Fresh Takes On Tech International Fresh Produce Association

In this episode we speak with Max Teplitski and Mollie Van Lieu and discuss the challenges of increasing access to healthy produce in underserved communities. They explore the role of programs like SNAP, WIC, and produce prescriptions, as well as the need for public-private partnerships and technological solutions to address food waste. The conversation also includes personal experiences with gardening and tips for reducing waste. The podcast emphasizes the importance of advocacy for government engagement in achieving a sustainable and equitable food system for all, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in food justice and sustainability.
Key TakeawaysLearn about the challenges of increasing access to healthy produce in underserved communitiesDiscover the limitations and potential improvements of programs like SNAP and WICExplore opportunities for USDA to buy fruits and vegetables directly from growers and make them available to those in needUnderstand the importance of programs like Double Up Bucks, Brighter Bites, and Common Threads in increasing consumption of fruits and vegetablesFind out about the potential of produce prescriptions and renewable energy sources in sustainable last mile distributionDiscover efforts to reduce food waste in the distribution of fresh produceLearn about personal experiences with gardening and tips for extending the shelf life of herbsUnderstand the importance of public-private partnerships and technological solutions in achieving equitable access to fresh, nutritious food
Guest Resources“Double Up Bucks, a program that was very important, near and dear to me when I was at USDA. I think it's a unique opportunity to build public private partnerships. Certainly a great example. We just need to continue to be more creative as we think about incentivizing consumption. (Max Teplitski)
“The amount of food that's wasted is just staggering. Shocking. On average, a third of all food in the US is lost to wasted. For some fresh produce items, it's up to 70%. And to me this is just terrifying. (Max Teplitski)
Show LinksInternational Fresh Produce Association - https://www.freshproduce.com/
Fresh Takes on Tech - https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/technology/takes-on-tech-podcast/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFreshProduceAssociation/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/IntFreshProduce/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-fresh-produce-association/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intlfreshproduceassn/

In this episode, three leaders from multigenerational family businesses in the produce industry share their experiences and insights on how they have maintained and evolved their businesses in the face of unique challenges. They talk about the importance of keeping up with industry trends like sustainability and technology, while balancing the needs of the business and the family. The conversation is both enlightening and inspiring, offering valuable advice on attracting and retaining new talent, promoting from within, and developing clear career paths for employees. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of the produce industry and how family businesses can thrive in the face of ongoing change.
Key TakeawaysThe produce industry faces unique challenges in attracting and retaining new talent, particularly from college job fairs where larger companies tend to dominate.Family businesses in the industry must balance the needs of the business with the needs of the family, while also remaining competitive through evolution and employee retention.COVID-19 forced family businessesto make changes that were previously shrugged off, jumpstarting the transition to the next generation.Networking and professional development, particularly through involvement with the Produce Alliance, are critical for success.The industry must work harder to raise brand awareness and attract talent, while also promoting from within and developing clear career paths for employees.The future of the produce industry looks bright, but it will require ongoing efforts to adapt and evolve to remain successful.The family business has a strong culture of hard work and earning one's place, with a focus on leaving the business in a better place than it was found.The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is working to develop programs to attract young people to the industry, as it is not typically seen as an aspirational career path.
Memorable Quotes“We spend a lot of time talking about ways that we can increase things like sustainability and how do we be as efficient as possible and how can we use technology as our friend and really work smarter, not always harder.”
“When my friends were working at Six Flags, and at Ben and Jerry's and the community summer camps with kids going to the water parks, I was in the warehouse. Going through rotten tomatoes and picking up the trash out of the employee parking lot and doing whatever job anybody else had to do because they wanted me to learn from the ground up.”
“When it comes to the family perspective, there's no way until you have kids that you could conceptualize what it would be like to not only be a father or a mother, but also to work with them, to ultimately one day be a boss. But I think it’s incredibly special to work with your family in that way and continue that tradition.”
Guest ResourcesTom LaGrasso III
https://www.lagrasso.com/the-lagrassos
LaGrasso Brothers
https://facebook.com/LaGrassoBros
https://twitter.com/La_Grasso_Bros
http://instagram.com/lagrassobros/
Billy Itule
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billyitule/
Willie Itule Produce
https://ituleproduce.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/willie-itule-produce-inc/

Anthony Sirna
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-sirna-a2740078/
Sirna & Sons Produce
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sirna-sons-produce/
https://www.facebook.com/sirnaandsonsproduce/
https://www.instagram.com/sirnaandsons/
Show LinksInternational Fresh Produce Association - a href="https://www.freshproduce.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

In this podcast episode, Jill Carlson from Plenty and Brian Cook from Local Bounti share their innovative approaches to indoor vertical farming. They discuss the benefits of year-round production and the ability to grow in locations that are not typically arable. The companies are committed to sustainability, with Plenty focused on reducing waste and Local Bounti using a variety of logistics methods to get its products to market. Listeners will learn about the advantages of indoor vertical farming, how it removes the volatility of produce and encourages consistent year-round production. With a focus on sustainability, Plenty and Local Bounti are leading the way for a more accessible and affordable future for fresh produce.
Key TakeawaysDiscover how Plenty's technologically advanced farm achieves industry-leading yields of up to 350 times more per acre than traditional farms through its patented architectureLearn how Local Bounti's stack and flow technology provides fresher produce to regions that usually don't get to see it, making fresh produce more affordable for consumersFind out how indoor farming removes the volatility of produce, enabling consistent year-round production, and encouraging consumers to make the investment in fresh produceLearn about the advantages of growing produce in locations that are not necessarily arable, and how it allows companies to pick sites based on logistics rather than growing conditionsExplore Plenty's commitment to physical access and affordability of their produce, employing at least 30% of employees locally and exclusively serving Compton retailers and food service providers to ensure people in the community have access to their produceDiscover how Local Bounti uses a variety of logistics methods, including FOB pickups, deliveries to customer warehouses, and cross-stock partnerships, to get its products to marketLearn about the sustainable practices of both companies, with Plenty focusing on sustainable transportation logistics and reducing waste, and Local Bounti using a variety of logistics methods to get its products to market.
Shareable Quotes“The main thing we notice is people really call out the texture of our product and the crunch of the product. I think there's a lot of people have experience with indoor greenhouse product and it just doesn't have that same hardiness that I expect from the field. It's really hard to replicate that crunch. This is something that's partially due to our technology and our lighting and how we grow, but it also is driven by less transit and not washing.” (Jill Carlson)
“Having these hubs in various places where we produce is going to be really important. And so when we think about innovation and distribution, we're really often thinking about how do we make the transportation logistics as sustainable as possible. So how can we be centrally located to key customers, distribution centers and their routes? We are not constrained where we have to pick land that is arable and perfect growing conditions. We can actually pick our site based on logistics, a few other factors.” (Jill Carlson)
“We just launched with another retail partner, and it's been great seeing reviews come in. But what we're hearing a lot is obviously fresh, which is great because that's what we're focusing on, right. Making sure that that eating experience is the best. This is the best salad that we've eaten. We've had that happen a couple of times. And those are always fun to read as well.” (Brian Cook)
Guest ResourcesJill...

This episode brings together experts to discuss their innovative solutions to address food insecurity and improve access to fresh, healthy food for those in need. You’ll learn about Katsiroubas Brothers' use of technology to increase efficiency in produce distribution, and how About Fresh's Fresh Connect program provides prepaid debit cards and mobile apps to help health systems cover the cost of food for patient. Learn about the success of Fresh Truck, a mobile market program that converts school buses into grocery stores. The episode highlights the importance of addressing the affordability barrier that prevents many people from accessing healthy food and the potential benefits of addressing food insecurity alongside pharmacological treatments. Tune in to discover how these initiatives are making a difference in communities across the country.
Key TakeawaysLearn how Katsiroubas Brothers is using new technologies to improve the customer experience and increase efficiency in produce distribution.Discover how About Fresh's Fresh Connect program provides prepaid debit cards and web applications to help health systems cover the cost of food for patients and track shopper-level spend data from all cardholders.Find out how Fresh Truck is bringing healthy food options to underserved communities, showcasing the potential benefits of addressing food insecurity alongside pharmacological treatments.Understand why these programs are important because they address the affordability barrier that prevents many people from accessing healthy food and rely on partnerships with health plan providers and community-based organizations to enroll people into the program.Explore how these programs are scalable and agnostic to retailers, ranging from the biggest box retailers to small independents, and actively seeking potential partners to help grow the program.
Key Quotes“I would say now it's official that the world recognizes the last mile as the most important and most challenging mile to travel. So every aspect of that last mile has become really what I spend every day trying to hone our craft and understand and be as efficient, as effective as I can possibly be for my customers.” (Ted Katsiroubas)
“We have different business intelligence, some different reporting mechanisms to use, but sometimes it's just classic roll up your sleeves and get on truck, see what it's like to make a delivery, interacting with the customers, to try to make that experience as positive as possible. So it's every day you're figuring it out. (Ted Katsiroubas)
“So our mission at About Fresh is to just make sure that everybody has access to the food that they need to be at their best. We're a nonprofit that's based in Boston, deeply integrated into the healthcare ecosystem and focused on serving households that are experiencing food insecurity and diet related health issues.” (Josh Trautwein)
The way that we grow and reach more people with Fresh Connect is by connecting with more plans and providers. They're the ones that are initiating the enrollment into Fresh Connect community based organizations as well. So as we are pursuing all this exciting growth across more retailers, we’re really excited about the potential of expanding partnerships in line with that growth. (Josh Trautwein)
Guest ResourcesTed Katsiroubas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ted-katsiroubas-08a00876/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/katsiroubas-produce/
https://katsiroubasproduce.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katsiroubas-Bros-Fruits-Produce/115444835145598
https://twitter.com/KatsiroubasBros
https://www.instagram.com/katsiroubasbros/
Josh Trautwein
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshtrautwein/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/fresh-truck/
https://www.aboutfresh.org/
Show...

In this episode dives we dive deep into the ever-evolving produce industry, uncovering the secrets to success of two leading companies and the innovative trends driving the future of fresh food. We explore the challenges of labor constraints and inflation, and how companies like Fresh Edge and Pacific Coast Fruit Company have adapted to stay ahead. We discuss the importance of customer relationships, the use of technology and data analytics, and the rise of prepared foods and value-added produce. With expert insights from industry leaders, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of the produce industry.
Key Takeaways- How Fresh Edge and Pacific Coast Fruit Company have overcome industry changes
- Understand the shift from 80-90% art to 65% science and 35% art in the produce industry
- How data analytics, automation, and prepared foods are driving efficiency and cost-effectiveness
- Why companies are balancing employee needs with profitability
- How loyalty and consolidation have become key parts of doing business in the produce industry
Shareable Quotes“Online shopping that occurs at a grocery store where people shop online and have delivered, the grocery store still needs the product. So we still need to supply from that regard. As a matter of fact, I think our value to our grocery store customers in our retail segment has increased through online shopping because the customer who buys online from a grocery store needs to trust the quality and freshness of that product.”
“So if you can imagine if you send a tractor trailer full of produce to a grocery store that costs so much, if you send a straight truck with ten restaurant orders to a neighborhood with restaurants that's going to cost more than your full tractor trailer going on the grocery because you got all these stops, all these cases delivering up and down outside of the truck.”
“When you look back, you realize it it's just been an incredible evolution of change for the industry in general. There's been a lot of cleaning out. I would think of the industry. Folks who didn't do their business well or didn't understand how to do their business, unfortunately weren't able to bear the tide and challenges that, of course, COVID, and then the subsequent challenges have presented from suppliers to distributors to end users, everyone has faced that out.”
Guest ResourcesGreg Corsaro on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-corsaro-989557141/
FreshEdge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freshedge/
FreshEdge: https://www.freshedgefoods.com/
Jim Reynolds on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-reynolds-60351b4/
Pacific Coast Fruit Company on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-coast-fruit-company/
Pacific Coast Fruit Company: https://www.pcfruit.com/
Show LinksInternational Fresh Produce Association - https://www.freshproduce.com/
Fresh Takes on Tech - https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/technology/takes-on-tech-podcast/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFreshProduceAssociation/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/IntFreshProduce/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-fresh-produce-association/
Instagram - a href="https://www.instagram.com/intlfreshproduceassn/" rel="noopener...

Host Vonnie Estes speaks with the team at Produce Alliance and dives deep into the fast-paced and ever-changing world of the fresh produce industry. From innovations in packaging to third-party delivery services, the team explores the impact of the pandemic and other factors on the industry. They also discuss how technology has enabled the movement towards more sustainable practices and how the industry can use these advancements to stay competitive and successful. Join us as we uncover the secrets behind the fresh produce industry.
Key TakeawaysThe fresh produce industry is undergoing major changes due to the pandemic and other factorsInnovations in packaging and third-party delivery systems are leading to growth in the categoryThe industry is shifting towards local and regional production with an emphasis on sustainability and reducing food wasteTechnology is allowing for alignment between sustainability, cost savings, and enhanced quality and shelf lifeLeaders in the industry must ensure that weak links are strengthened and that sustainability is taken into accountEducation and collaboration between key players is necessary for the industry's success
Guest ResourcesProduce Alliance: https://www.producealliance.com/
Melissa Ackerman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-ackerman-52b1133/
Tyler Deutsch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerdeutsch2/
David Kraus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kraus-b4802343/
Show LinksInternational Fresh Produce Association - https://www.freshproduce.com/
Fresh Takes on Tech - https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/technology/takes-on-tech-podcast/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InternationalFreshProduceAssociation/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/IntFreshProduce/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-fresh-produce-association/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/intlfreshproduceassn/