In this episode of the Produce Industry Podcast, Patrick Kelly recaps AgLife Media’s 2025, highlighting key projects, industry conversations, and how the company supported produce professionals through a year of change. Patrick shares what AgLife Media learned from the field, the topics that resonated most with the industry, and how those insights are shaping the year ahead.

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays,

Dan the Produce Man and Ross the Produce Boss are

talking Christmas cookie traditions, with Ross sharing family-favorite Czech

recipesand why he still uses an old-school, hand-turned grinder to make walnut flour

the traditional way. That technique also opens the door to gluten-free and

dairy-free holiday cookie options.

On the table this week: Oro Blancos, Kishu mandarins, sweet

limes, imported Bing cherries, white strawberries, chestnuts, Davison apples,

late-season Fuyu persimmons, and how to use them, even when they start to

soften so nothing goes to waste.

It’s festive, it’s flavorful, and it’s all right here on

this holiday episode of Fresh from the Field Fridays, from the Produce

Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media.

In this episode of the Global Fresh Series, we begin with a lighthearted (and honest) reflection on holiday travel, how flying has changed over the years, and why a cup of fresh fruit might be the best carry-on you can bring. But quickly, the conversation turns serious as we examine how timing, weather, and global trade pressures are reshaping fresh produce supply chains. Shifting to the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where torrential rainfall in Northwest Washington is creating real-time challenges for growers of berries, seed crops, specialty vegetables, forage, and dairy feed.

Peak of the Market: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://peakofthemarket.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Premium Zag Technological Services, Inc.:  https://www.zagtech.com/ 

Global Women Fresh: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://globalwomenfresh.com

What do gold, frankincense, and myrrh really tell us about the world into which Jesus was born? Who were the Magi - kings, mystics, scientists, or traders - and why did they travel vast distances carrying some of the most valuable agricultural products on Earth? How do desert trees in Arabia and the Horn of Africa connect a humble birth in Bethlehem to ancient global supply chains, imperial economics, and the earliest luxury produce markets? And what happened when symbolic gifts became engines of demand, reshaping landscapes, trade routes, and even Christian worship for centuries to come?

Join John and Patrick as they follow the scent trail of frankincense and myrrh - from wounded bark and caravan routes to temples, churches, and modern medicine - in a fresh-produce retelling of the Nativity that reveals the Three Wise Men not as fairy-tale kings, but as emissaries of the ancient global economy.

This is the Christmas story as you’ve never heard it before: rooted in trees, trade, and the fragile agricultural systems that quietly changed the world.

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In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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In this episode of the Produce Industry Podcast, Patrick Kelly sits down with Shay Myers, President of Owyhee Produce, for a conversation that happens mid-flight as the two travel together on a plane. With nowhere to be but in the moment, they talk about produce, where to find truly good-quality fruits and vegetables, and what separates the best products from the rest. Along the way, Shay shares insights from a lifetime in farming, touching on leadership, family legacy, and how the produce industry continues to evolve. It’s an easygoing, honest conversation rooted in a shared love of great produce.

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Chef Jeffrey Schlissel joins us with smart, time-saving prep tips to make your holiday cooking a whole lot easier. We get into what you can prep ahead so you’re not slammed on the big day, the latest trends in the restaurant and food-service world, and a heads-up about ingredients in fresh-prepped foods. Chef Jeffrey brings the heat with practical advice and plenty of industry insight. All this and more from The Produce Industry Network and AgLife Media.

In this week’s episode, host Juanita Gaglio takes listeners on a whirlwind tour of the global fresh-produce scene — from bananas mysteriously washing ashore on U.K. beaches to the first shipments of Chilean cherries sparking excitement for the holiday season. We’ll also look at why broccolini is having a major moment on menus and market shelves alike.

The feature story dives into the USMCA Agreement review, exploring what’s at stake for growers, exporters, and retailers across North America. With trade policy, produce trends, and fresh arrivals all on the table, this episode serves up a delicious mix of insight, intrigue, and inspiration — straight from the global produce supply chain.First Class Sponsor: Peak of the Market: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://peakofthemarket.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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From incestuous wasps and prehistoric forests to sacred enlightenment, revolutionary resistance, and a certain square-shaped snack aisle icon - what if the fig is the most powerful fruit in human history?

Join John and Patrick as they trace the astonishing 80-million-year saga of the fig: its ancient pact with tiny wasps, its role in shaping ecosystems, feeding early humans, inspiring gods and emperors, fueling revolutions in Kenya, and conquering America as the mighty Fig Newton.

Was the fig humanity’s first domesticated plant? Did it help build civilizations, religions, and even our own hands? And how did one strange fruit manage to bridge myth, medicine, empire, and mass production?

This is the epic, unexpected history of the fig - one of the most extraordinary stories nature ever wrote.

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In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.

The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!

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Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.

Support us!

• Share this episode with your friends
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• Write a review

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In this candid and energizing episode, host Patrick Kelly steps away from the fields and into the doctor’s office—literally. Fresh from a recent medical checkup, Patrick shares what he learned, what surprised him, and why the conversation around health and wellness is more important than ever.

Patrick opens up about how personal health ties directly into the produce industry, our food system, and the choices consumers make every day. From nutrition trends and preventative care to the pressures of modern life and the importance of listening to your body, this episode serves as both a reminder and a wake-up call: your health is your biggest asset.

The future of produce, packaging, and innovation is happening at the SWIPE Expo, and you won’t want to miss it. This is your chance to connect with industry leaders, explore groundbreaking technology, and discover what’s next for the world of fresh produce.

SWIPE Expo Registration: https://web.cvent.com/event/0ac4c457-55e5-4cb8-951e-71c1fb8944af/regProcessStep1

Link to episode with Michelle Pearlman mentioned in this episode: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2db66830-74db-45d8-9f4c-393b131e1f87/episodes/ffc1cd72-5b7f-4efb-afb4-b3c84a966b91/the-produce-industry-podcast-w-patrick-kelly-power-of-food-as-medicine-w-dr-michelle-pearlman---ep381?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fmusic.amazon.com%2F

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays:

Ross is on the East Coast at the New York Produce Show, and Dan is in Monterey at the Organic Grower Summit. We kick things off with the latest on the strawberry situation, then roll right into our picks of the week: crisp Iceberg lettuce, sweet Ambrosia apples, classic Rome Beauties, those gorgeous red Dianju pears, and creamy Bacon avocados. And believe it or not, Dan's garden is still pumping out tomatoes here in December.

It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays from The Produce Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media!