The Produce Moms Podcast

"For us to take the love that people have for berries and then provide them in additional settings, which allows us to go into non-traditional outlets is a great opportunity. It makes us excited to get up every morning ."

Steven Ware (6:02 - 6:16)

Naturipe Farms was founded in 1917 as a strawberry co-op in Salinas, California. Today, they sell many types of berries including fresh and conventional, and have expanded their crop to include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, and avocados.

The Produce Moms has been working with Naturipe for four or five years now and we are so blessed to have a relationship with such a great company. We believe in Naturipe's values, in the way they treat everyone from their farmers all the way down to households and Produce Moms everywhere. Naturipe is a 100% farmer-owned company. Naturally, everyone at Naturipe loves their job, including Steven Ware, Vice President and GM of ValueAdded Fresh, and CarrieAnn Arias, Vice President of Marketing.

Naturipe Snacks Division is one of Naturipe's newer divisions, started in 2012. One product that was recently launched is the Chobani Berry Yogurt Parfaits. At Naturipe, they knew that the number one thing consumers put in yogurt is berries. Berries and yogurt just go together. This partnership has been on Naturipe's wishlist for a long time. There have been technological challenges trying to create a berries and yogurt parfait that lasted longer than a single day. Finally, at the end of 2019, Naturipe officially jumped into the yogurt category.

Naturipe prides itself in being able to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace as a small company. When Steve and CarrieAnn met with Chobani in January 2020, it was like fireworks going off. This partnership was meant to be. Both companies' mission and values aligned, and they both had the same desires and challenges. The problem with berry parfaits in the past has been their shelf life. Once you add berries to yogurt, the berries start to break down the yogurt and the taste and texture diminish. Naturipe's goal was for consumers to be able to stock up on their Berry Yogurt Parfaits on a Friday and be able to eat them throughout the week, having the same eating experience on Tuesday as you did when you bought it on Friday. Naturipe is very excited about the outcome of this new product!

"We had these ingredients that we just kept falling in love with, and that's how the Bliss Bentos were born." CarrieAnn Arias (15:48 - 15:54)

While Naturipe was working with Chobani, they were also working on launching their Bento lines. They currently have two Bento box lines - Boost Bentos and Bliss Bentos. With these Bento lines, Naturipe has found a way to give you a snack that not only leaves you satisfied, but you feel good emotionally about eating it, because it is good for you and tastes good. Naturipe wanted this line to be something consumers craved, something you can't stop eating. They want to be a part of the movement that says snacking doesn't have to be unhealthy. If you haven't tried the Chocolate Cheer Bliss Bento - GO. You won't believe it's a chickpea.

Steven wants consumers to pause with a choice between a hot donut and whatever Naturipe comes up with and look at the Naturipe snack and say "Wow, that looks good AND is healthy, too." They're lucky that berries already check both of those boxes!

You can find Naturipe snacks at most of your local grocery stores, but they have expanded to selling their products in a little over 2,000 Circle K convenience stores, and are in the process of being added to about 1,400 CVS pharmacies. For a more detailed list of retailers, visit https://www.naturipefarms.com/.

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!

"Usually when people think of avocados, they think of guacamole. Fortunately we have an avocado that's a little more versatile."

Chris Gonzalez (07:02 - 07:09)

Avocados have become household favorites in the United States, as of late. The small Hass avocado is the most popular, but to our neighbors in Latin America, the tropical avocado is the norm. WP Produce was founded to provide these avocados to Latin communities in the United States that are familiar with them.

Vice President of WP Produce, Desiree Morales grew up on tropical avocados and it led her father to start WP Produce in 1984. While working in retail markets for a chain in the United States he realized they didn't serve his community with the products he grew up with in Cuba. He then founded WP Produce to make those products accessible to other Latin consumers in the United States. He began with importing produce like avocados and payas from the Dominican Republic so people in his community would have foods they're familiar with. Years later, his family continues to run the company.

Vice President of Sales at WP Produce Chris Gonzalez is not only Desiree's cousin but a second generation grower as well. To Chris, the versatility of tropical avocados is key as you get more bang for your buck. One tropical avocado can be about the size of a softball and equal out to around four Hass avocados. The sizing is naturally larger with a creamier flavor, resulting from growing at a higher altitude. Tropical avocados also stay greener, longer.

"The main thing that consumers love about tropical avocados is the oxidation. It's much slower. It won't turn black as fast." Desiree Morales (14:01 - 14:08)

Bringing tropical avocados to the United States is not about "taking over" the avocado market. Households are more familiar with the Hass avocado right now but tropical avocados bring with them different characteristics.

Chris and Desiree are proud to be able to provide tropical avocados year-round, coast to coast, a feat typically not seen in other produce markets. No one grows, sources, and ships more avocados than WP Produce.

You can find WP Produces' tropical avocados at Publix, Weggmens, Wal-Mart and Albertsons. If you can't find any locally, WP Produce recently launched a direct-to-consumer tropical fruit box. Everything in the boxes are packed at the WP Produce headquarters and shipped fresh.

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!

Live from Western Growers Annual Meeting in San Diego, California! Lori is joined by Jenny Maloney and Marshal Sewell from Bayer Crop Science to discuss this year's events and the critical issues that America's specialty crop farmers are facing right now.

Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide over half the nation's fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including nearly half of America's fresh organic produce. Some members also farm throughout the U.S. and in other countries so people have year-round access to nutritious food. For generations, we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers.

"It's going to take us all to work together to get the food system in a place that we really need it to be."

Meg Savage (14:24 - 14:30)

For some food insecure families, it's not a simple task getting access to food, let alone healthy food. Pantries are sometimes in scarce supply, or simply don't provide healthy options. In the five boroughs of New York, Feed Forward is on a mission to make healthy food accessible to those in need.

While working on corporate America, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Feed Forward Meg Savage discovered that she had an auto-immune condition that completely changed her relationship with food. Since then, she diverted the way that she works, bringing her to the food innovation field to find ways to get people better access to quality food. Coming together with her Co-Founders, Winston Chiu and Elizabeth Peralta Foxwell during the COVID-19 pandemic just six months ago, they set a mission to align technology and innovation with the actual needs of their communities.

At its core, Feed Forward focuses on empowering a healthy and sustainable food economy by implementing programs to help secure better food access and even getting better food into supermarkets. Feed Forward does this through their three verticals: programs, products and consultancy.

"Essentially, we view ourselves as the bridgemakers and the connectors." Meg Savage (06:35 - 06:38)

Feed Forward's "More Than A Meal" Program was one of the first established. The technology around the program matches food insecure individuals and families with meals and groceries. After signing up for the program, people are matched with a restaurant or grocery store within walking distance of their home and are able to order and pick up a meal. This becomes a more practical approach to helping those in need, as they won't waste time waiting in a line for food they don't know if they'll eat, or even get.

Feed Forward also works closely with specific tech products that utilize blockchain to make certain food supply chains more sustainable, traceable and affordable. With different applications in tech, Meg states they are vital to making healthy food more accessible to food insecure communities.

"A lot of people who are in this situation are looking to overcome certain obstacles and need that support. Their time is so valuable." Meg Savage (11:36 - 11:46)

Feed Forward's consultancy arm works with organizations big and small on how they can be contributors to a better food system. Their collaboration focuses on giving back to the community and even how to actually make their operations more sustainable. Oftentime clients want to include programs that have been created by Feed Forward, as the company's verticals typically end up crossing each other.

Aside from giving feedback on FeedFWD.com, individuals that want to contribute can do so in simple everyday experiences. Meg encourages that if consumers see the Feed Forward logo at their local grocer, to make sure they shop there as they're aiming to get to a point where a portion of what's purchased goes back into programs like More Than a Meal.

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!

"Pears are so versatile because they have a mild flavor that plays well with a lot of ingredients"

Lisa Carrington (10:56 - 11:02)

Pears may be a type of fruit not thought of in your daily consumption, but it should be. With a sweet, but not overwhelming, flavor, pears are a healthy addition to any recipe whether it be cooked, baked, or even mixed into your favorite cocktail.

87% of commercial pears in the United States are grown in Oregon and Washington by simple, family farms. These farms are represented by USA Pears, the brand of non-profit marketing organization promoting pears grown in the Pacific Northwest. Neil Ferguson, Creative Marketing Manager at USA Pears, expresses that the pear is such a versatile fruit while being an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C with only 100 calories per serving. Their nutritional benefits also include potassium, iron, and calcium while being sodium, cholesterol and fat free.

"There's lots of reasons to make it a healthy addition to your menu, or as a snack." Neil Ferguson (04:31 - 04:37)

With its versatility and over 400 recipes available on the USA Pears website, there's bound to be a way that consumers can tie pears into their meals, or even their drinks.

Lisa Carrington, aka The Cocktail Maven, has a close relationship with pears not only in her drinks but in her personal life. Growing up on a farm in Washington, her parents grew pears and still do to this day. Living the "farm life" Lisa and her family always found different ways to eat the pears that they grew. Though cooking was her first artistic outlet of pears, Lisa says it was a natural evolution to cocktail making.

"[In 2007] In America we had a bit of an awakening. We were starting to think about what we were drinking and where those drinks came from. Distilleries popped up all over and they were familie distilleries just like family farms." Lisa Carrington (09:22 - 09:33)

As people began to care more about what was in their drinks, cocktail makers began shifting from processed ingredients to fresh ingredients.

This created the perfect landscape for Lisa to begin experimenting with pears in her drinks and turn her self education of cocktail making into a huge passion. Thanks to her personal relationship with them, and their added qualities and benefits, Lisa assures that the pear is her favorite ingredient to use in her cocktails.

Lisa states that the versatility of pears makes it match well with almost any ingredient and liquor of choice. With a mild flavor, pears do not overtake the drink itself, merely complimenting other ingredients making it a perfect cocktail addition. As to not be overwhelming, pears can elevate a drink to the next level, making you feel a bit fancier, without the leg work.

As pear season is in the fall, Lisa says that some of the best drinks to include pears are those with spices, even putting pumpkin spice to shame.

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!

"NO one individual, one company or one sector of the supply chain could or should be expected to come up with sustainable solutions on their own. It's about working collaboratively and each taking responsibility to do their part."

Nikki Cossio (25:14 - 25:23)

In the grand scheme of things, the focus of sustainability is to reduce our environmental footprint on the world. While we, as consumers, can help with minor tasks such as recycling, at-home composting or trading home items for more reusable ones, the true difference makers are large companies. When it comes to agriculture, most of the practices used are not very earth-friendly.

Andrew Duda began Duda Farm Fresh Foods after successfully growing celery as his first crop. He chose celery because 100% of the crop is usable from the leaves to the bottom of the stock, leaving none to waste. Nearly 100 years later, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is continuing that legacy by supporting internal efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. At the forefront of this initiative over the last three years is a team within Duda called the Growing Greener Generations Team. The team includes representatives from all spectrums of the company allowing a widespread contribution and input.

"Having staff involved in the management and administration of these programs is really an opportunity to build the culture around sustainability." Nikki Cossio (10:39 - 10:49)

For Nichole Towell, Senior Director of Marketing and Packaging Procurement at Duda, her focus has mainly been on sustainable packaging. Aside from wanting companies to be more sustainable, consumers want transparency around sustainability. They want less plastic all around or if plastic is going to be used, they want to know it's recyclable or has some recyclable material. Nichole and Duda are working with advancements in their packaging process such as including a "how to recycle" label as an educational tool for the consumer. This label will explain how to recycle each piece of the packaging they receive. Nichole says it's been a great communication piece to explain to consumers that may not know what is and isn't recyclable in their packaging and what to do with it.

"I really look at [sustainability] as people protecting people, planet and profit." Nichole Towell (19:48 - 19:58)

A vital partnership in working towards more sustainability all around has been one with Measure to Improve. Measure to Improve helps agricultural producers and processors measure, improve and credibly promote their sustainable efforts for consumers. They show companies how to stay ahead of mandates and appeal to the environmentally conscious buyers. Nikki Cossio, Founder and CEO of Measure to Improve, and her team have been an integral part to the Growing Greener Generations Team for the last three years by showing Duda ways to continually track what they're doing and how to get better at it. Since then, she's been able to build upon their programs and even start on ones that focus solely on farming.

While the focus for Duda has been packaging, for Nichole, the natural next step is compostability. Unfortunately, the technology hasn't caught up yet. The process isn't as simple as creating compostable packaging with important other factors involved; It has to reduce its environmental impact, it has to be affordable, and it has to keep food safety and shelf life in mind.

Nichole is confident that Duda will be able to reach these goals in the not-so-distant future as the technology improves more and more. With partnerships with Nikki and the team from Measure to Improve, Duda is spearheading chain-wide initiatives to reduce their environmental impact along the way and hopefully inspiring other farms to do the same.

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!

"[The branding] is a callout to help the consumer remember the apple when they go to the store and pick it up"

Vince Lopes (25:51 - 25:58)

While there are a hefty amount of different apple varieties available on the market right now, many are being taken out due to lack of consumer preference. This gives companies like T&G the opportunity to create new variations on an old favorite. At the forefront of the Envy and Jazz apples, T&G is looking to make them stand out above the rest.

If you've been an avid listener to The Produce Moms, this won't be the first time you've heard managed varieties in produce. You'll also know the time and effort that goes into bringing them to the market from planting the first tree, to hitting grocery shelves. The Envy apple, which is a cross between a Gala and a Braeburn apple, hit the market in 2008 but took nearly a decade to come to fruition. Other variations can even take longer.

Envy, and its sister the Jazz apple, both hold up well and last longer in transit and on retail shelves. Envy, itself, has certain characteristics that allow consumers to cut them up even up to an hour before eating without worrying about browning. While these features are thanks to natural cross-pollination, they wouldn't have been possible if not for the evolution of the apple category.

Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at T&G Global North America Vince Lopes states that we're starting to see less and less of older varieties becaused new managed ones are becoming more and more versatile. For example, their Jazz apple has a balance between sweet and tart, while the Envy has a specific aroma and texture you can sink into with every bite. As such, both have an expansive versatility in usage whether it's in baking, cooking, or simply eating them raw.

These managed varieties are booming in popularity with over 60 trying to get on grocery shelves. In reality, any given retailer only holds about six. When making a specific branded variety, companies like T&G have to give consumers something to remember so that when they see it at the store, they buy it.

"We're trying to develop programs that are appealing to shoppers." Cecilia Flores Paez (23:59 - 24:02)

Vice President of Sales and Operations at T&G Global North America Chris Willett states that what's unique about their branded varieties is that they have complete control from the fields to the retailer. Unlike Golden or Red Delicious apples that can be grown anywhere, by anyone, T&G have certain standards with their growers.

"We can manage volume and measure supply versus demand and grow accordingly." Chris Willett (17:40 - 17:44)

T&G has also been working on advanced technologies when it comes to picking and packing. Some of their newer systems can see into fruits in the packaging line to point out imperfections. Others include drones that can fly over orchards for crop management and most recently they began using a machine that blows leaves off of trees therefore exposing the fruit to more sunlight for better color.

Head of Marketing for T&G Global North America, Cecilia Flores Paez is proud that T&G has gained notoriety with their Envy and Jazz apples. as of late. With a campaign partnership with Hallmark Channel, T&G recently won a Produce Marketing Excellence award for delivering a breakthrough campaign that made a difference during COVID-19 during the 2020 holidays. During the campaign, they worked on helping families celebrate the holidays with unique, new and delicious recipes that were named for Hallmark Channel holiday films. The Envy apple was also recently named "Best in Produce" by Kitchn - a food and lifestyle media outlet that debates for weeks to select and name the best grocery items to try in America right now.

Being grown in both the United States and New Zealand, T&G is able to provide the Envy apple year round at most national and regional retailers. Jazz, on the other hand, is an heirloom variety and can be harder to find, but worth it when you do.

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!

"Our CEO, Shah Kazemi, felt like it was important to give back to the families that are behind the brand."

Lindsey Occhipinti (06:47 - 06:52)

Celebrating its 50th year in business, Monterey Mushrooms has taken the "family first" philosophy to new levels over the years. Still family-owned, Monterey has given back to its employees' families over the last 30 years, assisting their children in furthering their post-secondary education goals.

Starting with just one farm in California, Monterey Mushrooms now spans nine farms with national distribution of over 200 million pounds of mushrooms every year. The company continues to be a private and family-owned business. To further support their over 4,000 employees and instill their family first ideals, Monterey Mushrooms established a scholarship program in 1992.

In 2004, the scholarship was renamed the Carl Victor Fields Scholarship on behalf of the company's past Vice President of Marketing who was passionate about the importance of young people reaching their full potential. The scholarship is specifically for any students that are children of employees at Monterey Mushrooms looking to further their post-secondary education. The application process consists of students discussing their academic background, interests, work experience and personal achievements. Since the program was established, Monterey Mushrooms has awarded over $3m in scholarship money to children of employees.

The feeling of comradery and family atmosphere in the work environment is certainly trickled down to its employees at every level. After Marketing Manager Lindsey Occhipinti graduated from college she knew she wanted to work in agriculture. As a marketer, Lindsey stresses the importance of her beliefs aligning with her companies; if she doesn't believe in what she's saying it won't come off as authentic to the consumer.

"I just got a sense of community from the brand and from talking to the people." Lindsey Occhipinti (15:00 - 15:07)

At the time, Monterey Mushrooms wasn't a company she was too familiar with, but after researching it more and talking to the hiring manager she got a sense of community. Lindsey discovered Monterey truly stood for a family oriented culture and it was something she could really get behind and be proud of being a member.

As a recipient of the Carl Victor Fields Scholarship, Ana Mejia's parents have both been with Monterey Mushrooms for over 25 years as pickers and now head of the cafeteria at the Loudon, Tennessee location. With Monterey Mushrooms being part of her family her entire life, Ana knows first hand the company culture.

"It just feels like home. Everyone gets along very well and we all believe in each other and push each other to become better people." Ana Mejia (13:33 - 13:43)

When Ana began her post-secondary education path, it was a no-brainer to apply for the scholarship. Not only did she apply, but she was awarded the scholarship all four years of her time at Tennessee Tech University earning her Degree of Science in Business Administration with a major in accounting. After which, she continued to earn her Master's and is currently working on her CPA. Ana attests that she truly wouldn't have had this opportunity if it weren't for Monterey Mushrooms and the support of her parents. The scholarship helped her gain her career and educational goals by reducing the cost. While getting her degree she had the opportunity to gain experience working in the accounting department at Monterey, and now she gets to work closely with her parents.

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!

"Managed varieties are something that give consumers a fresher look at the categories they love"

Jennifer Parkhill (11:39 - 11:49)

All produce isn't created equal in the agriculture industry and with the introduction of managed varieties consumers are able to find precisely the taste and texture they're looking for. SweeTango has been a trailblazer in the apple category, providing a sweet variety you'll come back for time and time again.

The "experiment" of the SweeTango apple variety was actually developed by the horticultural research team at The University of Minnesota as a cross between the Honey Crisp and the Zestar!. First hitting the market in 2009, it was their first shot at commercialization of the first managed variety in the apple category. As such, it truly paved the way for other varieties to come to market. Now, SweeTango has growers in New York, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington and even Canada, all of which are hand picked.

Executive Director Jennifer Parkhill is at the forefront at SweeTango Apples as they continue to innovate their variety and make consuming healthy fruits more enjoyable and fun. Growing up in agriculture, Jennifer's father was a corn and sugar beet farmer in Colorado. Living in the west, Jennifer worked for US Foods for 19 years in marketing and produce category management. That position led her to the co-op that produces the SweeTango Apple trees and has now been with them for the last two years.

While varieties like Red Delicious, Fuji and Honeycrisp are legacy staples in the apple category, managed varieties are actually created through a process of cross-pollination. Because the process is so meticulous and time consuming, managed varieties typically have limited availability and scope. These varieties are created to highlight an apples' distinct characteristics that may not have been able to occur naturally through cross pollination. Because of this, consumers really have the ability to find the specific taste and texture they're looking for.

The process of creating a managed variety is a long and arduous one. Jennifer describes it as the ultimate in product research & development as some varieties can take 20-30 years from start to planning and getting an apple on the market.

"You have to be resilient if it takes 20 years to develop a product." Jennifer Parkhill (06:19 - 06:22)

While most managed varieties are more limited, Jennifer states that SweeTango is starting to be released for longer and longer after the growers have seen how valuable it is and how high of a demand there is for it. For consumers, once you're a fan of SweeTango, you don't want any other apple; it is that good!

Jennifer says that the best part of the SweeTango apple is that they're good for you, while tasting amazing. No parent will feel any regret when giving their kids more apples because they like the taste.

Because SweeTango apples are grown nationwide, they're trying even harder to reduce their carbon footprint by selling the apples in the same region that they're grown. SweeTango is also working on being more sustainable growers by cutting down on plastic usage in packaging in the next few years.

"It's important to us to be good stewards of the land and be able to then hand land to farm for generations to come." Jennifer Parkhill (15:10 - 15:17)

Jennifer also offers a challenge to consumers: next time you're at your local grocery store, pick one of each variety of apples. Take them home and do a fun activity with your kids. Have your kids or friends cut and rate each apple by taste and texture. This is a fun way to find what they like and don't like about each variety. You will be amazed at the different tastes and opinions of each of your contestants!

Finding SweeTango apples near you has never been easier. Apples can be found at Wal-Mart, Trader Joes, Aldi, Costco and Kroger. If they don't happen to be at your local big box grocer, the company recently launched a product locator on their website making it easier to find marketers simply by entering your zip code.

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!