of watermelons in the U.S. She has real passion for the work she is doing, which is why we are delighted to have her on the podcast to share that since we are all about passion for everything fruit and veggie. Rachel joined the Melon 1 team in 2016 and is central in the sales and marketing for the company. She is the 8th generation in her family to work in American agriculture, and in watermelon farming. Tune in to hear where and how watermelons are grown. You will learn how to choose a good watermelon and how to cut and store them. You will get real insight into the lives of watermelon farmers and the challenges they face.