The Produce Moms Podcast

"Sustainability is meeting the needs of the future without compromising future generations."

This week on the Produce Moms podcast, we are learning more about sustainability from Nikki Rodoni, the Founder and CEO of Measure to Improve. Measure to Improve exists to help producers and processors measure, improve and credibly promote their sustainability efforts. They provide analysis, resources, and training, among other services.

"The produce industry truly defines what sustainability means. We've been in business for second, third, fourth generations, and we're still in business."

Contrary to popular belief, sustainability expands beyond the confines of being environmentally friendly. Learn more about the Three P's of Sustainability - People, Planet and Profit - and the work Measure to Improve does to implement greater sustainability in all of these areas. Nikki Rodoni saw a need for sustainability in our produce markets and used innovation to provide calculated impact and measurable results. Listen in to learn how you can join Nikki and Measure to Improve and make your own efforts in achieving sustainability and zero waste!

"This industry is not only growing the highest quality and the safest produce, but they do it with integrity. And that story has never been told... I want to help the average customer appreciate how hard it is to get this food to their table, and do it with integrity."

Visit earth911.com to get more tips and techniques and learn how to be more sustainable. It's important that we all commit to a more sustainable lifestyle!

You can find out more about all of the work Nikki and her team are doing at measuretoimprovellc.com, and find them on Facebook.

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Guest - 1:16
• What is Sustainability? - 3:22
• Recognizing the Need for Sustainability: Nikki's Journey - 8:02
• Measure to Improve and Households and Consumers - 13:55
• The Future of Sustainability Programs - 15:48
• Defining "Zero Waste" - 17:42
• Tips to Become More Sustainable - 21:58
• Measure to Improve's Current Work - 23:17
• Wrap-up - 26:05

Get the Kroger Opt Up App on the App Store and Google or visit www.optupapp.com for more info

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!

"AgSafe is a critical resource that helps farmers in doing what they do best." - Amy Wolfe

This week on The Produce Moms Podcast, we're talking with Amy Wolfe, the President and CEO of AgSafe. AgSafe's mission is "to advance the food and farming industries commitment to a safe, sustainable workforce and food supply, by providing practical education and resources." Their aim is to provide support for farmers, advocate for farmworkers, and provide assurance to consumers that the food that made it to their tables was grown and harvested in a responsible, clean, and safe manner.

"The average education of a US farmworker is 3rd grade in their native country. 89% of farmworkers speak little to no English." - Amy Wolfe

AgSafe has grown over 700% in the last 6 years. They are resourcing farmers and farmworkers, and providing integral education to help the work environments of farms meet regulatory standards to ensure the safety of the workers. Amy discusses the various methods they employ to make sure they are affecting positive change and making an incredible impact on the produce industry.

"If you're a consumer of fresh produce, you have a voice, you have a purpose, and you have a ton of power when it comes to how our entire agriculture community makes decisions and moves forward to serve you better." - Lori Taylor

You can learn more about all of the work AgSafe is doing at agsafe.org. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter. Amy is on Facebook Live each week. Listen in to stay informed, and learn more about the efforts of AgSafe.

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Amy Wolfe - 1:14
• What is AgSafe? - 2:42
• What Resources Does AgSafe Provide? - 4:03
• What Are Farm Labor Contractors? - 10:01
• The Formation of AgSafe - 15:32
• Advancements of AgSafe - 20:56
• The Future of AgSafe - 27:02
• Wrap-up - 30:00

Get the Kroger Opt Up App on the App Store and Google or visit www.optupapp.com for more info

How to get involved

• Connect with Amy on Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amychristensenwolfe/
• Be sure to visit www.Agsafe.org to find out more.
• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!

"There was really a need to help preserve the produce because it is so fragile and can quickly die without the proper environmental controls that help it stay fresh. My grandfather saw the need and we've been developing products ever since."

This week on the Produce Moms Podcast, we're joined by Emily Stavrou. Emily is the Vice President of Corrigan Corporation of America, also known as Corrigan Mist. Corrigan creates the misting systems you see in the produce section of your local grocery. They have been in business for 40 years, manufacturing misting systems, humidifiers for meat and seafood, and water filtration systems.

"Misting actually helps to retain vitamin and nutrient content within the produce… And really also the color and the integrity of the produce as well. Also, once produce is harvested, it immediately begins to lose water… once it gets to the store, the produce misting is really there to hydrate and revive it and make it happy."

In this episode, we'll learn more about the science behind misting, and what exactly is being misted onto our vegetables. Corrigan believes that proper care of the vegetables from start to finish will lead to less food waste. Emily also gives some useful tips to help your vegetables last longer at home! Don't miss this episode of The Produce Moms!

"We've been innovating new solutions that humidify and hydrate the produce all the way through the supply chain. And the really cool thing about that is if it is treated properly from start to finish every step of the way, not only is the produce fresher and better looking when it gets to the grocery store, but it's fresher when it's in our homes and our kitchens."

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Emily Stavrou - 1:14
• What is Corrigan Mist? - 4:31
• Where Are Corrigan Products Being Used? - 8:05
• What is in the Mist? - 8:41
• Why Is Misting Important? - 9:15
• Corrigan: Eliminating Food Waste - 15:06
• Wrap-up - 18:45

Get the Kroger Opt Up App on the App Store and Google or visit www.optupapp.com for more info

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!

"Artificial intelligence helps us figure out answers using data that we wouldn't have been able to know before, maybe even sometimes to predict famine or food insecurity in different parts of the world. "

What do drones and artificial intelligence have to do with farming? This week on The Produce Moms, we continue our adventure inside the Blue Room at FFA Convention. Lori and Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President and Lead of Microsoft Philanthropies discuss how the advancement of technology is benefiting agriculture in a phenomenal way. Microsoft Philanthropies is focused on advancing a future for everyone, making our farms more sustainable, productive, and regenerative.

"There are 250 different agricultural careers. All of them are going to be impacted by technology."

Agricultural careers are one of the top fields affected by the advancement of technology. Listen in to hear how agriculture and technology have grown together, and the impact that women have gained as these areas have evolved! The Philanthropies division of Microsoft reaches far beyond FFA. You'll hear about their impact in local schools, how they are influencing the technology of tomorrow, and how they're generosity provides food, technology, and healthcare for the impoverished today.

"We're doing some work to try to bring high speed broadband in rural areas.19.4 million Americans in rural America do not have broadband. You can't farm without broadband these days with any sort of scale."

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Mary Snapp - 1:15
• Artificial Intelligence and the Blue Room - 3:30
• Mary's Passion for Innovation - 5:48
• The Importance of Agriculture to Microsoft - 8:56
• Blue365 and Microsoft's Humanitarian Efforts - 10:33
• Tasty Recipes - 15:11
• Wrap-up - 18:42

Get the Kroger Opt Up App on the App Store and Google or visit www.optupapp.com for more info

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!

What do drones and artificial intelligence have to do with farming? This week on The Produce Moms, we continue our adventure inside the Blue Room at FFA Convention. Lori and Mary Snapp, Corporate Vice President and Lead of Microsoft Philanthropies discuss how the advancement of technology is benefiting agriculture in a phenomenal way. Microsoft Philanthropies is focused on advancing a future for everyone, making our farms more sustainable, productive, and regenerative.

"Agriculture is here to feed the world, to protect the planet, to make people's lives better."

This week, on The Produce Moms, Lori takes us on location to FFA Convention, inside The Blue Room, presented by Agrinovus and powered by Microsoft. Lori talks about the evolution of the FFA organization with Beth Bechdol, the President and CEO of Agrinovus Indiana, and the visionary behind this room full of cutting edge technological and agricultural display. Beth is a sixth generation farmer, passionate about the future of our AG industry. The Blue Room was birthed from a desire to put Indiana on the map as a leader in Bioscience and talent innovation.

"The vision of the Blue Room was always to showcase the diversity of who's involved in innovation, who's working on technology. A lot of the coolest innovation is coming from an entrepreneur or one person who's trying to solve a problem, trying to build a technology, trying to start a business"

When people think of AG, they may envision an old, dusty legacy. However, the AG industry and the FFA organization has evolved greatly in the last several years. At FFA Convention, the leaders of tomorrow's produce come together to learn about the future of the AG industry. Listen in to learn more about The Blue Room, and strides being made to catapult agriculture into the future.

"We now all realize agriculture is about so much more than just than just farming. Still fundamentally important. Still an entrepreneurial activity. Still something I hope young people get excited about. But now they can be business leaders, they can be scientists, they can be researchers, they can be digital marketers. "

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Beth Bechdol - 1:14
• What is FFA and why is it so important to American agriculture? - 3:56
• Beth's History with AG - 6:29
• A Look Around the Blue Room Presented by AgraNovas and Powered by Microsoft - 10:05
• The Story Behind the Blue Room - 13:29
• Wrap-up - 18:01

Get the Kroger Opt Up App on the App Store and Google or visit www.optupapp.com for more info

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!

This week, on The Produce Moms, Lori takes us on location to FFA Convention, inside The Blue Room, presented by Agrinovus and powered by Microsoft. Lori talks about the evolution of the FFA organization with Beth Bechdol, the President and CEO of Agrinovus Indiana, and the visionary behind this room full of cutting edge technological and agricultural display. Beth is a sixth generation farmer, passionate about the future of our AG industry. . .

"A proper nutrition program is vital for athletes of all ages and all levels, whether you are training to get a PR at your next road race, in high school looking to go on and play college sports, or even if you are just simply a frequent user of your local gym."

This week on The Produce Moms Podcast, Lori Taylor and Beth Miller, Director of Sports Nutrition for Duke Athletics, discuss the importance of fueling our body, and the role fresh produce plays in the nutrition of Duke's top athletes. Beth is a Registered Dietician, and has been the Director of Sports Nutrition at Duke since 2017. Beth shares that nutrition is about finding the balance of foods to fuel your life. This is important for every individual, from the elite athlete to the soccer mom. Fresh produce plays a vital role in that balance!

"My mission as a sports dietician is to teach our athletes not only how to fuel themselves for their sports here and now while they're at Duke, but also to teach them skills to fuel themselves for the rest of their lives. And I think that that can go into play for every athlete of any kind and just any human being. Fuel your life. "

Throughout the episode, we learn insightful information about Sports Nutrition, how Duke fuels their athletes, and the role of fresh produce in that process. When used properly, nutrition can give athletes the edge they need to dominate training, performance, and recovery. If you have ever been curious to learn more about dietetics, and how this science operates hand-in-hand with our best athletes, you won't want to miss this episode!

"You need to fill your tank up with high quality fuel in order to receive any results that you're looking for. Whether that be in your sport, your workout routine, or just in general. Never run on empty, and never run on poor quality fuel."

In the episode, Beth mentions some fantastic resources for those interested in learning more about Sports Nutrition. Below are the links to their sites, that are full of resources and also information about dieticians in your area.

• College and Professional Sports Dietetics Association
• Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition Group

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Guest - 1:15
• What Sets Sports Nutrition Apart? - 3:05
• Sports Nutrition Resources - 6:33
• Beth's Definition of Nutrition - 9:58
• Produce and Duke Athletics - 10:59
• Beth's Favorite Moment at Duke - 14:22
• Nutrition Advice for the Listener - 15:55
• Career Opportunities with Sports Nutrition - 16:47
• Wrap-up - 19:55

Get the Kroger Opt Up App on the App Store and Google or visit www.optupapp.com for more info

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!

Lori Taylor and Beth Miller, Director of Sports Nutrition for Duke Athletics, discuss the importance of fueling our body, and the role fresh produce plays in the nutrition of Duke’s top athletes. Beth is a Registered Dietician, and has been the Director of Sports Nutrition at Duke since 2017. Beth shares that nutrition is about finding the balance of foods to fuel your life. This is important for every individual, from the elite athlete to the soccer mom. Fresh produce plays a vital role in that balance!

"One of our top priorities is how we can shift components of our plate to make them more nutrient dense and to bring in more of these under consumed vegetables into our daily diets. This product is a turn-key solution."

This week on The Produce Mom's Podcast, we sit down with self-proclaimed "Veggie Nerd," and Founder of Cece's Veggie Co., Mason Arnold. Mason is also on the board with The United Fresh Produce Association. It is amazing how many guests on The Produce Moms have inspired change out of the necessity for innovation in their own lives. Cece's is named after Mason's daughter, and was created in 2015 as a way to provide a healthy and gluten free alternative to pasta.

"Everything we do is meant to be fast and easy… the faster I can put things together, and still make sure my kids get vegetables as a major part of my dinner, helps to continue to inspire innovation at Cece's."

Cece's is Certified Organic, Whole 30 Compliant, Certified, Non GMO, and free of major allergens. They work closely with their farmers to determine vegetable variety, growing season, and to determine the very best timing for harvest. Mason is full of intention, purpose, and passion, and his goal, and the goal of Cece's as a whole, is to move veggies to the center of the plate in a fun and delicious way.

'One thing I've learned is having that balance and finding the things that are both nutrient dense, sustainable, and healthy, but also can be done in a way that everyone can access them, and help everyone in the country eat healthier."

Check out Cece's Veggie Co. at cecesveggieco.com for tons of resources, including recipes, more information about the company, and to find Cece's in a store near you!

Some Topics we talk about in this episode:

• Introduction // Mason Arnold - 1:31
• Backstory for Cece's - 3:12
• Product Line - 6:02
• Partnering with Farms - 10:52
• One Thing Learned in Forming Cece's - 16:02
• What's Next for Cece's?! - 18:36
• Wrap-up - 21:36

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week! https://www.facebook.com/groups/316715662104709/
• Reach out to us - we'd love to hear more about where you're at in life and business! Find out more at www.theproducemom.com

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!