The Produce Moms Podcast

"It takes 706 gallons of water to make 1 cotton t-shirt. That's enough water for humans to drink for 2 ½ years."

Gina Lee (6:39 - 6:47)

Gina Lee is the Founder of The UPcyclers Network and is a passionate advocate for businesses that are creating value from "waste."

Gina has over 15 years of experience working in the areas of corporate social responsibility and social impact in the United States, China and Germany with organizations including the Aspen Institute, the American Sustainable Business Council and Mercy Corps.

Gina believes that social entrepreneurs will change the world, and she founded The UPcyclers Network to challenge our reliance on natural resource extraction and build a sustainable economy where waste is simply a resource out of place. Building a sustainable economy is imperative for all industries, especially agriculture. This vision lays the foundation for the circular production model of the future.

What is a Circular Economy?

A circular economy is presented as a system of resource utilization where the elements of reduction, reuse and recycle prevail. The goal is to minimize production to a bare minimum, and when it's necessary to use a resource, to go for the maximum reuse of the elements that can't be reused and recycled.

Gina recognizes that there is no solution for our world's ever-increasing consumption of consumer goods. With the World Resource Institute and Brookings Institute predicting consumer spending to increase three-fold, action from consumers and producers is needed now. It starts with reduction, but we also need to figure out a more sustainable consumption system.

"As consumers/retailers we need to advocate to have more recycled content in our stuff...not just say-is this material recyclable? Because otherwise, this stuff is all just recyclable, but no one's buying that recycled material back. It doesn't work." Gina Lee (9:29-9:47)

Waste as a resource

How do we create value from waste that we currently send to the landfill? There are numerous ways. For example, recycling aluminum saves 95% of energy and recycling glass saves 34%. When you take a car to a junkyard and they scrap metal, that can reduce greenhouse emissions by a thousand pounds which is equivalent to 400 gallons of gasoline.

Being able to reuse recyclable materials has a huge environmental footprint. When we buy products; furniture, household goods, clothing, it creates a large stress on our planet because you need a ton of resources to consume "stuff." Landfills are filling up so fast and we need to develop an industry that will reduce the need for landfills and make sustainable products from waste.

"While environmental problems are growing, we do each have the power individually and through sharing with our families and loved ones about more sustainable ways to live..." Gina Lee (9:29-9:47)

Call to Action

As Gina explained, the earth recently reached a point where our resource consumption exceeds the earth's capacity to regenerate resources. It all comes back to reduction.

Recycle what you know can be recycled but also lower your personal environmental footprint by purchasing items that are re-used or second hand. If consumers are demanding it, then corporations will follow.

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.
• Learn more about Upcyclers Network.

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!

"Mushrooms are a superfood. They are nutrient-packed with fiber, B vitamins, potassium, selenium, copper and ergothioneine"

Lindsey Occhipinti (11:07 - 11:12)

With the gloomy winter months upon us, especially here in the Midwest, we can all use more vitamin D. Thankfully, we have innovative farms like Monterey Mushrooms who have teamed up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to replicate vitamin-D rich sunlight indoors for a much higher concentration of the vitamin normally found in mushrooms.

"Monterey Mushrooms is a national brand but is locally grown always." - Lori Taylor. (8:08 - 8:11)

Monterey Mushrooms has grown from a single farm in 1971 to producing mushrooms on nine farms across North America. Monterey Mushrooms strive to provide fresh, locally grown mushrooms to everyone's favorite grocery stores and restaurants. Lindsey Occhipinti is the marketing manager at Monterey Mushrooms. She has spent nearly a decade working in the fresh produce industry and specifically focused on mushrooms.

Monterey Mushrooms harvest a large variety of fresh mushrooms including White Button Portabellas, Oyster, Shitake, Brown beech, White beech, King Trumpet and Portabellini®.

All the mushroom varieties from Monterey Mushrooms can be used to make diverse and tasty meals in the kitchen, including meatless dishes. Mushrooms make a great side dish or topping to any meat. Lori suggests cooking them with garlic and shallots. You can reduce your salt intake by cooking with mushrooms. Mushrooms are versatile enough to compliment almost any meal that you craft.

Try introducing mushrooms to your family in creative ways by adding them to your family's favorite dishes. At home, Lindsey replaces a chicken breast with a portabella cap in her favorite chicken marsala recipe. Using Monterey Mushrooms will reduce your reliance on vitamin D supplements as mushrooms are a natural source.

"What we're really trying to do is accomplish what's done out in nature. So in rough terms what happens in nature in 20 minutes, we have figured out how to do in about 20 seconds ." - Lindsey Occhipinti (14:27-14:43)

The high vitamin D content of Monterey Mushrooms is produced from an expedited process where the Ergothioneine is converted to vitamin D through a post-harvest process involving the exposure of the mushrooms during packaging to a precise wavelength of ultraviolet light.

Most Americans are not getting the necessary amount of vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for absorption in the body of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, which helps to maintain bone strength.

Beyond being essential for bone health, vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in diabetes, colon, prostate, and breast cancer, hypertension, depression, multiple sclerosis and arthritis. In general, vitamin D is critical to overall health and is a major contributor to the immune system.

Unfortunately, dietary sources of vitamin D are limited to certain types of fish, animal livers and eggs and fortified foods.

Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable that naturally contain vitamin D.

Now, through exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, Monterey Mushrooms can naturally increase the stable level of vitamin D within mushrooms to well above 50 percent of the FDA's recommended daily value.

Monterey Mushrooms has made it easy for you to consume "high in vitamin D" mushrooms. Look for a vitamin D enhanced label found on select packages of Monterey Mushrooms' white buttons, baby bellas, and portabella mushroom caps. Where can you buy these? We have you covered! Follow this link https://www.montereymushrooms.com/where-to-buy-high-vitamin-d-mushrooms

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.
• Want to learn more about Monterey Mushrooms, then follow them on their website here.

The Produce Moms Podcast is live on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. If you like what you are hearing on the podcast, reviews, subscriptions & ratings will help us keep this going! It would mean the world to hear your feedback, and we'd love for you to help us spread the word!

Let Food Be Thy Medicine with Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Cali'flour Foods, Amy Lacey

"Healthy food has to taste as good as it makes you feel." Amy Lacey (25:04-25:07)

Amy Lacey is the Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Cali'flour foods. When her business exploded in 2017, Amy went from "CEO" of her household of five, to managing the expansion of a wildly successful, and much needed company.

While many new products hit the shelves of grocery stores as a result of the monetary dreams of an entrepreneur, Cali'flour was born out of Amy's personal health struggle, and the vegetable that changed her life.

Let food be thy medicine.

When Amy Lacey suddenly fell ill, she received a Lupus diagnosis, and a plethora of new medications. The pain, depression, and horrendous side effects of all the medications made it difficult for Amy to make it through each day. This wife, and mom of three, decided that enough was enough, and began to research ways to use food to treat her condition.

When Amy began cutting grains and sugar from her diet, she saw a dramatic shift in her health. Eventually she was able to come off of ALL her medications, and lost 40 lbs in the process!

The return to "normalcy."

In an effort to return some normalcy to family life, after this 9 month struggle, Amy sought out a way to make their family game night favorite - pizza. In the midst of her search she found cauliflower.

It's so easy to swap unhealthy foods for more healthy options, but it is not as easy to make it taste good! Using a recipe found online, she attempted to create a cauliflower pizza crust. After a few failed pizza crusts, Amy Lacey was able to adapt a recipe that her whole family enjoyed - even the son who refuses to eat his vegetables!

From there, the rest is history. The crust became a family favorite, and a friend convinced Amy to sell the crust at a local Farmer's Market. Amy then utilized her background in ecommerce to set up shop on the web.

And Cali'flour was born.

"Cali'flour is making a food product, but it's so much more than that. They have created something that is capilizating on… the fact that food is culture. Cali'flour empowers people regardless of dietary restrictions - to maintain the cultural component of food, which is the essence of life in so many ways." - Lori Taylor. (22:05-22:29)

Where healthy food meets culture.

There is something so universal about the way that food brings people together. Food ingrained into each culture. One of the beautiful aspects of Cali'flour is the way they are able to provide healthy alternatives to traditional comfort food products. Amy's goal is to create products that are reminiscent of the foods you love.

Why cauliflower?

Amy uses the word "bland" to describe cauliflower, which is so accurate. However, she shares that the mild flavor makes it absolutely perfect. It has the ability to take on the flavor of other foods, and it has a consistency that gives it versatility as a flour alternative.

Cauliflower is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. It is a quiet vegetable with loud benefits!

"There's no better time to make those healthy swaps than the start of a new year." - Lori Taylor. (17:43-17:48)

What sets Cali'flour apart?

I'm sure you've noticed that Cali'flour is now one product of so many that have gotten creative with cauliflower. Look down the aisles of your local grocery and you'll find rice, pretzels, and several crust options, to name just a few products.

In the cauliflower product industry, Cali'flour reigns supreme. While many other brands use cauliflower that has been powdered or pureed - and imported from China - Cali'flour's produce is grown in California goes directly from their farm to their manufacturing plant.

They are avid about avoiding waste, and thus, utilize all parts of the cauliflower!

When shopping for cauliflower products, it is so important that you take time to read the ingredient list. Fillers result in a lower quality food, and likely indicate that an alternative form of cauliflower has potentially been used.

Where to Find Cali'flour

Cali'flour products are in grocery stores nationwide. You can visit their website to find a store near you!

Amy and her team have developed a cookbook with 125 recipes that utilize cauliflower!

Cauliflower changed Amy's life, and now she is on a mission to change yours. If you're looking for food items that nourish your body, and your family's body, while still tasting good, Cali'flour can help!

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!

"It takes so many resources to grow, transport, store, cook, and get food to our plates. When we throw food out, we throw those resources out with it."Dana Gunders (8:10-8:28)

The average American throws away around $30 worth of uneaten food every month. When you factor in the food being wasted by restaurants, grocery stores, and other points along the supply chain, it's easy to see how big of a problem this is becoming. Dana Gunders is the author of Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money By Wasting Less Food. Her work has been featured on media outlets that include NBC, NPR, CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Known as the "food waste warrior", Dana began exploring the issue of food waste while working in the fruit and vegetable industry. Dana was taking part in finding ways to make agriculture more sustainable by reducing the use of water, fertilizer, and energy on farms. She started looking into the waste component and stumbled upon some surprising numbers.

• 40% of food in this country goes to waste.
• 25% of its water is used to grow food that's never eaten.

Dana's report titled Wasted: How America Is Losing Up to 40

Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill looks at how food is treated throughout the supply chain. The report played a huge role in bringing the issue of food waste to the public's attention.

Dana is the new interim Executive Director Speaker for ReFED, an organization dedicated to addressing the food waste problem in the U.S. Their efforts are geared toward providing data, money, and other resources to enable others to take action on this important issue.

"When you look at all the food that's wasted, households produce most of it. We waste more food than supermarkets, restaurants, farms or anywhere else in the supply chain." - Dana Gunders (7:10-7:30)

Households produce most of this country's food waste, and households with kids tend to have even more food waste. Fruits and vegetables are the number one food product wasted in today's homes. It takes a lot of resources to grow, transport, store, and prepare food. It involves labor and other natural resources. When we throw food out, we throw all of those resources out along with it.

Wasted food is equivalent to about 37 million cars worth of greenhouse gases.

If food waste were a country, it would rank number three in terms of its carbon footprint, second to the U.S. and China. In fact, food is actually the number one product entering landfills today,

One of the best ways to combat food waste at home is to make smaller shopping trips. There are plenty of options to help you do this. Whether it's curbside pickup, grocery delivery, or the technologies grocers are using to help consumers shop more efficiently.

"When I did bigger shopping trips, it would be the demise of a large portion of my food. My berries and lettuce would freeze because my fridge was stuffed full." - Janelle Lara (14:31-14:40)Turn a weekly trip to the grocery store into multiple smaller trips. You waste less food at home while saving money by not throwing any food out.

People care about this issue and nobody wants to waste food. But they don't necessarily know what to change in their lives to stop doing it.

The important thing is to start somewhere. Even doing a little bit makes a big difference. Taking the right steps to reduce waste can help you do your part in helping solve this problem. Buying (and eating) fresh fruits and vegetables contributes to your family's health while helping to save our valuable and limited resources.

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!

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"It's the juiciness that stands out with the Cosmic Crisp® apple. It's unusual to have an apple that's just that juicy."

- Kate Evans (16:34-16:42)

Kate Evans, a professor at the Department of Horticulture at Washington State University, has been instrumental in leading the University's apple breeding program within its Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center.

The center is focused on researching tree fruits from the horticultural perspective as well as looking at aspects related to pathology and entomology. The results of their research are shared with the produce industry, and the center works to educate the next generation of researchers and industry members.

"The Cosmic Crisp® apple continues to stand out to my team. We've tasted every fruit in our lab, but we still go back and have an extra bite at the end of the day." - Kate Evans (15:58-16:19)

The Birth of the Cosmic Crisp® Apple

The process of breeding a new apple is pretty straightforward. Researchers take two parents based on the qualities they're looking to improve. They take the pollen from one variety and use it to pollenize the stigmas of the other variety to produce the seed resulting from that cross-breeding.

The apples they produce must demonstrate a level of robustness that helps them survive the refrigeration, packing, and other processes required to bring fruits to market.

The Cosmic Crisp® is the Best of Both Worlds

The Cosmic Crisp® apple was tested against the popular Gala and Honeycrisp apples, and researchers received positive results from consumers on the apple's appearance, taste, and texture.

The apple stands out for its high level of juiciness, and the flavor of the Cosmic Crisp® apple is a balance between tartness and sweetness, giving consumers the best of both worlds.

The Cosmic Crisp® apple is a beautiful fruit. The fruit got its name from the deep red color of the apple combined with the white pores in the peel, giving consumers the impression of looking at the cosmos.

"We have tart apples, we have super sweet apples, and then we have the Cosmic Crisp®, which is the best of both worlds."

- Lori Taylor (17:37-17:43)

The Cosmic Crisp® apple bakes well, but you can enjoy it raw or by adding slices to a charcuterie board to pair with your favorite cheeses. Another important characteristic of this apple is that it's slow to oxidize, which means it won't brown quickly.

The introduction of the Cosmic Crisp® apple is another example of the delicious new varieties of fruits making their way to local grocery stores.

As more consumers taste different varieties of apples and other fruits, they can expand their palates when it comes to choosing healthy fruits and vegetables. To learn more about the Cosmic Crisp® apple, visit www.cosmiccrisp.com to see what's in store.

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!

"Growers are becoming smarter each and every day in their quest to raise the most flavorful food for us all."Lori Taylor (15:09-15:17)

As we wind down another year and look to 2020, The Produce Moms team is taking a look back on our biggest takeaways, favorite podcast episodes, and industry trends to look out for. "We're close to a perfect five-star rating. We have amazing reviews, and when I read them, it motivates me to stay dedicated to this platform. When we get that feedback from our audience, we know it's worth it." - Lori Taylor (11:37-12:01)

We've done some amazing work this year with Kroger Health and supporting their mission to spread their message of health through their Fresh for Everyone initiative and other projects. We've added new brand partners and have had some breakthrough media opportunities, which is helping us reach an even larger audience.

The Fresh Summit, the Super Bowl of the fresh produce industry, brings all brands involved in the industry together to showcase their new products. We were so proud to be involved in the event and see the Produce Moms logo on the packaging of one of the Crunch Pak products. The company's Apple Slices product is a perfect fit for our company and the audience we serve.

Most Memorable Moments of 2019 on The Produce Moms Podcast

The podcast is one of my favorite platforms for spreading our message of better health through fresh fruits and vegetables. It lets us highlight the remarkable people who are helping the industry achieve so much more.

Interviewing the founder and CEO of Hazel Technologies was a personal favorite podcast moment. Hazel Technologies is working to reduce food waste, which is a critical issue for the global food supply.

In other episodes, we discussed the process of recycling as well as how the produce industry is leading the way in packaging innovations. We highlighted the role that plastic can play in mitigating food waste—something that most people don't understand.

We did an episode on the coconut fruit and its misclassification as a tree nut by the FDA, which is a big problem when you consider the impact this can have on food labeling. Fruits and Vegetables are Here to StayThe growing interest in plant-based eating is an indication that fruits and vegetables are here to stay. A trend to watch out for in 2020 is plant breeding that focuses on flavor first in a way that's never been done before. Today's growers are using new methods for enhancing the quality of the foods they produce and distribute.

Medjool dates have emerged as a healthy, satisfying, sweet, and natural treat. It's like nature's candy. If you've never tried a Medjool date, 2020 is your year to try them." - Lori Taylor (12:58-13:13)

Jicama, celery juice, and dried fruits continue to become popular among health-conscious consumers. Herbs like basil are being recognized for their ability to make just about anything taste better.

Many people have reached out to The Produce Moms team about pomegranates. Most people's experience with this delicious fruit is through drinking pomegranate juice. But the fruit's small edible seeds can also be found in your local grocery store. Reflecting on everything we've done this year gives us a tremendous feeling of gratitude. We could not be more thankful for everyone who supports the work we do here at The Produce Moms.

It takes a lot of passionate people bringing their talents to the table, and we look forward to what 2020 has in store for us and for you and your family.

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!

"We want to make sure that when consumers pick up an Applewood Fresh apple, they're getting the best eating experience for their money."

Nick Mascari (16:04-16:13)

Farmers want to farm. They don't always want to get involved in the marketing and sale of their products.

Applewood Fresh works with family farmers to bring their products to market. They represent over 34 Michigan apple farmers, spanning 11,000 acres throughout the state of Michigan.

Nick Mascari, President of Applewood Fresh, grew up in the produce industry. His great uncle started a company that served as a distributor to restaurants and grocery stores. His father took over the business, giving Nick the chance to learn about the industry.

Nick went on to work for Chiquita and Dole before returning to the family business and then venturing out on his own. He soon landed in Michigan as the Vice-President of sales and marketing for Applewood Fresh before becoming its President and a managing partner.

Growing Apples in the Midwest

The nutrient-rich soil found in Michigan is optimal for growing apples and other agriculture products. The area's unique climate protects the fragile spring buds, which can extend the growing season into late fall.

"Sunny days and cool nights sharpen the apple's flavor, color, and crisp bite. What you get in Michigan is a tasty, juicy, crunch-packed apple-eating experience." - Nick Mascari (9:53-10:06)

Applewood Fresh has three packing facilities in Michigan. They distribute to 20 states, including major retail chains, food service companies, universities, and hospitals.

Applewood Fresh grows 21 varieties of apples. But their Kanzu, Rave, and Sweet Tango apples are what set the company apart from others in the industry.

A hybrid apple is a cross between two apples. Growers take a specific kind of apple and breed its characteristics with another to grow high-quality apples for consumers.

The Most Popular Apples on the Market

The Gala apple has become the most popular apple. But other apples like the Honey Crisp are also popular among consumers, and many growers are using the Honey Crisp as the parent for growing new varieties.

"When you choose an Applewood Fresh apple, you're making an excellent choice." - Lori Taylor (15:32-15:35)

If you can't keep up with all the different apples that appear on the market, the first step is to know what you like. Here's a good rule of thumb: Try them all and find your favorite.

You can find Applewood Fresh apples in Kroger, Target, Trader Joe's, Aldi, and other major retailers.

Applewood Fresh wants you to explore the apples at your local grocery stores. There are so many varieties that range from tart to sweet and everything in between. Try them all and try them often.

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!

Transcript available here:

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"Without exception, I've never talked about Brighter Bites and not had someone say, 'That's amazing. I want to support that. I want to be a part of that.'"Rich Dachman (22:09-22:23)

Rich Dachman is the former vice-president of produce for Sysco and was an executive at Sysco for almost three decades. He is now the CEO of the Brighter Brights.

The road that led him to Brighter Bites started with a newspaper article he read about a Lisa Helfman, a woman on a mission to bring more fruits and vegetables to families. After spending so many years in the produce industry, Rich saw this new opportunity as a higher calling to make a difference in the lives of others.

"It's pretty much impossible to be healthy if you don't eat fruits and vegetables." - Rich Dachman (2:49-2:56)

Rich connected with the Brighter Bites founders Lisa Helfman and Dr. Shreela Sharma and was soon on the board of directors before ultimately becoming the CEO and running the organization. He's playing a major role in carrying out the non-profit's mantra and ethos: Creating communities of health through fresh food.

Brighter Bites mission focuses on behavioral changes that support health. When Lisa Helfman first started Brighter Bites, she wanted to start a food co-op to give out produce to families at schools. Over time, Brighter Bites began partnering with food banks around the country.

They now provide fresh and healthy produce to families through schools alongside a nutrition education program that helps students and their families understand the essentials of healthy eating.

"The produce industry is a higher-calling industry. It's a mission-driven industry. We're supplying the world with the most nutrient-dense food....period." - Lori Taylor (03:52-4:05)

Brighter Bites started in one school, and now it's in over a hundred schools. A project that started with just a few families now reaches over 25,000 families with that number continuing to grow.

The Impact Brighter Bites is Making to the Fresh Produce Industry

Businesses in the produce industry tend to focus on consumption...both for business and public health reasons.

Brighter Bites wants people to eat more fruits and vegetables as part of the goal of combating obesity and diabetes, especially in children.

Brighter Bites is the only non-profit program that actually gives the food to the families, educates them on health, and has a direct impact on their wellbeing.

Brighter Bites is focusing on making healthy eating fun. They're helping food-insecure communities get the nutrition they need. Creating a community around health makes the process of giving food to families an extraordinary experience for the organization, its volunteers, teachers, and parents.

The services that Brighter Bites provides is free to families. They organization welcomes donations on their website and offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities.

When people read about Brighter Bites, when they hear about it and see it, they want to get behind it.

Brighter Bites is creating consumers for the produce industry in a sustainable way. Schools and their families continue to eat fruits and vegetables long after they're no longer in the program. Creating new consumers is good for health and for humanity. It's good for the entire produce industry.

How to get involved

• You can learn more about Brighter Bites and their mission by visiting their website at www.brighterbites.org.
• 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!

"Sunbelt is really focused on three things: food, people, and relationships. When we hire people, we want to make sure that people fit that culture." Stacy Ward (14:13-14:21)

Stacy Ward is on the executive board of Coastal Sunbelt Produce. With decades of experience under her belt, Stacy is a super-focused and disciplined professional and mom, and she loves produce.

After working for Sysco, Stacy met a salesperson for Coastal Sunbelt who thought she would be a good fit for their company.

She knew it would be something different and a new challenge for her. At the time, Sunbelt was a small company, and Stacy was hired to manage a contract for a hotel division—something the company had never done before.

"I didn't ever dream that I wanted to be in the produce industry. But this is a great industry. There are so many different things that one person can do in this industry." - Stacy Ward (9:58-10:13)

Stacy's Path to Leadership in the Produce Industry

Within the first three to five years of managing that division, it was tremendously successful. The company was soon taking over 60% of the market in their area. They started hiring more people and expanding. The hotel division is now well over $25 million in annual sales. Stacy has worked her way up to having a seat in the boardroom and becoming a partner.

In 2008, Stacy had the opportunity to manage more contract business in their multi-unit chain business. She had no idea what she was doing. but she was willing to learn and work hard every day to figure it all out.

In 2010, Stacy was awarded a position on the board. She worked closely with the CEO and the partners on that board. She showed them that she wanted to learn, and she quickly realized she'd found the right place and wanted to continue to grow.

Taking Care of the Coastal Sunbelt Team

Coastal Sunbelt takes care of its team members as well as it takes care of its customers. The company has an on-site nurse practitioner who employees can turn to for healthcare needs at no cost.

They provide a produce store where employees can grab some milk, eggs, or healthy produce.

"If we take care of our people and we take care of our customers, everything else will take care of itself." - Stacy Ward (14:25-14:31)

The company's traditional flag-raising ceremony recognizes the diversity of its team. It allows every employee's home country to be represented at work. This is a source of pride for everyone whose flag is displayed.

The company has an open-door policy that allows everyone to have access to every executive, including the CEOs and company presidents.

At Coastal Sunbelt, everyone is treated equally and with respect. If you're just starting your career in produce, or you're considering getting started, Stacy reminds everyone of the importance of taking chances.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and get involved. The more you learn, the bigger the impact you can make in the industry and the world.

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!

"When you marry aquaculture and hydroponics, you get aquaponics."Kurt Wagaman (5:04 - 5:09)

Kurt Wagaman is the GM at Superior Fresh, an industry-leading aquaponics facility specializing in leafy greens, Atlantic salmon, and Steelheads. Their facility is situated on a 720-acre native restoration property nestled in the Coulee Region of Wisconsin. Superior Fresh's flagship facility is the largest of its kind, filled with state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

What is Aquaponics?

Aquaponics can be broken down into two separate technologies

Hydroponics, which is growing leafy greens in a greenhouse, and aquaculture, the practice of raising fish in a facility. When you marry the two, you get aquaponics.

Aquaponics lets companies like Superior Fresh get certified as organic and achieve rapid and sustainable growth.

Superior Fresh's Incredible (and Sustainable) Output

Superior Fresh can produce 8 million pounds of leafy greens annually and 1.6 million pounds of fresh fish. They use a fraction of the land and water when compared to the same output from regular land and water farming.

Superior Fresh is the first landlocked Atlantic salmon farm in the United States using recirculating aquaculture technologies. Their state-of-the-art systems allow them to bring in certified disease-free eggs and have complete control of the life-cycle from hatch to harvest.

A Commitment to Sustainability

Superior Fresh isn't backed by your regular venture capitalists. They're funded by philanthropists who want to create an example of using aquaponics to grow large amounts of healthy foods in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to the local area.

Superior Fresh has led restoration efforts to the point where they've restored hundreds of acres of land and water to where they were a hundred years ago.

"Our commitment to sustainability carries as much gravity as one can possibly imagine from a startup."

- Kurt Wagaman (12:48 - 12:59)

Superior Fresh is focused on nutrient recycling. The vast majority of the water they use is recycled and plays a role in farming for both their fish and leafy greens.

Superior Fresh supports local organizations, including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as local high schools. They participate in focus study groups for the University of Wisconsin's marketing programs.

"Superior Fresh is a solution to some of the threats and problems that agriculture is facing." - Lori Taylor (9:24 - 9:33)

Two of the biggest threats facing agriculture are sustainability and the ability to feed an ever-growing global population. Superior Fresh addresses both of those problems by providing healthy nutritious (and delicious) food in a way that benefits the planet, and the local communities they operate in.

If you want to experience first-hand what Superior Fresh is offering, pick up some of their products at a local retailer near you.

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.
• Learn more about Superior Fresh.

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