Advertise on podcast: Produce Buzzers - A Podcast for Lovers of Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Avocados are no longer just a trend — they’re a lifestyle. And while many consumers think first of Mexico or California, there’s a country that’s quietly and powerfully carving out its place in the avocado world: Colombia. This week on the Produce Buzzers Podcast, we’re excited to welcome Manuel Michel of Avocados From Colombia, an organization dedicated to telling the story behind Colombia’s fast-growing avocado industry. From year-round growing regions and ideal climates to sustainability, quality, and expanding global demand, Colombia is becoming an increasingly important player in keeping avocados on shelves and on plates. Manuel is here to help us understand why Colombian avocados matter, how they complement existing supply, and what retailers and consumers should know about this exciting origin. So whether you’re slicing, smashing, or spreading, get ready to learn more about one of the most dynamic avocado origins in the world.

This week, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on a company that’s become a major force in the berry world — North Bay Produce. Known for their year-round supply of top-quality fruit and a global network of passionate growers, North Bay has been pushing the envelope in flavor, size, and eating experience. North Bay Produce is a cooperative of more than 30 grower-owners from North, Central, and South America, producing fresh fruits and vegetables year-round – from asparagus to apples, berries, and snow & sugar snap peas. Headquartered in Traverse City, the northwest corner of Michigan’s lower peninsula, the international company markets and distributes its products worldwide.

Winter might not be the season most people associate with sweet, juicy watermelon—but for our guest today, it absolutely is. While the rest of us are bundled up and dreaming of summer picnics, the team at Melon 1, the nation’s leading watermelon grower and shipper, is hard at work bringing fresh, delicious melons to grocery stores all winter long. Rachel Syngo, Chief Marketing Officer for Melon 1, joins us this week to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the winter watermelon season. So grab your forks—or your saltshakers if that’s your style—and get ready to learn why winter is warming up for watermelon lovers. The quality is just as good as that of summer melons, and although they tend to be a bit more expensive, the value per pound and serving is one of the best in the produce aisle.

Happy Holidays Everyone Welcome to a rebroadcast of our very first Christmas episodefrom 2021. It was a good one. I’m sure you will be entertained and informed about some of the most intriguing fruits and veggies that are traditionally eatenthis time of year. What the heck are “sugar plums?” Are they real fruit? Howmany pear trees with partridges will your true love send you on the 12 Days of Christmas? And the fruitful tradition of stocking stuffers, including oranges and walnuts! Stay tuned to get yourself in the holiday spirit and haveyour appetite whetted for some delicious fruits and veggies.

In this week’s episode, we’re turning our attention to a nut that has flown under the radar for far too long and one of the most unique and boldly flavored nuts in the world—the American black walnut. Unlike the mild English walnut most of us buy at the store, black walnuts grow wild, harvested, not from manicured orchards, but from trees scattered across backyards, farms, and forests throughout the Midwest and Appalachian states. They’re one of the few truly wild-harvested commercial foods in the United States—a tradition that brings together thousands of local gatherers each fall. With their rich, earthy flavor and crunchy texture, black walnuts have a personality all their own, celebrated by bakers, chefs, and food lovers looking for something real, rustic, and full of character. Joining us to tell us all about them is Jacob Basecke, Executive VP of Hammons Products Company, a fourth-generation family business that has been harvesting, processing and promoting black walnuts for decades from the Ozarks in Southern Missouri. We’ll dig into what makes black walnuts different from the English walnut – from flavor to nutrition, sustainability to wild-harvest tradition. We’ll explore how Hammons works with thousands of harvesters in the Midwest, how their crop fits into today’s consumer and foodservice markets, you can make the most of this bold, wild nut.

This week, we welcome a guest who truly embodies the spirit of vibrant, healthy living — Chef Megan McCarthy, the creative force behind HealthyEating101.com. Megan is an award-winning chef, educator, and healthy lifestyle expert who’s been inspiring audiences to eat better and feel better through her cooking classes, TV appearances, and wellness events all across the country. From quick, nutritious meals you can make in 15 minutes, to creative ways to get more greens, grains, and gorgeous produce onto your plate, Megan shows that healthy food doesn’t have to be complicated — it just has to be colorful, flavorful, and fresh! We’ll be talking with her today about her journey as a healthy chef, her favorite seasonal fruits and veggies, and some of her go-to recipes for busy families who still want to eat well. Plus, she’ll share a few easy tips you can start using right now to make your kitchen a little greener and your meals a lot brighter.

In this week’s episode, we’re diving into the world of apples with someone who lives and breathes them every single day. Our guest is Austin Fowler of Fowler Farms in upstate New York — a farm that’s been in continuous operation since 1858. That’s six generations of the Fowler family devoted to one crop, one passion, and one mission: growing apples of the highest quality. Think about that for a moment — six generations! The Civil War was still on the horizon when the Fowler family planted their first trees. Since then, they’ve weathered depressions, recessions, blights, storms, and the constant shifting demands of consumers — and through it all, they’ve not only survived, but thrived. Fowler Farms is known not only for honoring tradition but also for pushing innovation in apple growing. They’ve helped introduce new varieties that consumers now love, adopted cutting-edge growing practices, and built a legacy that has shaped the apple industry in New York and far beyond. In this episode, Austin will take us into the orchard to talk about what it’s really like to grow apples in the modern era — the science, the challenges, the weather, and of course, the joy of bringing in a harvest that might end up on your kitchen table. We’ll also talk about how tastes in apples are changing, why some varieties explode in popularity while others quietly fade away, and what it means to carry a family legacy into the next generation. So whether you’re a fan of Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Empire, or one of the many newer apples like Snapdragon that are making waves in the produce aisle, you’ll want to stay tuned. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a new appreciation for the people, the history, and the hard work behind every single apple you bite into.

This week’s guest grows—quite literally—on tradition, innovation, and a healthy dose of southern Appalachian grit. Kirby Johnson, co-owner of Flavor 1st Growers & Packers, is based in a fertile mountain valley in Western North Carolina. What’s wild? His family’s farming roots stretch all the way back to 1798—that’s eight generations of dirt beneath their nails and produce behind their name!  Today, Flavor 1st isn’t just your neighborhood tomato grower—they handle over 30 different varieties of produce, track everything from field to fork with cutting-edge tech, and distribute across the entire Eastern Seaboard, from Florida to Boston. Kirby’s family history is rich and deep, with the best and most sustainable farming practices. You will hear his almost scientific methods for producing the best-tasting veggies in the most efficient way. So keep listening as we uncover how a centuries-old family legacy meets 21st-century hustle, and how that helps get fresh fruits and veggies to tables across the country and beyond. Get ready for a deep dive into resilience, tech, and why Kirby’s produce mission is anything but fruitless.

On this week's show, we’re joined by Kevin and Alicia Stump, the passionate husband-and-wife duo behind Stump Farms, a family-owned urban and hydroponic farm nestled in the mountains of Hendersonville, North Carolina. Kevin and Alicia have built something extraordinary—a full-spectrum farm offering everything from microgreens, mushrooms, and produce to herbal skincare, soaps, teas, and pantry staples like jams, salsas, and all kinds of pickles. They are showing that with the smallest plot of land, you can produce just about anything you need. Get ready for a conversation about innovation, resilience, community, and sustainable farming with two people who epitomize what it means to grow big on any scale of land.

Makoto Dressings isn’t just salad dressing—it’s a flavor revolution. From their cult-classic Original Ginger to bold favorites like Honey Ginger, Wasabi Ginger, and Boom Boom Sauce, this family-owned brand has been waking up taste buds since 1985. What makes Makoto stand out isn’t just the flavor—it’s the story. Back in 1985, at a Japanese steakhouse in Melbourne, Florida, diners loved the dressing so much they begged to take bottles home.  Today, we chat with Christian Greene—third generation of the family that started Makoto Dressings—about how their dressings grew into a Top 10 national brand, why fresh veggies and ginger made in small batches is the key, and how they have delighted salad lovers for over forty years. If you love fresh veggies, bold flavors, and stories of family entrepreneurship, this episode will leave you hungry for more.

What makes Hatch chili peppers so delicious and sought after? It’s the unique microclimate where they grow. They are named for the tiny town of Hatch, New Mexico, which sits at a towering elevation. It’s no wonder they’ve risen to such great heights in the culinary world. This week, we’re joined once again by “The Produce Expert,” Robert Schueller, who will tell us all about these peppers with a cult following. Robert is the Director of Public Relations at Melissa’s Produce, the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States. Robert has been featured everywhere from national TV segments to major newspapers, bringing insight, passion, and a deep understanding of the produce industry to audiences across the country. He’s also the author of several books about fresh fruits and vegetables, making him not just a spokesperson for Melissa’s but a true educator and advocate for eating seasonally and adventurously. In this episode, Robert will also tell us about the delicious new varieties of grapes and melons that are in season right now. Tune in to hear about the hottest and sweetest fruits and veggies of the season!

The Produce Buzzers Podcast is the “gathering place for lovers of fresh fruits and veggies!” However, we realize that many of you struggle to find the love that we have. So today we are on a stealth mission. This week’s episode is a special treat. We’re joined by Heidi Herman, author of The Hidden Vegetables Cookbook: 90 Tasty Recipes for Veggie-Averse Adults. That’s right—not just kids, but full-grown veggie-dodgers!   In this episode, we’ll chat with Heidi about how growing up in an Icelandic-American household shaped her fearless approach to food, why our childhood vegetable trauma still haunts us in adulthood, and how she manages to turn everything from brownies to mac and cheese into Trojan horses of nutrition.   We’ll also get the lowdown on her top tricks for fooling even the most suspicious eaters (spoiler: grated carrots are sneakier than you think), and how to turn a dinner party into a stealth health intervention—without anyone ever realizing what hit their palate.   If You’ve Ever Pushed Brussels Sprouts or Cauliflower to The Edge of Your Plate, Heidi’s Got Your Number—And Your Solution.

This week’s guest may be our hottest guest ever. Nick Masotti is a chef, farmer, and founder of Up All Night Bottling Company, where he crafts all-natural, small-batch sauces with no preservatives. Nick grew up in Winter Park, Florida, where food was the heartbeat of family life, and his love of cooking took root early. He got his start in a Mexican restaurant at just 14, where he kept a good eye on the salsas. After climbing the culinary ladder in Florida, Nick earned a degree in Culinary and Hospitality from Valencia College, Orlando. Shortly after, Nick packed up and moved to Western North Carolina, where he helped start Trails End Farm—a family-run, organic-practicing cattle farm. Somewhere between wrangling cows and wrangling produce, he had a hot idea: why not bottle his passion for fresh, local ingredients into spicy, flavorful condiments? So, Nick utilized his culinary skills to become a gourmet sauce maker, and in 2020, he launched Up All Night Bottling Company. He grows most of the ingredients for his sauces, but what he doesn’t grow, he sources from the finest local farms. Some of his creations are hot enough for the fieriest palates, but he also makes milder ones for the most sensitive palates. Tune in to hear about his journey establishing a company at such a young age.

This week’s episode is all about two of the most eye-catching and taste-bud-tingling tropical treats out there: mangoes and dragon fruit. Our guest today grows both and knows exactly what it takes to nurture these colorful, juicy gems from blossom to box. Our guest today is Dr. Eugene Misquith a doctor turned exotic fruit farmer. He has converted 13 of his 39-acre property in Palm City, FL into orchards producing these delicious fruits. We are going to hear about the challenges he faced in doing that and what and how he learned what he needed to know to do it. He will also tell us everything you need to know about mangos and dragon fruit. So whether you’re a fruit fanatic, backyard grower, or just someone who’s tried to pick a good mango at the grocery store—this one’s for you.”

Can a humble grower of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers transform lives? One such company makes it their mission. They claim is the secret to their success. Our guest this week is a leader at a fresh produce company that doesn’t see its primary mission as growing delicious veggies, even though that’s exactly what they do and as good or better than anyone else in the industry. But second to that is this company’s vision to transform lives. Does that sound like an audacious goal? Listen in hear their story and you will become a believer. Lori Castillo is Vice President of External Relations and Public Relations at NatureSweet, a grower and supplier of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. There she leads the company’s external voice and ESG partnerships (environmental, social, and governance partnerships) which as the terms imply, are efforts to create sustainability on a wide range of fronts. Tune in to hear how they believe strongly in the old adage “You reap what you sow.” And they are reaping more than delicious veggies!