Podcasts about united fresh produce association

Lou Cooperhouse is recognized as a leading global authority in food business innovation and technology commercialization, with extensive leadership experiences throughout his 40-year career in the food industry.  He is a results-driven professional, and has led cross-functional teams in a wide array of industry settings that include: multinational corporations, foodservice and retail operations, new business startups, mid-sized and family-run companies, university entrepreneurship and innovation centers, and industry trade associations.   With his deep and diverse understanding of the food industry, Lou has spoken at hundreds of conferences throughout his career, specializing in food trends, disruptive technologies, and global best practices in business innovation and incubation. A summary of Lou's career experiences in entrepreneurship were featured as the cover story in Food Technology Magazine, titled Oceans of Innovation in December 2023. Most recently, Lou served as CEO of Food Spectrum, LLC, where he provided a broad array of strategic consulting and business management expertise to the food industry. Areas of specialization and focus included: corporate development and strategic planning; organizational leadership and team building; merger and acquisition assessment; corporate partnering and sales development; new product ideation, innovation and incubation; product and process development; technology assessment and commercialization; quality assurance and food safety systems; plant and process design and engineering; and operational performance and metrics.  Lou also served as a founder and the Executive Director of the Rutgers University Food Innovation Center (FIC), and led this program for approximately 15 years. Lou created a new global model for food industry economic development, business attraction and retention, and industry cluster creation. The Rutgers FIC subsequently became internationally recognized for its economic development impacts, and recognized as the “Business Incubator of the Year” by the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA), and as a nationwide model and an “Agricultural Innovation Center Demonstration Program” by the USDA.   In this role, Lou also testified at the US Congress on best practices in business incubation and industry cluster formation, and also served as President of the New Jersey Business Incubation Network; Executive Director and President of the New Jersey Food Processors Association; and on the Board of Directors of the International Business Innovation Association.  Earlier in his career, he also served on the Board and a member of the Executive Committee of the Refrigerated Foods Association; on the board of the United Fresh Produce Association; on the Board of Managers of the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University;  and on the Editorial Advisory Board of Produce Processing Magazine. Lou is also a member of the Explorers Club, a prestigious international organization dedicated to promoting the exploration of land, sea, air and space, and to inspire new generations to pursue discovery and conservation. He's also a member of the Society of Fellows at the Culinary Institute of America. Previously, Lou served as President & COO of F&S Produce, a leading regional supplier of fresh-cut produce and value-added refrigerated foods, providing leadership to over 500 employees, located at two facilities with over 125,000 sf operations.  Prior to this, he served as Co-Founder, President and CEO of MenuDirect Corporation, a unique health, wellness, and nutrition company, which provided meal solutions for individuals with celiac disease, diabetes, PKU and dysphagia.  Earlier in his career, Lou held positions of increasing responsibility at Campbell's Soup, ConAgra, Nestlé-funded Culinary Brands, Idle Wild Farms, and Grand Union Supermarkets in areas of business development, product development, quality assurance, and operations.  

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by José Antonio Gómez-Bazán, CEO of Camposol. Camposol is a multinational company that provides families around the world with fresh and healthy food. It has operations in Peru, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Uruguay, and a presence around the world. Gómez-Bazán took on the CEO role at Camposol in 2021 after a decade with the company. He is a board member of the United Fresh Produce Association and a past board member of the Produce Marketing Association. José Antonio discusses the rise of blueberries in the Camposol company, the value blueberries offer the world and finds insight in the promotion of other produce and how that could be used to also promote the blueberry industry. “I do believe that there is a potential for every single lunchbox in North America and in the world to carry a small package of blueberries. … This is super convenient. This is super healthy. It goes in line with every single principle that ESG and sustainability and any other trend that is out there is saying. The amount of package they use is minimum. The amount of process they use is minimum. It's a super-efficient product by itself. All the way from the farm to the lunchbox.” - José Antonio Gómez-Bazán“This is not about fighting for the same size of a pie. This is making the pie bigger and bigger and bigger. And the only way the pie is gonna get bigger is with investment. The consumer needs to understand why he needs to eat more blueberries. … I do believe that the convenience of blueberries is unique and it drives thousands of opportunities” - José Antonio Gómez-Bazán Topics covered include: An introduction to Gómez-Bazán, CEO of Camposol.The journey for blueberries to become Camposol's dominant focus. Correlations between growth of the avocado market share and what the blueberry industry can learn from avocados success.New and expanding global blueberry markets, and the messages consumers need to hear.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you'll hear from Mario Ramirez in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on January 19, 2023. Blueberry BoostThe year 2022 saw the highest number of December blueberry shipments in history! Peruvian imports slowed after their peak season in December while Chiles began. Total fresh blueberry imports into the United States increased by 35% in December with the majority marketed as conventional. December marks the fourth month in a row for decreases in average price per pound for all fresh blueberries making fruit more accessible to less frequent blueberry consumers.

Stephen Hughes is Prevention Coordinator within the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), within the Office of Food Safety at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). After outbreaks and adverse incidents, he runs a systematic process to identify and implement public health interventions intended to help limit or prevent future outbreaks linked to certain FDA-regulated foods. Before coming to FDA, Stephen worked in a public health program in Virginia, in program areas that included food safety, indoor air quality, aquatic health, and general environmental health.    Dr. Jennifer McEntire is Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer at the International Fresh Produce Association. Prior to the merger of United Fresh and Produce Marketing Association, Jennifer was Vice President of Food Safety and Technology at United Fresh Produce Association. A food microbiologist by background, she has always worked in the Washington D.C., area, bringing a scientific perspective to food safety regulatory issues. She was previously Vice President of Science Operations at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. She has served as Vice President and Chief Science Officer at The Acheson Group and as the Senior Staff Scientist and Director of Science and Technology Projects at the Institute of Food Technologists. Jennifer earned a Ph.D. from Rutgers University as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Needs Fellow in food safety. She serves as an advisory board member of the Global Food Traceability Center, the technical committee of the Center for Produce Safety, and she is on the executive committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Stephen and Jennifer [3:35] about: FDA's three main reasons—epidemiological, logistical, and relational—for taking a commodity-specific, collaborative approach to reducing foodborne illness outbreaks The key importance of prevention in mitigating food safety incidents, and how collaboration between FDA and industry enables food producers to help inform and adopt effective prevention strategies The types of conversations taking place between FDA, industry, academia, and public health partners throughout the development of prevention strategies The learnings from past foodborne illness outbreaks that are considered when creating prevention strategies and identifying future work areas to align cross-sector stakeholders The possibility of filling some of the gaps in the Produce Safety Rule with commodity-specific prevention strategies The challenges of conducting root-cause analysis in the produce sector, the benefits of getting industry to buy in to the practice, and how the conversation around root-cause analysis could be improved Why educating industry to be critical thinkers about produce safety (rather than which minimum requirements to fulfill) provides the greatest opportunity for improving outcomes FDA's intent to develop a prevention strategy for powdered infant formula in light of recent events, and how the agency is collaborating with stakeholders to identify other commodities that are deserving of prevention strategies. Resources FDA Releases Food Safety Prevention Strategies for Salmonellosis, Listeriosis from Mushrooms, Onions We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

This week's Open Mic guest is Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association. The group — formed earlier this year by a merger of the United Fresh Produce Association and the Produce Marketing Association — is preparing for the upcoming White House meeting on hunger and nutrition as well as its own gathering in the nation's capital, where Burns says the group's focus is the ongoing nutritional challenges in the nation and the world. IFPA is watching closely the development of the 2023 farm bill with a special interest in research as well as nutrition programs. Labor remains a top priority for IFPA members, and Burns is hopeful Congress can still address the issue this year.

In this episode, We're focusing on someone who means a great deal to people in the fresh produce industry, and to the public at large, although the general public probably has no idea how much this man's work has influenced their lives. Tom Karst and Amy Sowder talk with Tom Stenzel, who has been co-CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association with Cathy Burns. The big news is Stenzel has recently retired from his leadership role at the association — which is huge, considering he has helmed a produce organization for almost 30 years. Stenzel was the president and CEO of United Fresh Produce Association for more than 28 years, before it combined with Produce Marketing Association. Anyway, Stenzel has formed a new company that will keep him helping the industry, which in turn, will affect all of us who want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. This guy has really made some big changes and fought for our industry over the years. What we also want to know, is what was this produce world like 30 years ago, what were the big challenges, wins and of course — what's coming up? Show notes:  Our websites: producemarketguide.com and thepacker.com  LinkedIn:PMG: Produce Market Guide and The Packer Instagram:@packernews and @producemktguide  Facebook:@ProduceMktGuide and @PackerNews Twitter:@produceretailer and @thepacker  To find our guest: Tom Stenzel on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-stenzel-b1152b7/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert L Guenther | Senior Vice President, Public Policy | United Fresh Produce Association#RobertLGuenther #UnitedFreshProduceAssociation____________________________________________________Food & Beverage Industry brought to life. F&B LIVE! is a national, industry influencing webcast featuring the leaders in the restaurant, hospitality, branded food and beverage and CPG industries, many of whom are Michael's "friends in the business."Featuring an informal and informative conversation where friends in the business share the latest intel, ideas and best practices for surviving these dynamic challenges we are facing and the future of our brands and businesses.The show is live and broadcast across 5 platforms and features an audience rich with industry influencers. Be sure to pick up your copy of:Food & Beverage Magazine's Guide to Restaurant Successhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1119668964/...____________________________________________________*CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/foodbeveragemagazine*Follow Us on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/FoodAndBeverageMagazine/*Follow Us on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fbmagazine/*Follow Us on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/fb101comwww.fbmagazine.com@RobertLGuenther@UnitedFreshProduceAssociation@michaelpolitz@jenniferenglish@jamesbeardaward#foodandbeverage#foodandbeveragemagazine#JamesBeardAward#foodie#restaurant#foodieinternational#foodiefest#foodandbeveragetrade#RobertLGuenther#UnitedFreshProduceAssociation

Jennifer McEntire is Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer at the International Fresh Produce Association. Prior to the merger of United Fresh and Produce Marketing Association, Jennifer was Vice President of Food Safety and Technology at United Fresh Produce Association. A food microbiologist by background, she has always worked in the Washington, D.C., area, bringing a scientific perspective to food safety regulatory issues. She was previously vice president of science operations at the Grocery Manufacturers Association. She has served as Vice President and Chief Science Officer at The Acheson Group and as the Senior Staff Scientist and Director of Science and Technology Projects at the Institute of Food Technologists. Jennifer earned a Ph.D. from Rutgers University as a USDA National Needs Fellow in food safety. She serves as an advisory board member of the Global Food Traceability Center, the technical committee of the CPS, and she is on the executive committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jennifer [24:21] about: How the newly formed IFPA will serve the produce industry IFPA's work on Capitol Hill and with consumer groups Leadership and workforce development initiatives within IFPA FDA's revision to agricultural water requirements under the Produce Safety Rule Proposed testing requirements under FSMA subpart E FDA's Foodborne Outbreak Response Improvement Plan (FORIP) Tech-enabled traceback in the produce industry Measuring the effectiveness of FORIP and produce safety initiatives. News and Resources FDA Introduces Faster, Easier Reportable Food Registry Process [4:25] New USDA Labeling for Genetically Modified Foods Goes into Effect [7:05] Biodegradable 'Smart' Food Packaging Material Developed By Singapore Team [14:28] Researchers Develop Antimicrobial 'Jelly Ice Cubes' for Safer Cold Storage [20:45] IFPA Expands Food Safety Support with New Hires [23:06] Register for GFSI Conference: March 29–31 Barcelona, Spain – Early Bird ends Jan 31 Register for Food Safety Summit: May 9–12 – Early Bird ends March 31 We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Amanda Griffin, USHBC/NABC vice president of engagement and education, to discuss her new role with USHBC and her background in the produce industry. “A lot of [industry engagement] has to do with having your ears on the ground on what the folks you serve need most from you as an organization.” - Amanda Griffin “I always claimed when I was at United Fresh that my role wasn't necessarily to be the expert on a certain topic; it's more [about] how do you find those resources and deliver them back out to your membership and to your constituency.”  - Amanda Griffin Topics covered include: Griffin's industry background and her previous role with the United Fresh Produce Association. The most important aspects of industry engagement.  Importance of feedback and parlaying feedback into improved programs.  Griffin's role in developing the new USHBC Leadership Program.  Crop Report The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North and South America. In this episode, you'll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, Luis Vegas in Peru, and Mario Ramírez in Mexico. This was recorded on January 19, 2022. Marketing Boost Mark your calendars for January 28, because it's https://ushbc.blueberry.org/all-resources/toolkits-and-marketing-materials/grab-a-boost-of-blue/turnkey-content/#blueberry-days (National Blueberry Pancake Day)! In this week's Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses the importance of this day and USHBC's National Blueberry Pancake Day activities.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we chat with Jennie Coleman, President and Kim Chackal, Director of Sales and Marketing at Equifruit. Now if you don't know.... Equifruit is an importer of fair trade fruit into Canada and when these girls mean fruit they really mean BANANAS. We were able to connect with Kim and Jennie through a conversation on linkedin that sparked from seeing the Banana logo that Equifruit has created. A brand that stuck in my mind that I needed to learn more about! Jennie, Kim and Patrick talk about what are FAIR TRADE BANANAS? How does this term or way of doing business help the supply chain, does it change the costs of banana prices in the stores and more....Did you know that bananas are the lowest price fruit in the produce section? Did you know that some of the banana companies that are out there don't use FAIR PRACTICES? Come learn from a business that knows all about FAIR TRADE in produce and are making new waves in the industry through their mission. LET'S BE REAL HERE: THIS IS THE ONLY BANANA YOU SHOULD BUY? FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org & Noble Citrus: https://noblecitrus.com STANDARD SPONSORS: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

Episode 49 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features two conversations. The first is a conversation between our editor-in-chief Tom Karst and Amanda Griffin, vice president of education and program management for the United Fresh Produce Association. As listeners of this podcast probably know, United usually has its annual conference and expo in June, and this year it was slated to be in Los Angeles, so it couldn't happen as scheduled due to the pandemic. Part of what United is doing instead is hosting a slate of 25 education sessions across five topic tracks in the month of June, and so Tom talked with Amanda about what folks can expect from that programming. The second conversation you'll hear is with Michael Schutt, director of produce and floral for Raley's. With summer coming up right, we talked about point-of-sale material, online grocery, seasonal produce and more.  In case you're new here, the podcast name is Tip of the Iceberg because this is just a taste of our coverage of the wonderful world of fresh produce. You can check us out on ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com and all over social media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Diego Martinez, Sales Manager of South Africa for Terra Exports and Mark Samuel, Founder and CEO of IWon Organics. We learn more from Diego Martinez exploring more of Terra Exports diverse culture and product offerings. From South Africa to Europe and the Middle East. David originally from Argentine talks about how great the produce industry is and that it is Winter now exporting Citrus and enjoying the weather. Next we speak with our featured guest Mark Samuel, CEO and Founder of IWon Organics. IWon Organics is a story about you, me and everyone we know feeling good. our friends, our family, our community. it's the quality energy boost you get from real foods. the satisfaction of eating well on-the-run. We've put this positive, feel good vibe into making flavor-infused, organic, protein snacks. the balanced nutritional profile of our on-the-go snacks comes from high quality plant-based proteins like peas, beans, and brown rice. all proven to provide the fuel you need for your active lifestyle. Join us an learn about Mark and his organizations plant based product, operations and growth. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org & Noble Citrus: https://noblecitrus.com STANDARD SPONSORS: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

On our 20on 20 Interview series…”20 minutes with inspirational people from the international food sectors”, we catch up with the brilliant Lori Taylor from the USA! And many thanks to the great team at United Fresh Produce Association for the introduction to her. Lori is the creator behind the amazing “The Produce Moms”. The Produce Moms® is a widely recognized consumer brand in the States that is devoted to the sales and consumption of fresh produce. Led by Lori, they are a community of passionate fresh produce advocates with a mission to inspire everyone, especially children, to eat more fruits and vegetables. Their purpose is to make sure that all moms know that fresh produce is SAFE and HEALTHY. THE PRODUCE MOMS educates consumers about fresh produce, introduces them to produce brands, engages the produce industry with consumers in inspiring conversations, and promotes public policy to protect and increase the availability of fresh produce at American schools. They are a purpose-driven brand with values that support the journey from seed to smile. They are a human, genuine, real community of moms. Lori herself has made more than 220 Live TV appearances to extend their company's mission. They have been featured on Oprah.com, MarthaStewart.com, RealSimple Magazine, Thrillist, and The Huffington Post. Last year she made her National television debut on the Hallmark Channel's Home and Family PARTNERSHIPS. They work alongside fresh produce brands to develop a custom marketing campaign including custom digital content (infographic, blog, video, podcast), traditional media, email marketing, and cross-posting advocacy. They fully recognise that educators are short on time. That's why the company created turnkey solution for educators to be a part of national programming such as the Farm Bureau's Ag in the Classroom. Lori interviews industry leaders on their weekly podcast, highlighting relevant topics such as food safety and storage, farming, and food education. Podcast currently has over 80 episodes. Lori is really keen to for her and The Produce Moms to extend their reach internationally and to collaborate with us all.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we have our Standard Sponsor, Indianapolis Fruit Company's Daniel Corsaro introduce our featured guest of the day. Please join us this week May 26, 2021 3pm PST, 6PM EST for a Virtual Networking Hour Sponsored by Indianapolis Fruit Company. Meet and greet as well as ask question to a wholesaler in The Produce and supply Chain industry. Join us this week as we chat with David Rosenberg, Co-Founder, Aero Farms. David Rosenberg co-founded and leads AeroFarms, a clean-technology company that builds and operates advanced vertical farms in urban environments. AeroFarms has been recognized as a Circular Economy 100 company, won the World Technology Award for most impactful Environmental Company and received the 2016 New Jersey Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. AeroFarms was also voted Most Innovative Company at the Future of Agriculture conference, the Best Growth Company to invest in at the Wall Street Journal's ECO:nomics conference, and was a finalist for The Circular Awards for The World Economic Forum. Rosenberg is the founder of Hycrete, Inc., a nanotechnology cleantech company and is a member of the World Economic Forum where he co-Chairs the Young Global Leaders Circular Economy Taskforce. Rosenberg is also a member of the B20 SME Taskforce, which advises the G20 and serves as a Managing Trustee of New Jersey's Liberty Science Center. Rosenberg received his BA from UNC Chapel Hill and holds an MBA from Columbia University. He competed for the U.S. in Fencing where he was a finalist at a world cup and represented the NYAC, winning three U.S. National Team Fencing Championships and two individual silver medals. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org & Noble Citrus: https://noblecitrus.com STANDARD SPONSORS: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we are attending the West Coast Produce Show in. Las Vegas, NV. Join us for this very special episode while we chat with dynamite produce companies that are here locally representing the produce and supply chain industry. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org & Noble Citrus: https://noblecitrus.com STANDARD SPONSORS: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

Episode 47 features an interview with John Hollay, senior director of government relations for the United Fresh Produce Association. John discusses the cost and availability issues around pallets due to the ongoing lumber shortage, and he recaps the conversations United has been having with companies across the supply chain and with government to try to help ease the situation. In case you're new here, the podcast name is Tip of the Iceberg because this is just a taste of our coverage of the wonderful world of fresh produce. You can check us out on ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com and all over social media. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this edition of the Perishable Pundit Podcast, Jim Prevor reflects on the recently announced planned merger of the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association. From a personal retrospective, Jim shares rich anecdotes about some of the intersections between the Prevor Family's fresh produce business history and the industry associations of the time. The memories illustrate some of the dynamic business-to-association inter-dependencies that strengthen companies, shape market strength, and provide opportunities for individuals to serve the industry they love through association leadership. Jim also explores the foundational purposes of associations. He examines their role in influencing governmental oversight and regulation, along with the associated challenges. He looks into association finance and peers into the future—conjecturing a bit about efficiencies, constituencies, and value proposition. In the end, what does the PMA-United merger mean for individuals, companies and the industry as a whole ? The Perishable Pundit lays out the future. Listen, watch, or read to find out.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with our current Fancy Sponsor Ag Tool's very own Yolanda Ramirez and our new Fancy Sponsor, Quentin Roe of Noble Citrus. Yolanda and Patrick are in part 2 of the buyers series using data/insights. The topic of today is "purchasing supplemental supply as a grower" through data and insights. Ag Tools, Inc. is a worldwide SaaS platform gathering real-time government and institutional data of over 500 specialty crops commodities, scraping it, including algorithms and M/L for farmers, buyers, and everyone on the supply chain to see and decide how to manage their forecasting and purchase orders. Next we chat with our new Fancy Sponsor Noble Citrus, Quentin Roe. FLORIDA CITRUS farming has been the family's legacy SINCE 1927. Quentin and I talk about the long standing history their family has in Florida Citrus. Quentin's son Adam is 4th generation and looking to grow beyond the company in the future with innovative products and tasty juice oranges. We get to know Noble Citrus's rich history and what to expect throughout 2021. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org & Noble Citrus: https://noblecitrus.com STANDARD SPONSORS: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we have Ross Nelson our Standard Sponsor Co-Host and provide the guest for this weeks interview. Ross brings a world of experience and relationships to this call with Corky Anderson, Director of Produce of Earth Fare Supermarket Company, HQ in North Carolina. Throughout this episode we hear from Ross and Corky on relationships, the long standing history of Earth Fare and the direction they are headed into as well as some good old produce banter on grapes and tangerines. Join us this week as we learn more about retail operations and long standing produce relationships in The Produce and supply Chain industry. Let's also give a huge SHOUT-OUT to our new Fancy Sponsor: Noble Citrus FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org & Noble Citrus: https://noblecitrus.com Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we talk with our Fancy Sponsor Yolanda Ramirez, Vice President of Retail Sales and Brian Framson, President and Jay Gardner, Vice President of Sales of Citrus America, Inc. Yolanda and I have started a 3-part series that stars today about purchasing in the produce industry using data and insights. The first part of this series will be corporate buying, in May we will talk about supplemental purchasing using data/insights, and in June we talk about monitoring external factors in purchasing. Next we chat with our featured guests Brian Framson and Jay Gardner of Citrus America. I visited their facility in Oviedo, FL and had a day full of juicing oranges, pomegranates, blood oranges and grapefruit. We talk about the decade of Citrus America being in the United States and the concept of bringing these machines from Vienna. We squeezed fruit and talked about it!! What about Mimosa's and other drinks that could be mixed with citrus fruits? It's all about the experience!!! Join us for this mouth water episode - in person! FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with two dynamite women. One of them in our industry and one that has the love for fresh fruits and vegetables. We will initiate this podcast with our Fancy Sponsor Terra Exports very own Laura Paternostro, CFO chatting about grower down payments, ROI, and how to account for trade show/networking functions. Next we will travel with Patrick and Ashley down memory road as the have known each other since high school and have taken very different paths in life that has bough them back full circle to fresh produce. Ashley gives an overview of The LifeStyle Way and how to become the better version of yourself, through mental stability, workouts, and good healthy/clean eating. Thank you to our sponsors: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Jonathan Buettner, Market Manager of Deville Technologies. Jonathan and I met during United Fresh LIVE 365 in June 2020. Jonathan did a quick cameo spot on the podcast turning the exhibitor/attendee interviews during the show and we hit it off. Jonathan has been very supportive of the podcast as well as attending many of the networking events. Today we chat with Jonathan about Deville Technologies and how to create opportunity without seeing it, existing cutting edge solutions and technical background to solve production problems for consumers in the Produce and Supply Chain Industry. Thank you to our sponsors: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we attended South East Produce Councils -Southern Exposure Trade Show in Orlando, FL. During some of the education sessions and hallway talk I was able to run into some people who wanted to do an interview on the podcast. Well we sat down with Jim Gallagher, President of J & J Family of Farms and Bryan Barsness, Co-founder of Produce IQ. Let's chat in the hallways and in the show about what these two companies are doing this week and beyond. Thank you to our sponsors: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we have Ross Nelson, Vice President of Retail Execution for our Indianapolis Fruit Company Co-Host the entire episode with United Fresh's Mary Coppola and Amanda Griffin. We discuss the future of tradeshows and who should be attending these events? Sales Managers, Buyers? Engineers, Marketers - what about the decision makers? You dont want to miss this chat. Next Ross and I chat with a long time colleague for Ross and new colleague for myself - Jule DeWolf who is a subject matter expert in the Retail and shopper Marketing trends and insights and an overall leader in the produce and supply chain industry. Join us for this fun action packed episode with 4 dynamite people in our industry! FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we finish off SPONSORSHIP Month with a bang. Agtools is a worldwide SaaS platform gathering real-time government and institutional data of over 500 specialty crops commodities, scraping it, including algorithms and M/L for farmers, buyers, and everyone on the supply chain to see and decide how to manage their forecasting and purchase orders. We chat with Martha Montoya, CEO of Ag Tools our first Sponsor of The Produce Industry Podcast and Title Sponsor of The Produce Industry Podcast App. Martha and her team are revolutionizing the industry with data, sights and overall leadership. Join us on our last Monday of March Madness. Thank you to all our SPONSORS: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we represent Terra Exports during our 4th week of Sponsorship Month. Nils Goldschmidt was the OG Fancy Sponsor of the Podcast and has represented the podcast in various different countries with many of the employees with diverse backgrounds. Nils and I have a fun conversation about how important Terra Exports team is to the entire organization, 1 YEAR Podcast anniversary, little band talk and more!!! Join us to learn more about the people behind the scenes in the Produce and Supply Chain Industry. Thank you to all our SPONSORS: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

This week's episode is brought to you by Oracle NetSuite (sign up for a personalized product tour at www.netsuite.com/scale) and Indeed (get a $75 credit for your job post at www.indeed.com/scale). Adam Greenberg is the CEO of iUNU, a Seattle-based startup that provides AI and computer vision technology to help greenhouse growers optimize their operations. iUNU & Mr. Greenberg have been recognized with a Medal of Excellence nomination from Greenhouse Grower, best new indoor growing technology from United Fresh Produce Association, and at age 30, Adam became a member of GPN's 40 Under 40 Class of 2020. Greenberg has been a speaker & panelist at numerous universities, associations, seminars, and conferences such as Hemp Industry Daily, MjBizCon, Indoor AgCon as well as University of Maryland's annual MAVRIC technology conference. Mr. Greenberg created an AI symposium for Congressional staffers on Capitol Hill late last year, Farm Traveler featured Adam on their November 2020 podcast, Informing Choices on a February 2021 podcast, and Mr. Greenberg was a panelist on the IndoorAgCon January 21 webinar on AI & Robotics. Adam founded iUNU in 2013 to revolutionize the greenhouse industry by using machine vision technology and iUNU recently closed its Series A funding of $7 million. His passion for agriculture came from his father who is a botanist and entrepreneur. Mr. Greenberg earned his degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Washington and is a former financial analyst at Amazon. Adam is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Southern Christian Leadership Council's Global Policy Initiative and a member of the Board of Advisors of the Financial Services Innovation Coalition's American Innovation & Opportunity Fund. He is a fifth-generation native of San Francisco and lives in Seattle, Washington where he enjoys traveling and the outdoors. In Mr. Greenberg's own words, “The credit for our success goes to the team at iUNU. Look at the change we're making and look how far we've already come. At the end of the day, our goal is to add value to our customers.” Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgreenberg1/ Connect with Poya Osgouei: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poyaosgouei/ Connect with Robby Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbyallen/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/uncharted1/support

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we are in our 3rd week of March and SPONSORSHIP MONTH. In today's episode we chat with Daniel Corsaro, President of Indianapolis Fruit Company. Daniel and I chat about the new and upcoming in the Produce Industry, there very own brand and weekend winners along grinding every single day. Indianapolis Fruit Company is a Wholesaler/Food Service Distributor and Forwarded for grocery stores throughout the USA. Come JOIN us during Sponsorship month and hear from Daniel Corsaro. Thank you to all our SPONSORS: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

WELCOME TO SPONSORSHIP MONTH!!!! In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we are representing all of our Sponsors this month. It is March 8, 2021 and we will be chatting with Mary Coppola Heslap, Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Mary and I are going to travel through March with all the fun and exciting events that United Fresh has to offer. More and more education , engagement and networking. During this week The Produce Industry Podcast is hosting a "Coffee Talk" Networking Hour" during BrandStorm March 11, 2021.Join us to meet new people and learn about United Fresh. Thank you to all our SPONSORS: FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

Episode 38 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features two interviews: one with Mary Coppola, VP of marketing and communications for the United Fresh Produce Association, and one with Joe Watson, VP of membership and engagement with the Produce Marketing Association, and Steve Patt, director of business development for Tourtellot & Co. The Packer's retail editor Ashley Nickle speaks with Coppola about United's upcoming BrandStorm event and the slew of marketing topics that will be covered there, and later in the episode Nickle discusses with Watson and Patt the new Essentials of Produce at Retail training course that PMA has developed for entry-level produce retail associates.  In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these discussions are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage and analysis provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary Coppola, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the United Fresh Produce Association, joins us to talk about making your brand a competitive advantage, maximizing the performance of virtual events, starting to charge for things you made free in 2020, and much more.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we are representing our sponsor Flavor Wave, LLC during SPONSORSHIP MONTH. Michael Chavez, President of Flavor Wave and Vice President of Golden Star Citrus and I have a fun chat about being in the produce industry, traveling to check out some orange groves and some overall chatter about some of our favorite Adam Sandler movies and not so favorite. Join us during Sponsor month and as I say engage and execute! Reach out to Michael Chavez throughout the week and engage with him! Thank you to ALL OF OUR SPONSORS HERE AT THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY PODCAST. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

Episode 36 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview between Tom Karst, editor-in-chief of The Packer, and Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association. Guenther discusses the new immigration reform legislation put forth by the Biden administration, the status of coronavirus relief programs, and how both could affect the produce industry. In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these discussions are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage and analysis provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we chat with our Fancy Sponsor United Fresh's Produce Associations Mary Coppola-Heslap, Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Adrianna Campbell, Owner of Berry and Sons Produce. We are celebrating BLACK HISTORY MONTH w/ Berry and Sons Produce - FIRST GENERATION FARMER!!!! Mary and I chat about the current BrandStorm Virtual Event that is coming up March 8, 2021, Women in Produce: Engagement, March 30, 2021 and a little sneak peak about June 2021 UNITED FRESH LIVE in Los Angeles, CA June 24-26, 2021. Mary has been on the show multiple times and the different chats are always exhilarating and exciting. Next we chat with Adrianna Campbell the Owner of Berry and Sons located right here in FLORIDA. Adrianna and her fiancé are first generations farmers and more than full time. Adrianna currently works in the corporate world as well as growing her farms and her family. We have a fun conversation about what it took to become a first generation farmer, growing her business and building a her DREAM as a Millennial, Minority Owned Business-Woman. JOIN US! FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

United Fresh is an amazing Trade Group. Their members represent the full breadth of the produce supply chain in the USA. From small family businesses to large international corporations, United fresh member companies bring together companies across the produce industry to speak with one unified voice. As we as all know the fresh produce industry thrives on vital connections. From family businesses to global corporations, United Fresh has got a great reputation for bringing together members across every segment of the supply chain to build relationships that are as solid with a handshake as with a contract. They empower industry leaders to join forces to shape sound government policy in the US. They deliver the resources and expertise companies need to succeed in managing complex business and technical issues. In addition they provide the training and development individuals need to advance their careers in produce. Through these endeavors, they unite the industry with a common purpose – to build long-term success for their members, and grow produce consumption. A number of international companies are keen to find connections to create new sales routes in the USA or to sell their products and services to the Fresh Produce community State Side! United Fresh is totally geared up to assist you to achieve that success. On our Beanstalk Broadcast, we meet with key individuals from United Fresh to find out how they can assist you to potentially open up the USA as a market for you and why it will be highly beneficial to be a member of United Fresh to boot! The panel Broadcast will include: Mark Munger is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for 4Earth Farms, where he is responsible for leading the sales team, developing new customer opportunities and guiding the companies strategic direction.  Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk is the CEO of Seald Sweet and President of Greenyard USA. She has been in the industry for over 30 years. Natalia Gamarra joined United Fresh Produce Association in August 2018 as Manager of International Members Relations, where she is responsible for leading the international market. 

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we chat with our Fancy Sponsor Terra Exports very own Ludmila Shoom, Sales Manger in Ukraine and Theresa McKeown, Author of THE ABC's of EVERYTHING. We travel from Florida to California with Theresa and then flash our way all the way to Ukraine with Ludmila talking ALL THINGS PRODUCE!!!!!! First we chat with Ludmila Shoom, Sales Manager of Terra Exports. Ludmila resides in Ukraine and does all international business. Avocados, Blueberries, Cherries and more....Terra Exports shows a true statement of a company that is diversified, educated, and down right talented. Ludmila and I have a fun discussion about her role over in Ukraine!! Next we chat with our featured guest Theresa McKeown, Author of THE ABCS of Everything! We go over her 3 books along with her passion to eat and live green! She states "You are never to old to save the planet" that's right even you!!!!! You can live green, eat green or you are what you EAT. Theresa and I navigate over some parts of her books and how you can purchase these books to LEARN AND LIVE A NEW LIFESTYLE. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com and John Greene Logistics Company: https://www.jglc.com

During what has been a tumultuous and unpredictable four years for the US politically and socially, it's fair to say that life in the country's fresh fruit and vegetable business has been a little less uncertain. However, as in most parts of the world, the impact of Covid-19 has been considerable. In particular, the closure of foodservice outlets has had a dramatic effect on a market where previously around 35 per cent of the fruit and veg eaten, and about half of all the food, would have been consumed outside of the home. But with a new president in the White House, and crucially with a new administration in place, it seems an air of renewed optimism could help shape the US produce market to keep growing over the coming years, For Tom Stenzel, president and chief executive of the Washington DC-based United Fresh Produce Association, recent political events in the city were a watershed for the country's democracy and also its fresh produce industry. Witnessed by millions around the world, the Capitol riot on 6 January and Joe Biden's inauguration exactly two weeks later represented a real turning point in the state of affairs, he suggests. “It was a momentous event in the history of this country and there is obviously going to be a change,” he tells Chris White in the latest episode of Fruitbox, Fruitnet's weekly series of fresh produce conversations. “President Biden has come in and set a different tone from the very beginning. It was inclusive, reaching out to people who disagree. The art of disagreement, rather than the art of the deal, has always been more the fresh produce industry's style, Stenzel suggests. “I think about us in the produce industry. Oh my gosh, buyers and sellers are negotiating, buying and selling every single day. For some reason, our politicians in the United States and many other countries sadly don't seem to have that skill set that we in the fresh produce industry have.” He adds: “But I do have that little bit of optimism. I believe President Biden will be reaching out, changing that mood, and re-establishing America's connections around the world.” That optimism will be much needed of course as the US produce industry continues to grapple with the pandemic. According to Stenzel, the trade is “functioning pretty well” despite having to contend with a major shift in its supply chains to retail. Spending power is certain to be an issue for more consumers in the near future, but he believes the big lesson of the pandemic for many will be that eating fruit and veg is critical for short and long-term health. Hosted by Chris White in London, Fruitbox attracts a big audience across the global fruit and vegetable business that tunes in every week to hear exclusive interviews and expert analysis. Produced by Fruitnet Media International, the show is essential listening for everyone in the fresh produce industry. To find out how you can tell your story on Fruitbox, email chris@fruitnet.com. To learn about sponsorship and advertising opportunities, email advertising@fruitnet.com. Read the latest fresh produce industry news at www.fruitnet.com

In today's episode, Sabrina Halvorson talks with Stephanie Alexandre about her family's organic dairy farm and its new certification. We also hear about the BrandStorm event from the United Fresh Produce Association and we have key points from the confirmation hearing for EPA nominee Michael Regan. 

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with our Standard sponsor Dan Corsaro, President of Indianapolis Fruit Company & Joe Manns, Partner of JMC Brands. Indianapolis Fruit Company joined the sponsorship in January 2021 kicking each week off with weekend winners and new products updates. Today, we chat with Dan about the growth and differentiation with Indy Fruit and how they have become successful over the last decade. Their people are their business and with great supporting cast members at Indy Fruit Company we expect to see more expansion from this company. Next, we bring on our feature guest Joe Manns, Partner of JMC Brands in ClearWater, FL. Clearwater Beach is one of the USA's most beautiful beaches so if you don't know please check it out!!! Joe and I have a fun discussion chatting about digital marketing for not just the produce industry, but multiple industries. Your brand is part of your company, no matter what presence you decide to go with from newspaper to mobile applications. Joe discussed the importance of building your brand and using key principals to grow. Join us for this lighting packed episode with these two POWER HOUSE GUESTS. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we chat with our Fancy Sponsor Ag Tools, Inc's very own David Wilson and the group from London Fruit Company, Barry London, Amanda Horney, & Jerry Garcia. We hear from David Wilson, Executive Vice President Sales, Growers about how Ag Tools is revolutionizing the Produce Industry with Data and insights. David and I chat about his IFCO days and how they were tasked with brining reusable plastic containers (RPC's) VS. corrugated packaging to partners around the globe! Thank you to Ag Tools for being a FANCY Sponsor of The Produce Industry Podcast for 2020 & 2021. Next we chat with the group from London Fruit Companies very own Barry London, Vice President Jerry Garcia and Business Development Manager Amanda Horney. All 4 of discuss the extensive history of London Fruit company and how the org started over 40 YEARS from a little vacation spot Port of Vallarta. Jerry chats a bit about the new cold storage space and the upcoming Mango season and Amanda gives us some insight on Hazel Technology with their lime program. Congratulations to over 40 years in business to London Fruit Company. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc.: https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, & United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

We went straight to the TOP to talk about food safety with Jennifer McEntire, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Food Safety at United Fresh Produce Association. United Fresh has recently announced Class Two of its Produce Safety Immersion Program. Dr. McEntire chats with Highland’s Bristol Wells, Service Specialist Manager who was accepted into the program for 2021. Learn about what the program does and what it means for these professionals once they complete it. We will also talk about the future of food safety and what is on course for 2021.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with our Standard SponsorRoss Nelson, Vice President of Retail Execution with Indianapolis Fruit Company and Mattie Fisher, Marketing Manager & Scott Geiser, Business Development Manager of John Greene Logistics. We chat with Ross Nelson first about Indianapolis Fruit Company and their WEEKEND WINNERS, The Indy Fruit Bowl and what Idniaspolis Fruit Company is bringing to the table and how they are expanding in over 19 states. Ross has been leading Indianapolis Fruit Company through 2020 and 2021 with new products, consistent supply, and supplying and supporting new stores. Next, we chat with our featured Guest from John Greene Logistics - Mattie Fisher and Scott Geiser. Now we discuss all the fun it is to be a logistics brokerage in todays world. JGLC has been in business for over 60 years service not only the produce industry but the entire supply chain industry as a whole. Matt and Scott are a treat to have on the show touching on next generation leaders, supply, demands, and more... FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we go over the United re-fresh Experience with Amanda Griffin. Amanda and Patrick walkthrough the entire month of January going through each event and what was expected and there is to look forward to in the months to come. Join us and revise the United re-Fresh experience! FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Standard Sponsor: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we chat with Liz Walsh, Insights to Innovation at Georgia-Pacific & Mary Coppola-Heslap, Vice President of Marketing & Communications. We kick of the episode chatting with Mary of United Fresh on the first 14 -21 days of the new year. Between her and I we are starting the year re-FRESHED and right away! Mary and chats a bit about the upcoming meet and greets with the 117th congress, joining the re-fresh program and helping introduce our featured guest! Next, we chat with Liz Walsh on insights and innovation at Georgia PAcfici. Now I'm going to be REAL, I have never heard of GP till they reached out and I started to do some research on how GP is part of the Fresh Produce and Supply Chain Industry. I couldn't believe the GP is everywhere!!!! Literally from your home all the way to the groves. Heck, we even chat about one of their top products in 2020 - can you guess what it is? You use it everyday - or at least every other day - HAHAHA - Liz discusses a bit of history as well as what we can look forward to with GP in 2021! FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Weekend Winners: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we chat with Cristian Sierralta, Sales Director of South America & Stefanie Katzman, Executive Vice President of Katzman Produce. 2021 has got off to a great start representing the YEAR of FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Join our fresh talk with Cristian at Terra Exports discussing the South American Division coming to u live from CHILE. Cristian takes on the task of exporting Fruits and Vegetables from South American to many countries working on bringing more into the United States. Big Shout out to our Fancy Partner Terra Exports and Cristian Sierralta. Stefanie Katzman started her career in produce the day she was born. As a fourth generation executive of a family run business, she exudes confidence and demonstrates tremendous courage and caring for her employees and her business. She currently works alongside her father, Stephen Katzman, continuing to lead the amazing team of about 375 employees. She also heads up S. Katzman's retail brand Bloomfresh, currently offering 14 items direct to retail. Stefanie talk a lot about relationships, the story of Katzman going back a century, and some key takeaways to look forward to in 2021. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Weekend Winners: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

Episode 29 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview with Tom Stenzel, CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association, about the latest COVID-19 relief bill and the programs included that benefit the produce industry. Stenzel also covers assistance opportunities that didn't make it into the package and that the association hopes will be adopted in future legislation. The Packer's Northeast editor Amy Sowder spoke with Stenzel for podcast. In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these discussions are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage and analysis provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with our Fancy Sponsors very own Director of Business Development, Travis McLachlan, Jen Velasquez & Michelle Cortez of The Clean Eating Challenge 2.0 by Vive Fresh and the Texas International Produce Association. Travis starts our conversation out with giving some background of the regions he covers at Terra Exports as well some fun facts about the organization. Travis splits his time between British Colombia and Colombia selling diverse products for our industry along with living life. Next we chat with Jen Velasquez and Michelle Cortez all around the Healthy Eating Challenge put on by Vive Fresh. About the Viva Fresh Produce Expo - Established in 2015 by the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) - Established to create meaningful networking & educational opportunities for its members while shining a light on the importance of the Rio Grande Valley as an emerging trade corridor and production zone for healthy & nutritious fruits and vegetables available year-round. Jen and Michelle talk about the fun the group is having and what it means to eat clean, not just as a resolution, but a way of life. Join the conversation and learn more about Terra Exports and Vive Fresh's Clean Eating Challenge. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Weekend Winners: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Raul, Vice President of AG TOOLS, INC.,and Gary Fleming, CEO of Dapicon. We start the conversation with our Fancy partner Ag Tools coming to us LIVE from Mexico. Raul's extensive background in The Produce Industry shows through his Passion for Ag Tools. We discuss marketing, winter programs, and the perspective from Mexico. Next, we chat with Gary Fleming about Dapicon's consortium of data contributors traversing multiple industries whose contributions reveal the journey of a product and its condition as it moves through the supply chain, from manufacture to point of sale. This data is used to create greater visibility and efficiencies to the supply chain and their consumers. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Weekend Winners: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

Episode 27 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview with Jennifer McEntire, senior vice president of food safety and technology of the United Fresh Produce Association, about leafy greens traceability pilots conducted recently to 1) give the industry a better understanding of how traceback works when an outbreak is being investigated and 2) determine the usefulness of the Produce Traceback Template, a resource generated by the industry's Romaine Task Force. In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg Podcast, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these conversations are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Alex Baloga, President & CEO of The Pennsylvania Food Merchant Association, Amanda Griffin of United Fresh Produce Association and Kristen Reid of Mixtec Group. We first chat with Amanda and Kristen leading up to January 2021, United Fresh's Re-Fresh Program. This program is going to be 10 individual days with TOP topics for the new year. Kristen talks about the importance of being involved and creating impact as Amanda reviews the Education sessions. Strategic Thinking and Planning for a New Reality Finding Balance: Managing Remote and in-Person Work Environments for Success Managing Food Safety Through Disruption and Crisis Next, we chat with our featured guest Alex Baloga regarding the PFMA, how their association has been thriving through the Pandemic, the PFMA's virtual conference in October and what to expect for 2021. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Weekend Winners: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

Episode 26 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview with Roger Pepperl, marketing director for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers. The Packer's editor-in-chief Tom Karst talks with Roger about his 40 years in the industry — the last 20 with Stemilt after two decades in produce retail — and his upcoming retirement. Pepperl served on boards for the United Fresh Produce Association, the Produce Marketing Association and the Produce for Better Health Foundation. Pepperl was awarded The Packer's Marketer of the Year in 2015 and was the first recipient of the United Fresh FreshMKT Achievement Award two years later. In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg Podcast, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these conversations are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast with Patrick Kelly we chat with Lauren Mordasky, Business Development Manager at RPE/Tasteful Selections and Yasir Khan, Founder of EZ Crops. We start the conversation bringing Lauren back on the line, that is right.... hear our little story of how she has already been recoding, but the audio was never produced. We chat about Tasteful Selections Brand, consumer awareness towards potato, and how Lauren is "no small potato". We then hear from Indianapolis Fruit Companies Weekend Winners and our New Sponsor United Fresh Produce Association. Next, our featured guest Yasir Khan Founder of EZ Crops. Yasir and I met through a mutual friends of ours Wendy McManus of Connect-2-Potential (EP 42). Yasir and I talk about the new technology that his organization has sprung into action, how it will help the produce industry, as well as his excitement and passion towards these projects in our industry. FANCY SPONSORS: Terra Exports: https://terraexports.com, Ag Tools, Inc. : https://www.agtechtools.com, Flavor Wave, LLC.: https://flavorwavefresh.com, United Fresh Produce Association: https://www.unitedfresh.org Weekend Winners: Indianapolis Fruit Company: https://indyfruit.com

Episode 23 of Tip of the Iceberg podcast features a panel discussion between Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association; and Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. The group, in a conversation that debuted at the West Coast Produce Expo last week, talked about how the Trump administration was to deal with when it came to the needs of the produce industry and how its policies affected key areas of business. The panel also discussed its hopes for and reservations about what positions the Biden administration may bring to critical areas like immigration, trade, labor and others. In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg Podcast, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these conversations are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For more than two decades, John Toner, V has helped bring the produce industry together as vice president, convention and industry collaboration at the United Fresh Produce Association. He gets his daily thrills from helping craft the perfect opening night reception, finding a great product for an independent grower-shipper with a problem and securing a big sponsorship. He is obsessed with creating the perfect environment for his members to make new friends, gather good advice and see the best new products the industry has to offer. In fact, at the end of each year's convention, instead of feeling tired and worn out like any reasonable association professional, he feels energized and ready to tackle the next year’s convention. He is known for his love of scotch, his snazzy bowties and the huge smile always on his face.

Global Women Fresh. Their mission is to change the status quo and leverage the talent of Women in Produce to close the industry's gender divide by inspiring, connecting and empowering women around the world. And their mission matters more than ever. Beanstalk Global has partnered up with Global Women Fresh to create a unique monthly Broadcast interview series. This to further promote the great work they do, to gain them more members ongoing and additional corporate sponsorship as well as to assist them to make a long term difference in the Global Fresh Produce sectors. We have the pleasure of having next on the Broadcast interview series the amazing Mary Coppola, Vice President for United Fresh Produce Association in the USA. Beanstalk's Max MacGillivray will be finding out more of Mary's unique background, the work United Fresh are undertaking for their members and why she is such a great advocate for Global Women Fresh.

Episode 16 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast, brought to you by The Packer and PMG, features an interview with Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at United Fresh Produce Association, about the organization's recent virtual Washington Conference. Guenther recapped the event and industry involvement and highlighted a few of the key issues United focused on with its education sessions and its extensive lineup of meetings with legislators. In case you're new to Tip of the Iceberg Podcast, its name serves as a reminder for listeners that these conversations are just a taste of the vast produce industry coverage provided by The Packer newspaper, PMG magazine and always-updating websites for both brands: ThePacker.com and ProduceMarketGuide.com. Hope you enjoy the conversation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks for joining us on Episode 15 with our guest John Toner, Vice President, Convention & Industry Relations at United Fresh Produce Association. The Traveling Podcast is hosted by industry veterans Dan Sherman and Ryan Barth, CMP.In this episode we'll touch on the top stories in group business travel, live events and sports (subscribe to the Market in a Minute newsletter). In addition, John will discuss the impact of decision making within the event planning life-cycle, climbing the food chain at the United Fresh Produce Association, the value of networking and relationships, helping people live healthier lives and the new involvement of the C-Suite in strategic event decisions. John TonerVice President, Convention & Industry RelationsUnited Fresh Produce Association LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtonerv/John Toner BIO:For more than two decades, John Toner, V has helped bring the produce industry together as vice president, convention and industry collaboration at the United Fresh Produce Association. He gets his daily thrills from helping craft the perfect opening night reception, finding a great product for an independent grower-shipper with a problem and securing a big sponsorship. He is obsessed with creating the perfect environment for his members to make new friends, gather good advice and see the best new products the industry has to offer. In fact, at the end of each year's convention, instead of feeling tired and worn out like any reasonable association professional, he feels energized and ready to tackle the next year’s convention. He is known for his love of scotch, his snazzy bowties and the huge smile always on his face.Support the show (http://www.hipnetwork.com/traveling-podcast)

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly we cover the Washington Policy Conference w/ United Fresh, Day 1. Today we give a general overview of the entire virtual conference from September 21- 25, 2020. We also speak to Mark Klompien, President/CEO of United Potato Growers of America on the importance of The United Fresh Policy Conference. Mark and I talk about my day's at California Citrus Mutual as well as the experience you will get out the event. Remember as industry we can be heard in numbers. As we bring the community together the can accomplish more. Not just during a pandemic, but year after year - generation after gerneration. Join us for Day 1 of The United Fresh Washington Policy Conference. I will report each day as this is the first time I have attended this conference! I will give my true insight on the experience and the benefit to the industry. United Fresh Produce Association. https://www.unitedfresh.org/events-programs/the-washington-conference/

In this episode of Veggie Doctor Radio, we hear from Lori Taylor about a brand that she started to inspire you to include more fruits and vegetables into your life. She is passionate, she is driven and she is working hard to inspire you to get more fruits and vegetables on your plate.   About featured guest: Lori Taylor is the Founder & CEO of The Produce Moms, a media brand and community of passionate fresh produce advocates with a mission to inspire everyone, especially children, to eat more fruits and vegetables. For ten years Lori worked in the supply chain and sold fresh produce to over 300 retail accounts. Today, Lori and her team are fully focused on educating consumers about fresh produce, introducing them to produce brands, engaging the produce industry with consumers in inspiring conversations, and promoting public policy to protect and increase the availability of fresh produce at American schools. Lori’s work has been featured on Oprah.com, Huffington Post, Real Simple Magazine, US Kids Magazines, as well as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC affiliates throughout the US.  Lori has received numerous recognitions for her work and innovation with The Produce Moms, including Vance Agribusiness 40 Under 40, Produce Business Magazine Forty Under 40, and several keynote speaking engagements.  Lori resides in Indianapolis, Indiana with her husband, two sons, and their Great Dane.  She serves as a member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Wellness Committee, community partner of the Indiana Department of Education Office of School & Community Nutrition, is a lifestyle morning show contributor on WISH-TV’s IndyStyle, is the host of The Produce Moms Podcast, and is a member of United Fresh Produce Association’s Marketing & Merchandising Council.       LORI TAYLOR https://theproducemoms.com https://instagram.com/theproducemoms/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-produce-moms-podcast/id1382453777     Disclaimer: The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.   I have an affiliate partnership with Splendid Spoon where you can get $25 off your first order if you want to give it a try! Splendid spoon offers pre-made smoothies, juice shots and delicious bowls that require no preparation besides heating up!  https://splendidspoon.z724.net/c/2360827/774963/9621   Shop my favorite things doctoryami.com/shop   Please support my work, become a Patreon https://patreon.com/thedoctoryami   Mentions: A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating: How to Raise Kids Who Love to Eat Healthy by Dr. Yami   Leave an 'Amazon Review'   MORE LISTENING OPTIONS Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/vdritunes Spotify: http://bit.ly/vdrspotify   NEWSLETTER SIGN UP https://doctoryami.com/signup OR Text 'FIBER' to 668-66     FIND ME AT Doctoryami.com Instagram.com/thedoctoryami Facebook.com/thedoctoryami Veggiefitkids.com         * * * * MORE FROM ME Read - http://veggiefitkids.com/blog Listen: http://bit.ly/vdrpodcast Watch - http://bit.ly/vfkvideos TEDx Talk - http://bit.ly/DOCTORYAMITEDX   * * * * Please check out Rocket Surgeons at: Facebook.com/RocketSurgeonsMusic   Questions? Email me: Yami@doctoryami.com

Jenny and Jeff welcome a food safety expert to analyze a salmonella outbreak linked to onions from a California supplier that sickened hundreds of people across several states. Dr. Jennifer McEntire, Vice President of Food Safety at United Fresh Produce Association, offers some perspective on this far reaching recall that impacted all 50 states. Dr. McEntire explains how this onion recall raised the attention of the food industry, as well as how an outbreak investigation unfolds. This episode also features a discussion on how salmonella can be found in pet foods.  Pet industry veteran Vicki Ford talks to Jenny and Jeff about what pet owners should know to keep their furry friends safe.

Jenny and Jeff welcome a food safety expert to analyze a salmonella outbreak linked to onions from a California supplier that sickened hundreds of people across several states. Dr. Jennifer McEntire, Vice President of Food Safety at United Fresh Produce Association, offers some perspective on this far reaching recall that impacted all 50 states. Dr. McEntire explains how this onion recall raised the attention of the food industry, as well as how an outbreak investigation unfolds. This episode also features a discussion on how salmonella can be found in pet foods.  Pet industry veteran Vicki Ford talks to Jenny and Jeff about what pet owners should know to keep their furry friends safe.

“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 Virginia and Mollie Van Lieu, who was on The Produce Moms Podcast 100 episodes ago (wow!) is the Senior Director of Nutrition Policy at United Fresh Produce Association.    When schools shut down in March at the start of COVID-19, state and local districts had to make fast decisions about how they would deliver (or if they would deliver) class curriculum and school meals. You may not realize it, but there are about 30 million school lunches served every day and about 72 million servings of fruit and vegetables.    “School nutrition heroes really stepped up to that and worked their tails off in the spring and summer to make sure kids are still fed.” Mollie Van Lieu (6:43-6:55)   Not only is that important to keep feeding the children of America nutritious meals, ensuring their brains are fed for optimal learning, but it's vital to the fresh produce supply chain, especially in rural and small areas. In Adam's school district where there are over 100 schools and centers, they've focused on things like all you can eat salad bars, corn husking competitions, and getting fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. One of the first things Adam's district did to pivot with COVID-19 was figure out how to keep children fed, provide fresh fruits and vegetables, but comply with new CDC regulation standards.    They've started transitioning to a grocery style supplement box for families to pick up once a week, filled with fruits and vegetables that don't have to be refrigerated since a lot of families don't have access to heating and cooling methods for one week's worth of food.   “We know that kids are going to learn better with proper nutrition, so giving them the micro and macronutrients they're going to get in fruits and vegetables and the whole fruits and vegetables, especially. Having to consume that process through their body is going to keep them fueled much much longer.” Adam Russo (15:04-15:18)   Not only will they be fueled much longer, but their energy will be kept in the right place, they'll be better behaved, more attentive in class and that's extremely important whether they're back at school in the public classroom or still learning virtually at home. The other benefit to providing a week's worth of healthy food for kids and sending it home is they're starting to take ownership of their health. This inturn is inspiring for other members of the family and helps everyone open their palettes up to fresh fruits and vegetables they might not have tried otherwise.    It's important to note that this industry needs your help. Schools don't get funding from the school board for school meals, even though other things like textbooks and transportation are provided for free. Without sales of school lunches, they don't exist or the economy isn't there to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, so if you're wondering why your child's school provides junk, they might not be receiving enough sales.   Profitability shouldn't be the metric to go off of, it should be how well students are performing in class, but sometimes it's a necessary evil of the food and nutrition services of a school. Also important is the feedback you give to these programs. If your school division is serving junk food or it's just not up to your expectations, call the manager in charge and tell them!    “I know that our staff would do anything, they would run through a brick wall to make sure a kid was fed that day. That isn't different across the country.” Adam Russo (25:05-25:13)   These schools want to improve and truly care about the health and livelihood of our students, even if it may not seem so with the lunches they provide. These meals are incredibly important and are a responsibility of us all to think about because they're shaping the health, nutrition and future of our country.    Adam's district is continuing to look at how they can provide self-service salad bars in a COVID-safe manner, and even looking at restaurant style serving options if and when children go back to the public classroom. Mollie, who's done great work with federal nutrition policies, will be advocating for increased waivers, more flexibility and universal school meals at the Washington School Nutrition Association Conference this September and invites individuals like you to participate and help us change our country's school meal system.   How to get involved   Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!  Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.    If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

This week's Open Mic guest is Tom Stenzel, President and CEO at United Fresh Produce Association. Specialty crop growers have faced a number of challenges in adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stenzel says his members are hopeful for financial assistance but also liability protection from a new relief package from Washington. A disruption of the traditional supply chain is just one of many obstacles his growers face on top of a shortage of farm workers and dwindling water supplies. United Fresh Supports the Farm to Family Food Box program and shares a different view than other growers of the USMCA trade agreement.

This week's Open Mic guest is Sarah Frey, President and CEO of Frey Farms. As this year's winner of the Woman in Produce Award from the United Fresh Produce Association, Frey is a shining example of a true entrepreneur who saved the family farm and grew a business that encompasses a variety of specialty crops grown in multiple states. In this interview, Frey offers her thoughts on the challenges of seeing ag labor reform in Washington, the shortfalls of the recently enacted USMCA, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has brought permanent change to the food retail sector. The author of a new book, “The Growing Season” which will be released later this month, she shares her thought about developing future leaders in agriculture. 

Welcome back to Today's Special on National Watermelon Day! Today on The Produce Industry Podcast we chat with Mollie Van Lieu, Senior Director - Nutrition Policy on the Farmers to Families Box Program. The USDA is in Round 3 of the bids and are doing things a bit differently, how to review and access the RFP, time frames, a little history on round 1 and 2 and why this program is important to our industry. If you want to see the industry succeed and need more information on program contact Mollie Van Lieu - mvanlieu@unitedfresh.org

In this BONUS episode we chat with Mary Coppola, Vice President Marketing and Communications of United Fresh Produce Association. In this discussion Mary gives The Produce Industry an update on what is in store for of United Fresh LIVE 365. The program will now open up 365 days a year offering new online courses, CONTENT, connections and more. We also talk about the Future of United Fresh's Washington Conference and a IN PERSON LIVE Conference for 2021. YOU HEARD IT FIRST FROM THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY PODCAST!

“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 they have regrouped, pivoted, and continued to do their best to supply us with fresh, safe produce.    Fresh Edge, a longtime friend of The Produce Moms, is a family of fresh food distributors. This includes Indianapolis Fruit, which wholesale distribution to retailers, Piazza Produce and Get Fresh, both of which supply restaurants and the food service sector (hotels, event centers, retirement homes, etc.).    Greg Corsaro, President and COO of Fresh Edge, and Michael Grinstead, General Manager of Get Fresh, gave some timely insight on how they are continually innovating and doing their best to keep the produce industry thriving during such uncertain times.    The United Fresh Produce Excellence in Food Service Award Program   This month Fresh Edge, in partnership with the United Fresh Produce Association, honored nine of the country's most innovative chefs and food services professionals as part of the United Fresh Produce Excellence in Food Service Award Program.    The profession of a chef is, perhaps, one of the most taxing career choices. It is one that comes with 20 hour days, high-stress environments, and adapting to an environment that is always changing.    This year the category of Supermarkets and Retail Operators has been added to the award program. While most of the chefs honored work in a traditional environment, grocery store prepared food sections in certain stores rival those of restaurants.    Because of the current events, there will be no in person recognition for these chefs. However, they are being honored all summer long in a FREE virtual expo, United Fresh 2020. This is a fantastic opportunity to interact with the nominees and learn more about Fresh Edge.   Trucks Full of Produce with No Destination   The memory of the day life as we knew it came screeching to a halt is still fresh in the minds of most. Most of us quickly realize that with the closure of schools, restaurants, and hotels the produce industry was direly affected.    What most probably realize is the abrupt nature of these decisions were just as abrupt for the produce industry as they were for us.    Billions of dollars of perishable produce were sitting in warehouses or riding in trucks enroute to destinations. Trucks full of produce that no longer had a place to go.    As orders were cancelled and food banks were overwhelmed by produce suppliers across the nation trying to make the best of a horrendous situation, Greg shared that they tried to donate as much as possible, but the waste of so much produce was probably as devastating as the loss of revenue going forward.    “Throughout this whole pandemic, with the emphasis placed on proper hygiene and sanitation measures… we haven't had to alter our practices.” - Greg Corsaro. (7:20)    One encouraging aspect of all of this for Fresh Edge has been to notice that in proper hygiene and sanitation measures, they haven't had to alter their practices in food handling. They have been, and still are, an incredible source of safe fresh produce.    Now, as our economy begins to reopen, growers still aren't sure what to plan for. The world is far from “business as usual,” and Greg joked that it feels much like the Jelly of the Month club from the cult classic Christmas film, National Lampoons' Christmas Vacation. It's the “gift that keeps on giving.”    Amidst so much uncertainty, one thing remains.    “Food security is national security… we have to keep food moving in this country.” - Lori Taylor. (6:54)    The produce industry must keep food moving.    Necessity is the Mother of Invention   It has been amazing to see how different links of the supply chain have gotten creative to continue to provide produce to customers.   From the moment the crisis unfolded, Fresh Edge began working hard to find a home for their produce supply. In the days after businesses began shutting down, they donated to employees, food banks, agencies, and began seeking out alternative revenue sources.    One of the ways they have continued to supply produce is through their pop up markets in the Indianapolis area! Customers can pre-order from an array of boxes - fruit, vegetable, protein. Trucks are parked in a centralized location and customers can then simply drive up and pick up their order.    “A lot of peers in the food service industry have had amazing innovation out of absolute desire just to survive.”  - Michael Grinstead. (15:32)    Are meal prep boxes, pop up markets, and simplified menus here to stay?    For Fresh Edge, it's too difficult to tell right now what will stick around on the other side of present necessities. For some, the success of these new business strategies will become foundational pillars of a new business model to survive the new normal.    The produce industry is a resilient community who is fighting hard to remain strong, solvent, and able to provide YOU with fresh produce. They are depending on you.    How can you help?    The best way for you to do your part is to continue supporting the produce industry. Keep buying and eating your fruits and vegetables, and encourage friends and family to do the same.    We'll get through this together.   How to get involved Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!  Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.  Gain FREE access to United Fresh 2020, a live expo bringing people together to learn, to create value, and build our future together. Learn more about the incredible Fresh Edge family.    If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

Bringing awareness to the value of local food systems. In This Podcast: Picture buying salad greens at the grocery store that were just picked the day before. Paul Lightfoot from BrightFarms is making this happen in the stores around their farm. Passionate about getting fresh food to more people, Paul discusses the benefits of local vs organic food, how shortening the supply chain provides fresher, safer food, and the nutritional value decline. Listen in to hear about the setup and safety protocols at BrightFarms so they ensure healthy, safe food. Don't miss an episode! Click here to sign up for podcast updatesor visit www.urbanfarm.org/podcast Paul is BrightFarms' founder and president and leads the company on its mission to provide consumers with the freshest, tastiest, and most responsibly grown produce.    Through his vision, BrightFarms is  creating the first national brand of locally grown produce.  In 2017, BrightFarms  was named  235th on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies, ranking  10th among all food companies and the only produce company featured on the list.  Paul is a member of the board of United Fresh Produce Association. They believe Local, indoor produce is fresher because it's grown closer to where it's sold. It is cleaner because it can be grown without pesticides. And most importantly, it tastes better. BrightFarms is the No. 1 brand of locally grown packaged salads, serving the freshest, tastiest and most responsibly grown produce to consumers nationwide. BrightFarms operates hydroponic greenhouse  farms  in the communities it serves, enabling them to eliminate time, distance, and costs from the food supply chain. Visit www.urbanfarm.org/brightfarms for the show notes on this episode, and access to our full podcast library! 542: Paul Lightfoot on Local is the New Organic.

“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 related to safety and security of the supply chain to secure the integrity of food we buy in our local grocery stores.   North Bay produce is a grower owned cooperative with farms located throughout North and South America, and are also a big importer and exporter, supplying consumers in the United States with safely grown berries, apples, beans, peas, and dried fruit.    Whether the produce is grown practically in your backyard, or exported from around the world, the strictest standards are implemented to keep your food safe!    All of their suppliers are third party audited to the Global Food Safety Initiative - the overarching body that sets the highest standards for farms around the world- with a focus on ag practices, manufacturing practices, fair treatment of employees, hygiene, and cleaning/sanitation.    “Regardless of where your food is grown, if it's sold in the United States are food safety regulations that are required of all growers.”  - Lori Taylor (3:20)   World Food Safety Day is just around the corner (June 7th), but really, food safety is of paramount importance every single day in the produce industry! This is a great time to talk about the steps taken in every single link of the supply chain to ensure you have safe, nutritious produce in your refrigerator.    What is food safety?   Food safety is somewhat of a buzzword today. We hear it tossed around a lot, but what exactly does it mean?    Technically speaking,    “Food safety is the practice of preventing chemical, physical, and biological contamination of food by using science and risk to evaluate systems.” Jennifer Pulcipher (4:50)    Simply put, food safety is an everyday practice of protecting the food from field to fork    And it's important to know that everyone- even you- has a role to play to ensure they consume safe nutritious vegetables.  What are the day-to-day steps to ensure safety?    From the seed in the ground, to the smile on the consumer's face, food safety is implemented every step of the way.    “We all want to provide safe, nutritious, wholesome food for our families.” Jennifer Pulcipher (9:00)    Let's take a look at some of the measures put in place to make sure your food is clean and ready to eat!    Growing  Safe produce starts with healthy soil. North Bay Produce makes sure the soil growing your produce has adequate levels of minerals and nutrients to grow hearty, healthy crops.    When it comes to irrigation, clean water is crucial. This is one of the very first steps taken to ensure safety.    Harvesting  Healthy bodies are the epitome of what it takes to harvest clean specialty agriculture crops. These crops are delicate and require a human touch, as opposed to a mechanized harvesting process. For this reason, harvesters have to maintain strict hygiene standards, and are trained in best practices to ensure your food is clean from picking to packing house.    Packing  A lot of hands are involved in the packing process. Produce is put into boxes or clamshells and then packed to be transported. This is the most involved stage, and a lot of consideration has been put into a data driven, technological system to help each piece of produce reach its final destination in a safe and hygienic manner. Shipping and distribution  This part of the process is almost seamless. The packaged food goes straight off the packing line into a warehouse, and then is transported to its new home - schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and ultimately your home!  Food Safety Standards in Your Home Like we shared earlier, YOU are a part of the food safety process. Practicing The CORE 4 - Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill - is the best way for you to ensure the food that goes into your family's mouth is safe for consumption.    When it comes to your produce, remember...   Fresh fruits and vegetables should be Clean. Rinse them under cold, running water. Nothing else is needed.  Separate your produce from raw meats and eggs to avoid any contamination.   What about recalls? Never do we hear more about food safety than when there is a recall. With so much information swirling around on the internet, how do we make sure we have the most up to date information?    The FDA is the most reliable source, as they are the first line when initiating a recall. You can even subscribe to their recall notifications so you receive information first hand anytime something is publicized!    North Bay Produce partnered with the United Fresh Produce Association in their Recall Ready Team. This is a program specific to North Bay Produce to focus on prevention. Their goal is to assess issues and mitigate them before it becomes an actual problem for the public.    If there is one thing we hope you take away from this article, it's that there is a whole team of people who are looking out for YOU, the consumer. Our highest priority is to provide food that is delicious, fresh, and safe! Happy World Food Safety Day!  How to get involved Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!  Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.  Visit The Partnership for Food Safety Education - for more information about food safety and preventing food borne illness, including fun, educational games for your kids!  You can find North Bay produce on their website, or on social media platforms.    If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

Highlights:  [5:59] - The naming of the Kiwi fruit   [22:01] - Leaders shouldn't be afraid of this   [32:40] - Expert Crisis Management in the face of Covid-19   Meet Karen Caplan: Karen Caplan is the Co Owner, President and CEO of Frieda's Specialty Produce. The eldest daughter of produce trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce and the first woman to own a produce company in the U.S., Karen graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Business Management, and then entered into the family business.    SINCE 1986 when Karen took over as President of Frieda’s, she has been a produce industry leader. She was the first female chairperson of the United Fresh Produce Association and the first female president of the Southern California-based Fresh Produce & Floral Council. She has served on numerous boards and leadership positions.   She has continued the legacy in grand fashion and is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist on leadership, innovation, and produce trends.   What I love about Karen is not only her business leadership but her willingness to give back. She shares inspiration and mentorship both inside her industry and for business leaders and entrepreneurs at large.     Connect with Karen:  Blog: What’s on Karen’s Plate LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenbcaplan/ Twitter: @Karen_Kiwi   ...   Want more wisdom and happiness in your own life?    Come get that and more for FREE at InJoyDaily.com

PART 2: FRUITFUL or FEARFUL? $1.2 Billion Awarded in Produce Box deal for Farmers to Families - Its been 24 hours since episode 10 was released and we have seen some really good progress within the produce and supply chain industry. In this episode I go over some of the awardees of the bid, If they are in the USDA data bank, organizations we did find, monies awarded and what to really focus on at this point. The companies that were awarded or the future of our industry. I then take a leap into Tom Stenzel's letter to the USDA and review each question from the President and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association. Our industry is built on relationships and as long as we stand together we will succeed together. Part 3 Coming Soon!

Welcome to Episode 10! Our guests today are Shay Myer of Owyhee Produce, Michael Chavez of Golden Star Citrus, and Brent Erenwert of Brothers Produce. You might know these guys as they are not shy to the show and have been on a couple times already. In this episode we chat with each of them individually about the current awarded $1.2 Billion in the Produce Box Deal for Farmers to Families. Is this program FRUITFUL or FEARFUL for the small farmer and business owner? There are companies on this bid that got awarded from catering, travel agencies, to companies that dont have websites, cold storages, food safety programs and more. There were still many organizations that were reputable and rewarded which is great to see, but it seems like someone pressed the auto-fill button on the rest. Here from this group of industry leaders that will provide answers and solutions on how to move forward. We also have a shout-out to Tom Stenzel, President of United Fresh Produce Association for stepping up to the USDA and asking great questions!

“One thing I do know is that this industry, the produce industry, we're unstoppable together. I have never been more proud to work in agriculture than I am right now”  Lori Taylor (27:53)   In the face of a global pandemic, our produce industry is stronger than ever.   Ashley Nickle is the Retail Editor for The Packer Newspaper and Editor in Chief of the Produce Market Guide. Ashley has been part of the Trade Press for almost four years, and is a respected journalist focused on the produce industry.    As so much in our world is rapidly shifting, it seemed so fitting to bring Ashley in as an expert to speak to the effects of COVID-19 on every aspect of our produce chain - from grower to consumer.    “There has been a reverberation throughout the whole supply chain.”  Lori Taylor (16:30)    In the span of a week, our produce industry experienced an unprecedented shift. Historically, the industry has been a 50/50 split between food service and retail. However, as the recent pandemic has ramped up in our country, the entire supply chain experienced a seismic shift.    Restaurants have all but shut down, and establishments without an established carryout/delivery model have been forced to reevaluate and restructure their business model, cancel orders, and some have had to close down completely.    In the midst of such bleak events, Ashley was able to share the silver linings that can be found, and the remarkable resiliency of the produce industry that provides a needed reminder to us all that the world may look a little different right now, but in the end everything is going to be ok.    What effect is COVID-19 having on retailers and how are they responding?   I'm sure you've noticed the ways that your local grocery store has shifted in operation over the last few weeks, all in an effort to keep stores stocked, and keep you, as the consumer, safe.   In the final week of March, and the first weeks of April, grocery store sales rose to that of Thanksgiving week. However, unlike Thanksgiving week that is accounted for with extra staffing and early preparation each year, the unforeseen nature of the bump in sales necessitated some quick thinking in the retail industry. As consumers, we see the end result, shelves being stocked or empty. However, every link of the chain was affected - packing sheds, loading docks, growers, the workload changed for everyone overnight.    “A supermarket is just a supermarket until something big happens, and then everyone realizes they really are community institutions... it's really amazing and remarkable and they're doing really important work.” - Ashley Nickle (39:04)    And it's astounding how well the supply chain has weathered the demand. Ashley has spoken to a number of different supplies - potatoes, onions, berries, bananas, and the message they've given is important, and reassuring.    In the face of increased demand, the supply is doing great. Rest assured that our produce industry is resilient, prepared, and capable of handling the increased purchases as the world cooks at home.    “Our supply chain has this under control. Stores are getting restocked consumers are able to purchase what they need, and oftentimes in such a simple format like a curbside pickup or even having it delivered right to their home” Lori Taylor (19:46)    The power of teamwork.  It has been incredible to witness the innovative partnerships that are being formed because of the current pandemic. Associations such as the United Fresh Produce Association and the National Grocers Association are banding together to help make sure produce isn't wasted and consumers have access to the food they need.    As restaurants, schools, and other establishments no longer have the need for sizable orders of produce, UFPA and NGA are connecting those companies that wouldn't traditionally work together. Instead of cancelling orders, the distribution is reallocated (i.e. instead of going to a restaurant, a delivery is taken to a local supermarket that has been unable to keep up with the increased demand).    Why you should feel confident purchasing more produce during this time.   People are cooking at home in a way they never have before. This may be one of the most positive aspects of this dire situation. We are returning to a simpler time. Returning to the dinner table as a family whose obligations have been cancelled and schedules have been cleared. We are cooking at home, a “task” that is timeless in nature.    As we all try to stay safe and healthy, produce plays such an integral role. Various expert sources have reassured the public that COVID-19 is NOT transmitted through food or food packaging. Now is the time to increase produce consumption to bump up your immune system. It's good for body, mind, and spirit.    “COVID-19 is not transmitted through food or food packaging… the stores are doing everything they can to maintain proper sanitation at point of sale. Continue to purchase fresh produce, eat it with confidence, and lean on us in the industry if you need inspiration or have any questions” Lori Taylor (22:59)    As you may be adjusting to life at home, and perhaps more time spent in the kitchen, we're here to help you get creative. Our website is full of resources to help you keep things fresh and exciting, with recipes for the whole family. The produce industry is resilient, and will keep up with increased demand in the face of such uncertain times. Now is the time to join together like never before.   As an industry, a nation, and a world, we are unstoppable together!    How to get involved Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!  Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.  Stay up to date with the news on COVID-19 and produce, and other important information at The Packer.  For a treasure trove of recipes to help you keep cooking at home exciting, visit our website.    If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

The United Fresh Produce Association to host a new free virtual event called United Fresh Live!

Is it possible to find a “natural-born” salesperson? Of course, says Karen Caplan, President, and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce in Los Alamitos, California.  It’s often been said that the hardest thing for business leaders and owners to do is hire good salespeople.    ----more---- Dream sales candidates can turn into nightmares and they are expensive and complicated to separate once they’re in the system. What’s most important in hiring salespeople? Experience? Aptitude? Culture? What does an experienced CEO of a highly successful business value most?  She values the natural born salesperson and has learned how to find them. This could be the most rewarding 6 minutes you’ll spend all year. This program is an extract from an interview with Karen Caplan on January 14th with host John Asher of Asher Sales Sense: Two Things CEOs Should Look for in Hiring Top-Performing Salespeople About Karen Caplan Karen Caplan knows jack…fruit, among many other exotic fruits and vegetables. After all, produce is in her blood.  The eldest daughter of produce trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce and the first woman to own a produce company in the U.S., Karen graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Business Management and entered into the family business.  Now the co-owner, president, and CEO of Frieda’s, Karen is a produce industry leader. She was the first female chairperson of the United Fresh Produce Association and the first female president of the Southern California-based Fresh Produce & Floral Council. She has served on numerous boards and leadership positions, including as chairman and vice-chairman of the USDA Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee and board member of the Federal Reserve Bank, Los Angeles branch, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Karen currently serves on the boards of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, CSU-Cal Poly Pomona Dean’s Advisory Board, and UC Davis Agricultural Issues Center. She is also the current president of The Trusteeship, the Southern California chapter of the International Women’s Forum.  Karen is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist on leadership, innovation, and produce trends. She also writes a weekly blog, “What’s on Karen’s Plate?”. Connect with Karen on Twitter @Karen_Kiwi and on LinkedIn.  ___________________________________________ Asher Sales Sense is hosted by John Asher and Kyla O’Connell of ASHER Strategies which is a program on the Funnel Radio Channel.  ASHER Strategies is the sponsor of ASHER Sales Sense.     

Bob Whitaker, Ph.D., recently retired, served as the chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). In that role, Bob was responsible for food safety, technology, supply chain management, and sustainability. He also served on the Center for Produce Safety's Board of Directors as well as on the California Leafy Greens Technical Committee. Prior to joining PMA, Bob spent 16 years in the biotechnology arena with DNA Plant Technology Corporation as a researcher, and then as vice president of fruit and vegetable R&D. Bob's career has also included roles at NewStar Fresh Foods and its subsidiary MissionStar Processing. Bob earned his doctorate in biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Jennifer McEntire, Ph.D., is the vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh Produce Association. Before that, she was the vice president of science operations for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. She has also had roles as vice president and chief science officer at The Acheson Group and as the senior staff scientist and director of science and technology projects for the Institute of Food Technologists. She is an advisory board member of the Global Food Traceability Center, the technical committee of the Center for Produce Safety, and she serves on the executive committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance. Jennifer earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Needs Fellow in food safety.  In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Bob and Jen [14:07] about: How United Fresh and PMA work with retailers during recalls and foodborne outbreaks False beliefs that contamination within the leafy greens community doesn't or can't affect other food commodities How outbreaks that fly under the radar and go unannounced can hurt the industry The use of ag water and whether it's really the true root of contamination Their thoughts on the Produce Safety rule as it's currently written What trade associations are focusing on for the future Bob's Articles in Food Safety Magazine Latest Research Findings Hit on Produce Safety Priorities  Confronting Food Safety Challenges Head-On in Produce  The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Primary Production  The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Sector Leaders Sharing Their Challenges and Recommended Practices Jen's Articles in Food Safety Magazine Fixing FSMA's Ag Water Requirements  Environmental Monitoring in the Era of Whole-Genome Sequencing Building Food Safety Leaders Product Tracing in Food Systems: Legislation vs. Reality News Mentioned in This Episode USDA's New Swine Slaughter Rule Hit By Another Lawsuit [2:13] GMA Debuts as CBA [5:51] Three Separate Romaine Lettuce Outbreaks Declared Over [10:00] Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow Us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook  Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter We Want to Hear From You! Please share your comments, questions, and suggestions. Tell us about yourself—we'd love to hear about your food safety challenges and successes. We want to get to know you! Here are a few ways to be in touch with us. Email us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com

Bob Whitaker, recently retired, served as the chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). In that role, Bob was responsible for food safety, technology, supply chain management, and sustainability. He also served on the Center for Produce Safety's Board of Directors as well as on the California Leafy Greens Technical Committee. Prior to joining PMA, Bob spent 16 years in the biotechnology arena with DNA Plant Technology Corporation as a researcher, and then as vice president of fruit and vegetable R&D. Bob's career has also included roles at NewStar Fresh Foods and its subsidiary MissionStar Processing. Bob earned his doctorate in biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Jennifer McEntire is the vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh Produce Association. Before that, she was the vice president of science operations for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. She has also had roles as vice president and chief science officer at The Acheson Group and as the senior staff scientist and director of science and technology projects for the Institute of Food Technologists. She is an advisory board member of the Global Food Traceability Center, the technical committee of the Center for Produce Safety, and she serves on the executive committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance. Jennifer earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Needs Fellow in food safety.  In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Bob and Jen [18:13] about: Today's most pressing food safety issues in the produce sector The importance of personal engagement and individual operations Traceability challenges The benefits of having an electronic-based traceability system  Working with the Romaine Task Force Changes with how irrigation water is treated Providing federal and government agencies with the industry knowledge they need to complete an outbreak investigation What information agencies need when they conduct a traceback investigation Traceability issues with commingled food commodities Why blockchain is not a magical solution Bob's Articles in Food Safety Magazine Latest Research Findings Hit on Produce Safety Priorities  Confronting Food Safety Challenges Head-On in Produce Jen's Articles in Food Safety Magazine Fixing FSMA's Ag Water Requirements  Environmental Monitoring in the Era of Whole-Genome Sequencing Building Food Safety Leaders Product Tracing in Food Systems: Legislation vs. Reality News Mentioned in This Episode Chipotle's Use of Nurses to Verify Employee Cases of Norovirus [2:52] 2020 Goals for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service [7:41] The Frozen Food Listeria Lot Risk Assessment Tool [9:39] Update: Tyson Foods Wins Lawsuit Against USDA [15:27] Sponsor: Safe Food Alliance Safe Food California Safe Food Alliance Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow Us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook  Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter We Want to Hear From You! Please share your comments, questions, and suggestions. Tell us about yourself—we'd love to hear about your food safety challenges and successes. We want to get to know you! Here are a few ways to be in touch with us. Email us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com

Add the ASHER Sales Sense skill to your Alexa capable device to play the most recent or choose from a list. It’s often been said that the hardest thing for business leaders and owners to do is get good help. Hiring goes on all the time, but too often it goes south. Dream candidates can turn into nightmares and they are expensive and complicated to separate once they’re in the system. What’s most important in hiring salespeople? Experience? Aptitude? Culture? What does one experienced CEO of a highly successful business value most? ----more---- The January 2nd Asher Sales Sense Podcast, “Two Things CEOs Should Look for in Hiring Top-Performing Salespeople” with host John Asher features Karen Caplan, President, and CEO of Frieda’s Specialty Produce in Los Alamitos, California.  She’s the eldest daughter of produce trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce and the first woman to own a produce company in the U.S. Karen is now herself a produce industry leader. She was the first female chairperson of the United Fresh Produce Association and the first female president of the Southern California-based Fresh Produce & Floral Council. She has served on numerous boards and leadership positions, including as chairman of the USDA Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee and board member of the Federal Reserve Bank, Los Angeles branch, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Make 2020 a banner year for your company by taking the advice of a CEO dedicated to life-long learning and applying her proven methods to achieve business success.  Tune in on January 2nd to hear CEO band business leader Karen Caplan reveal how she built a dominating salesforce in a commodity marketplace. This could be the most rewarding half-hour you’ll spend all year. About John's guest: Karen Caplan knows jack…fruit, among many other exotic fruits and vegetables. After all, produce is in her blood.  The eldest daughter of produce trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Specialty Produce and the first woman to own a produce company in the U.S., Karen graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Business Management and entered into the family business.  Now the co-owner, president, and CEO of Frieda’s, Karen is a produce industry leader. She was the first female chairperson of the United Fresh Produce Association and the first female president of the Southern California-based Fresh Produce & Floral Council. She has served on numerous boards and leadership positions, including as chairman and vice-chairman of the USDA Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee and board member of the Federal Reserve Bank, Los Angeles branch, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Karen currently serves on the boards of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, CSU-Cal Poly Pomona Dean’s Advisory Board, and UC Davis Agricultural Issues Center. She is also the current president of The Trusteeship, the Southern California chapter of the International Women’s Forum.  Karen is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist on leadership, innovation, and produce trends. She also writes a weekly blog, “What’s on Karen’s Plate?”. Connect with Karen on Twitter @Karen_Kiwi and on LinkedIn. ___________________________________________ Asher Sales Sense is hosted by John Asher and Kyla O’Connell of ASHER Strategies which is a program on the Funnel Radio Channel.  ASHER Strategies is the sponsor of ASHER Sales Sense.     

Dr. Jennifer McEntire, Vice President of Food Safety at the United Fresh Produce Association, talks about combating pathogens in produce.

The second of two podcasts recorded on the exhibit floor at the United Fresh Produce Association show in Chicago, we look at how companies go outside their traditional lanes to explore new consumer connections and marketing advantages as they seek fresh (in every sense of that word) levels of relevance and resonance to the shopper. Our two guests are retail executives from different geographic areas but who, as the retail world goes through a series of revolutions, seem to have more in common every day: Greg Corrigan, senior director of produce and floral at Raley’s and chairman of United Fresh Tony Stallone, the “produce guru” at Ahold Delhaize-owned Peapod Hosted by Kevin Coupe of MorningNewsBeat This edition of the Retail Tomorrow podcast is sponsored by Hillphoenix, shaping the future of retail through technology and design innovation.

In this new episode of the Retail Tomorrow podcast, recorded on the exhibit floor at the annual United Fresh Produce Association show in Chicago, we focus on the the opportunities and challenges that the selfcare movement creates for companies looking to take advantage of it, how retailers can go beyond their four walls and develop an “outpost marketing” strategy, and the degree to which information can be the most compelling marketing tool. Our guests: Michael Stebner, director of culinary for Sweetgreen, the salad-centric fast casual restaurant chain Peter Steinbrick, director of national sales at Melissa’s, an importer and distributor of exotic and specialty fruits and vegetables The host: Kevin Coupe, MorningNewsBeat’s “Content Guy” This edition of the Retail Tomorrow podcast is sponsored by Hillphoenix, shaping the future of retail through technology and design innovation.

You want to have a successful event with raving fans? A great person to learn from is Mary Coppola, Vice President of Marketing & Communications for United Fresh Produce Association. In this podcast, John Lincoln interviews Mary about her career and what it takes to build a large event in a niche industry.

“One of our top priorities is how we can shift components of our plate to make them more nutrient dense and to bring in more of these under consumed vegetables into our daily diets. This product is a turn-key solution.” This week on The Produce Mom's Podcast, we sit down with self-proclaimed “Veggie Nerd,” and Founder of Cece's Veggie Co., Mason Arnold. Mason is also on the board with The United Fresh Produce Association. It is amazing how many guests on The Produce Moms have inspired change out of the necessity for innovation in their own lives. Cece's is named after Mason's daughter, and was created in 2015 as a way to provide a healthy and gluten free alternative to pasta. “Everything we do is meant to be fast and easy… the faster I can put things together, and still make sure my kids get vegetables as a major part of my dinner, helps to continue to inspire innovation at Cece's.” Cece's is Certified Organic, Whole 30 Compliant, Certified, Non GMO, and free of major allergens. They work closely with their farmers to determine vegetable variety, growing season, and to determine the very best timing for harvest. Mason is full of intention, purpose, and passion, and his goal, and the goal of Cece's as a whole,  is to move veggies to the center of the plate in a fun and delicious way. ‘One thing I've learned is having that balance and finding the things that are both nutrient dense, sustainable, and healthy, but also can be done in a way that everyone can access them, and help everyone in the country eat healthier.” Check out Cece's Veggie Co. at cecesveggieco.com for tons of resources, including recipes, more information about the company, and to find Cece's in a store near you!     Some Topics we talk about in this episode: Introduction // Mason Arnold - 1:31 Backstory for Cece's - 3:12 Product Line - 6:02 Partnering with Farms - 10:52   One Thing Learned in Forming Cece's - 16:02 What's Next for Cece's?! - 18:36 Wrap-up - 21:36   How to get involved Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/ Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com   If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

“Over 90% of the produce items USDA is purchasing for schools are dried, canned, or frozen… The opportunities created by the Farm Bill could be the only time that a child has access to fresh fruit and vegetables.” Mollie Van Lieu, Senior Director of the Nutrition Policy for United Fresh Produce, spends her days on The Hill, promoting change in our government regarding nutrition. Her mission is to increase the availability and consumption of fresh produce in our homes and schools. Before joining forces with United Fresh Produce, Mollie was the Senior Associate for Government Relations at The Pew Charitable Trusts. She was also the Senior Policy Strategist for the National PTA. “We have been working with the Senate and House to ensure that fruits and vegetables are incentivized… ensuring that we can grow these programs where the most people are shopping is really important.” In this episode, Lori and Mollie discuss the upcoming Farm Bill, and its potential impact on schools and government assistance. Mollie explains the political nature of nutrition, and delves into some of the different programs that are supported through Farm Bill. “Get as involved as you possibly can with United Fresh. I became a much better advocate, a much more passionate participant in our industry when I started getting involved with the political action.” Mollie is influencing lasting change in our government. However, you don't have to be a Senior Director in Washington DC to have an influence in policy. If you would like to do your part, below are some quick, easy, effective ways that you can be a part of impacting our nation! Click the link below to advocate for fresh produce - http://www.unitedfresh.org/action/ Visit the website of your members of Congress. Send them an email sharing your desire to continue providing fresh produce (instead of all forms- frozen, dried, canned) to our children! Some Topics we talk about in this episode: Introduction // Mollie Van Lieu - 1:19 What is United Fresh Produce Association?- 3:40 Why is Nutrition a Political Issue?- 7:02 What is Farm Bill, and What Programs Does it Support?- 9:55 What are the Critical Issues Regarding Child Nutrition?- 12:45 How You Can Get Involved- 18:42 Critical Issues Represented in Farm Bill- 24:36 Wrap-up - 26:21 How to get involved Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/ Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

NACS works with the United Fresh Produce Association and their members to help convenience stores grow sales of fresh produce. Hear what is new and exciting in the world of produce from United Fresh’s President and the Director of Convenience Store Sales at Fresh Del Monte Produce. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard, Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS and Carolyn Schnare, Director of Strategic Initiatives, NACS

This week's guest on Open Mic is Tom Stenzel, President and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association. Fresh off a very successful Washington Conference last week, Stenzel and the leaders of the produce industry are keeping a keen eye on the current round of NAFTA negotiations in Ottawa. Stenzel outlines the group's policy goals toward the 2018 farm bill including a difficult debate on nutrition restrictions or incentives for the SNAP program. Stenzel outlines the two biggest issues in the farm labor debate and discusses House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte's proposed H2-C labor proposal.

This week we chat with Mary Coppola, who is the Senior Director of Marketing Communications for United Fresh Produce Association. Produce is having a hey day with more products out to market, more models around food services and food delivery and more challenges in getting your product heard in this disruptive time. Mary will take us through some of the newest trends in Produce as well as share with us strategies for BrandStorm™, an annual produce marketing event created to advance the marketing acumen of fresh produce brands. Mary will also share how she's helping to connect and serve members and constituents of the Association. Check out a 'fresh' approach to marketing for a hot business category with Mary Coppola, Senior Director of Marketing Communications for United Fresh Produce Association, on the Tech Cat Show.

This week's guest on Open Mic is Tom Stenzel, President and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association. In this week's interview Stenzel identifies the top threat to the fruit and vegetable industry and how a shift in cabinet jurisdiction will still not resolve the matter. Stenzel welcomes a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement but strongly opposes a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for a wall between the two countries. Stenzel says the produce industry supports the Food Safety Modernization Act but hopes the Trump administration can bring relief to the burdensome regulations imposed during its implementation. Stenzel says research and nutrition are two areas they'll watch closely during discussion the 2018 farm bill.

Listeners of the show may recall that Blake has recently become a(n unlikely) vegan and a more frequent consumer of some items eschewed many -- like the soybean -- fundamental ingredient of the often misunderstood tofu. So today we chat with Patrick Delaney of the American Soybean Association who helps dispel some myths about soybeans. Have you ever wondered about the "man boob" rumor -- that soybeans are packed with estrogen and will make men less masculine? We'll address that issue before we dive into some of the other facets of the ASA which is a policy organization, like many associations we have on the show, and they face many of the same problems such as how to get your story heard "through the noise" (can you hear Blake ringing the bell and shouting "ding ding ding!"?). The ASA has 25,000 members in 30 states and has had a fascinating approach to holding their annual conference. Don't miss this episode to learn about the collaborations they're building to strengthen farmers across the board (and country).  Patrick Delaney is the director of policy communication for the American Soybean Association, where he directs the association’s public messaging on a variety of federal policy issues impacting soybean farmers. Prior to his time with ASA, Patrick managed communication for the United Fresh Produce Association and has experience in the radio, print, sports, and agency public relations industries. The American Soybean Association represents all U.S. soybean farmers on domestic and international issues of importance to the soybean industry. ASA’s advocacy efforts are made possible through voluntary farmer membership by farmers in 30 states where soybeans are grown.

Two years ago, NACS and United Fresh partnered to develop tools to increase the sale of fresh produce in convenience stores – and the partnership has been successful in its objectives. With more than 154,000 locations across the country, convenience stores are increasingly seen as a convenient destination for consumers to buy fruit and vegetables. And part of that reason is because NACS and the United Fresh Produce Association have worked together to significantly increase the sales of fresh produce in convenience stores. The groups have jointly developed toolkits and created task forces to continue to further their work. Guest:  Tom Stenzel, President and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association Co-hosts: Jeff Lenard, VP of Strategic Industry Initiatives for theNational Association of Convenience Stores; John Eichberger, Executive Director, Fuels Institute

At the 2014 CPMA/CPHA Health Summit in Toronto, Lorelei DiSogra , VP of Nutrition and Health at United Fresh Produce Association, speaks about global strategies, policy and environmental changes needed to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables. Download Podcast