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

This week, we welcome back Robert Schueller of Melissa’s World Variety Produce. He will tell us about some unusual, exciting, and delicious new products they will be offering in 2023. Robert’s official title at Melissa’s is Director of Public Relations. But we prefer his unofficial title given to him by countless consumer and national trade publications along with TV and radio personalities. “Produce Expert.” There probably is no one on the planet who is more of an expert on produce than Robert because his company sells well over a thousand different varieties of fresh fruits and veggies from all over the world. Tune in to hear about miracle berries, Tasmanian cherries, Calypso mangos, guava paste, toasted chickpeas, and a Japanese melon that is so delicious and prized that it sells for over $100 each.

Patrick Kelly is a recognized expert in the supply chain for fresh produce. For more than 15 years Patrick has been dedicated to growing supply chains for produce partners around the world. He is also a fellow podcaster with a show that focuses on how the industry works. He joins the Produce Buzzers to tell us all about how fruits and veggies get from the farm to your table. It’s a complex system with delicate time and temperature sensitivities. It involves the dedication of a community of people who work tirelessly to ensure that they arrive as fresh as possible. And Patrick is also dedicated to building and strengthening that community. Hear his insights about bridging the generation gaps and what he is doing to bring people together in the one-half trillion-dollar global produce industry. Patrick is an entrepreneur who is wise beyond his years and gave us a lot of nuggets of enlightening thoughts. Tune in to be inspired by them.

The Chinese calendar is based primarily on the phases of the moon which is why this celebration is also called the Lunar New Year. The new year usually begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year it begins on January 22nd and ends on February 5th. It is believed that the Chinese have celebrated the new year for about 3,500 years. But the first reference to it came from a Chinese agronomist during the Han Dynasty named Cui Shi. He wrote a book on agriculture called Simin Yeuling sometime during the second century A.D. So today we welcome back a very honored guest on the show, Robert Schueller of Melissas World Variety Produce and recognized “Produce Expert.” Robert is going to tell us all about his favorite Asian fruits and veggies today and we will talk about how some of them are used in the Chinese New Year celebrations.

January is the beginning of the season for the most delicious citrus fruit of the year. Groves in California, Florida, and Texas are getting into full production and will peak soon in flavor and volume. To celebrate that, we have a guest on the show this week who is one of the world’s foremost experts on tree fruit, especially citrus. Zak Laffite, the president of Wonderful Citrus, one of the largest growers and shippers of citrus in the world and the largest in North America. They grow and market the Halos brand of mandarins and clementines, one of the most recognized and loved brands in the produce aisle. He joins us to tell us about the delicious citrus products the Wonderful Company grows and distributes. Including Seedless Lemons! And you will learn what pomology is!

Welcome to Season Five of the Produce Buzzers Podcast! We start the New Year with a little alliteration. LOL! There is no more satisfying meal in the cold winter months than one featuring a hot, rich, and hearty soup. And if it is chock full of veggies there is nothing that is healthier. But soups are not just gastronomic treats. They are usually very quick and easy to make and very budget friendly. Now that the winter is here the Produce Buzzers wanted to share a few recipes for their favorite soups. Tune in to learn how to make them and at the same time, learn some interesting trivia and a little history about soup. And what are some of the most bizarre soups made around the world?

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On this week’s episode of PB Podcast, we want to look back at 2022 and pay tribute to the wonderful guests we had on the show. They helped make our podcast one of the most popular podcasts in the food category and right at the top of podcasts about fruits and veggies. So get ready for some of the best clips of the podcast in 2022 featuring the most interesting and knowledgeable experts in the fresh produce industry. This show is chock full of fascinating nuggets about fruits and veggies. Hope you enjoy it. And we have many more lined up for 2023, so make sure you subscribe and keep checking in for new episodes as the new year begins.

When we think of Christmas, we tend to believe that most of the world will celebrate it beside a toasty fire indoors wearing comfy sweaters and nice warm socks because, well. “Baby, it’s cold outside.” We see them imbibing imbibe in hot chocolate and hot mulled cider. They are feasting on roasted meats, winter root vegetables, and the fruits of deciduous trees like apples and pears. But on the other side of the earth, it will be the beginning of summer. And along the center of the earth, most people will still be able to go outside in shorts and t-shirts. They will be more likely to build a sandcastle than a snowman. The fact is the vast majority of people around the world will be celebrating a "Warm Christmas", not a "White Christmas." So what are some of the fruits and veggies they celebrate with for the holidays?

This week we have an extraordinary guest on the show with a fascinating mission in the world of fresh fruits and veggies. This man has to be one of the foremost experts, if not THE foremost expert, on the amazing diversity of edible plants that mother nature has to offer. Bob Harrington is the president of Specialty Produce, a wholesaler of fresh fruits and vegetables primarily to restaurants in San Diego, CA. They sell every type of fruit and vegetable, but as the name implies, they have become an invaluable source for chefs of more exotic, rare, and hard-to-find varieties. Bob has been traveling the world for almost three decades looking for and cataloging thousands of fruits and vegetables and their seemingly endless varieties. And he is going to tell us all about that adventure and what he has achieved. Tune in to hear about his quest and how you can access information on the thousands of fruits and veggies he has documented. 

Doing good is good business. That is the belief of Martin Casanova of THX! Dreams, a fresh produce company that donates part of its profits to help farm workers fulfill vital needs. And it is not only his belief, but he is showing that it is true. THX! Dreams provides many types of necessities to needy families who work on 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. Listen to the podcast to be inspired by Martin’s story and vision to give back after many years as a successful business owner. And learn how you can help him in his quest.

It will probably come as no surprise that November is National Roasting Month since the Thanksgiving meal most often features plenty of roasted dishes. So just in time for your holiday meal, the Produce Buzzers talk about a few of the best vegetables to accompany your turkey. Beets, Brussels sprouts, and rutabagas. But some anthropologists believe that humans learning to cook may have been one of the primary reasons for their rapid development physically. And that might help explain the vast difference between humans and animals. The first method of cooking for humans was roasting.