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

Our guest this week is leading a renaissance in agriculture that is spreading across the country. With this movement, he believes that hunger can be eliminated. His work is not just in theory. For decades, he has been spearheading grassroots efforts in local communities in Southern California not just to provide food to needy people but to teach them all about how food is grown and the tremendous effort that goes into producing it.

A.G. Kawamura is a third-generation produce grower and shipper from Orange County, California. From 2003 to 2010 he served as the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. He is the founding co-chair of Solutions from the Land, a nationally recognized non-profit that is developing innovative and sustainable climate-smart collaborations for 21st-century agriculture.

For over 40 years Mr. Kawamura has pursued a lifelong goal to work towards an end to hunger and malnutrition. He is passionate about using every space that is available and practical to grow food, especially in urban areas where food is needed most. As a progressive farmer, Mr. Kawamura has a lifetime of experience working within the shrinking rural and urban boundaries of Southern California.

He's been called one of the most talented agricultural specialists in the world and I think after you hear what he has to say today, you will probably agree.

This week we are going to have some more game show fun on the podcast and test our Produce Buzzers knowledge of different fruits and veggies. Once again, they will play a version of the classic TV Game Show “Jeopardy” with all the categories being about fruits and veggies. Since we are at the height of summer, we will feature summer fruits and veggies in the game.

The categories are:

• Berries

• Stone Fruit

• Melons

• Leafy Greens

• Nightshades

• Squash

How will they do? Who will win? Can you match their knowledge and get the right “questions” to the “answers?” Listen and play along. You are certain to find it entertaining. And you will learn some very interesting facts about fresh fruits and veggies.

This week’s guest returns to the Produce Buzzers Podcast for his second time. He is a man who pioneered podcasting about fruits and veggies. He was probably the first person to have a radio show that focused on fresh produce. Long before we had the term “podcasting” our guest was on the radio airwaves across the country with a show called “The Produce Pair’ that he started way back in 1998, he teamed up with another fresh produce colleague to talk all things fruit and veggie. The show was syndicated across the country on over 500 radio stations.

Our guest today is Dan Avakian, a.k.a. “Dan, The Produce Man” and he has 50 years experience working in the produce business. He has a deep passion for all things about fresh produce and brings that energy, along with his deep, rich, velvety voice when he talks about fruits and vegetables to his audience. You see, Dan moonlighted as a Rock Jock in the S.F. Bay Area while he worked days in various positions in the produce business. So he has a lot of experience in producing interesting and informative entertainment in compelling ways.

Dan now has his own podcast titled, “Fresh From the Field on which he zeroes in on a particular fruit or veggie to give the audience everything they need to know about it.

Since we share the same passion for fresh produce we are delighted to have Dan on the show again. Listen to get his expert tips for getting the best produce at your supermarket or farmers market.

Have you heard of “Sugar Mangos?” How about “Goldenberries” or “Cape Gooseberries?”

If not, you will want to stay tuned to hear about these wonderfully unique fruit varieties. Goldenberries are like nature’s candy with the perfect amount of sweet and tart. And Sugar Mangos, well they are a lot like other mangos, but smaller and how you can eat them will surprise you. Let’s just say a lot of the work to eat the average mango is not needed.

Today’s guest is Chris Palumbo, one of the founders of Goldenberry Farms, a premier importer and exporter of exotic fruits of all kinds. But Goldenberry Farms mission and vision is much more than just selling fruit. They were founded as a social impact company with the goal of ensuring sustainability and environmental stewardship throughout their growing operations, and the fair and equitable treatment of the farmers and farmworkers who grow their fruit.

Chris joins us today to talk about the work they do to bring delicious fruits to spice up your diet. Stay tuned to hear about the fruits they grow but, more importantly, to hear the inspiring message he has for how you as a consumer can make a positive difference in the food supply chain.

July is the month when Americans celebrate their nation’s independence. The Founding Fathers started the country to ensure its citizens’ life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And July is also a time when the nation celebrates a fruit that helps in that pursuit of happiness. Yes, it’s National Watermelon Month and the Produce Buzzers are honoring this delicious and joy-inspiring fruit. They are joined by a woman who probably knows more about watermelons than anyone on the planet.

Rachel Syngo is Chief Marketing Officer of Melon 1, the oldest and largest shipper of watermelons in the U.S. She has real passion for the work she is doing which is why we are delighted to have her on the podcast to help us celebrate. Tune in to hear all about watermelons, how they are grown, their nutritional value, and, maybe most important, how to pick the perfect watermelon.

Doing good is good business. That is the belief of Raul Fernandez and Martin Casanova of THX! Dreams, a fresh produce company that donates part of their profits to help farm workers fulfill vital needs. Raul and Martin join us this week on the podcast to tell us how THX! Dreams is providing many types of necessities to needy families who work on the farms where their fruits and veggies are grown. From computers and tablets for children in school, to home improvements like adding rooms to their homes, to online education and medical needs. The company is growing fast and fortune has favored them in so many ways. Raul says, “When you are striving to do good and especially for others, the universe conspires to help you.” A principle that THX! Dreams believes in and is fulfilling.

Listen in to be inspired by the story of Raul’s and Martin’s vision to give back after many years as successful business entrepreneurs. And learn how you can help them in their quest by doing nothing more than buying the right brand of fruits and veggies you are already eating.

You may have noticed that beautiful, delicious cherries are starting to show up in the produce sections of your favorite grocery stores. Yes, it’s a wonderful time of year when the new crop makes its way to the fresh produce aisle. Our guest this week has spent his career at one of the largest and premier fruit growers in the nation. Mac Riggan is the Director of Marketing for Chelan Fresh and the Joyfully Grown brand, one of the largest growers and shippers of cherries in North America. Mac estimates that they harvest about 120 billion cherries a year!

Chelan Fresh is a shipper of apples, pears, and cherries owned by the farmers who grow the fruit. Their farms are family-owned, many of which are now being led by the fourth, fifth, and even sixth generation of those families. Growing fruit and growing it well is just in their genes.

As cherry season is now starting, we are delighted to have Mac on the show today to tell us about the delicious varieties of this fruit that Chelan Fresh grows. Tune in to learn how cherries are grown and the challenges the growers face in their labor of love to bring you these delicious treats.

Have you ever tried microgreens? If not, you will be fascinated by this week’s episode. We have an expert on them who is pioneering growing methods for these tiny little versions of the veggies and greens you know so well in adult form. They are packed with flavor and nutrition.

Microgreens are vegetable greens (not to be confused with sprouts or shoots) harvested just after the first little leaves come onto the plant. They are used to add sweetness and spiciness to foods. They are loaded with nutrients and have been shown to have five times as many vitamins and carotenoids as their mature plant counterparts!

Our guest this week is Eric McClam who owns City Roots Farm in Columbia, SC. They grow their microgreens in greenhouses in soil (not hydroponic) and they grow these certified organic microgreens year-round. Their operation is 100% carbon neutral!

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

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