The Produce Industry Podcast w/ Patrick Kelly

The Super El Niño is officially here — and scientists say it may be the strongest ever recorded. In this episode, Patrick Kelly breaks down what a “very strong” El Niño means for fall and winter weather, global agriculture, and the future of fresh produce.We dive into the science behind El Niño — how NOAA defines it, why the Walker Circulation matters, and why the World Meteorological Organization is forecasting a near 100% chance that this event will persist through February 2027. You’ll hear expert insights from UC San Diego, USF, and global climate researchers on what makes this El Niño different.After the break, we explore how extreme weather, drought, flooding, and shifting ocean temperatures are already disrupting global agriculture. From rising rice prices to volatile grain markets, food insecurity risks, and supply chain pressure, Patrick unpacks how this climate event will reshape fresh produce markets worldwide.References: TIME – How El Niño Will Impact Fall and Winter Weather in the U.S.https://time.com/article/2026/09/11/el-nino-fall-winter-weather-us/NOAA – El Niño Forms, Expected to Strengthenhttps://www.noaa.gov/news-release/el-nino-forms-expected-to-strengthen-say-noaa-forecastersWMO – El Niño Set to Become Very Strong, Raising Risks of Extreme Weather into 2027https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/el-nino-set-become-very-strong-raising-risks-of-extreme-weather-2027The Conference Board – El Niño Reshapes Global Agricultural Marketshttps://www.conference-board.org/research/policy-backgrounders/el-nino-reshapes-global-agricultural-marketsNewsweek – How El Niño Could Spark Global Crisis in 2027https://www.newsweek.com/how-el-nino-could-spark-global-crisis-2027-12331811 (newsweek.com in Bing)

Join host Patrick Kelly as he reconnects with industry veteran Tony Stackhurski, now leading a major mushroom farm, to dive deep into the evolving mushroom market. Discover the challenges of mushroom farming, supply shifts, and why the category needs a fresh perspective and renewed advocacy. This episode offers valuable insights for retailers, growers, and produce enthusiasts aiming to understand and support the future of mushrooms.

Join host Patrick Kelly as he dives into the vital role propane plays in American agriculture with special guests NASCAR driver and eighth-generation watermelon farmer Ross Chastain and Suburban Propane CEO Michael Stivala. Together they talk partnership, fueling American agriculture and partnership that complement each other.Discover how propane fuels farms, supports rural communities, and even connects the worlds of motorsports and farming, highlighting innovations that keep food moving and farmers resilient.Visit us @ www.aglifemedia.comVisit Suburban Propane @: https://www.suburbanpropane.com/nascar/Visit Ross Chastain @: https://melon1.com/about/ and https://rosschastain.com/

Join host Patrick Kelly as he takes you behind the scenes at the New England Produce Show 2026, sharing exclusive interviews with industry leaders from JOH and top vendors. Discover the latest product innovations, partnership stories, and how collaboration is shaping the future of the produce supply chain. Don't miss this deep dive into the vibrant world of fresh produce and supply chain connections!Visit JOH @: https://joh.comNew England Produce Council @: https://newenglandproducecouncil.comVisit Aglife Media @: https://aglifemedia.com

Join host Patrick Kelly as he sits down with Brendan A. Niemira, PhD from the Institute of Food Technologists to explore the science behind food innovation, the evolving FDA rules on Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredients, and the debated definition of ultra processed foods. Whether you’re in produce, product development, or just a curious consumer, this episode clears up misconceptions and highlights how science shapes the foods we eat every day. To learn more about IFT, go to www.ift.org. and www.aglifemedia.com About Institute of Food TechnologistsSince 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has served as the voice of the global food science community. IFT advocates for science, technology, and research to address the world’s greatest food challenges, guiding our community of more than 200,000. IFT convenes professionals from around the world – from producers and product developers to innovators and researchers across food, nutrition, and public health – with a shared mission to help create a global food supply that is sustainable, safe, nutritious, and accessible to all. IFT provides its growing community spanning academia, industry, and government with the resources, connections, and opportunities necessary to stay ahead of a rapidly evolving food system as IFT helps feed the minds that feed the world. For more information, please visit ift.org.

Join Patrick Kelly on the Produce Industry Podcast for a deep dive into three critical produce topics shaking the supply chain: the mushroom industry's tariff challenges and farm closures, the USDA suspension halting Michoacán avocado shipments, and the dynamic week 33 mango market update featuring Mexican and Brazilian supplies. Stay informed on how these events impact retail and food service, and hear about upcoming industry events and partnerships shaping the future of fresh produce.More at www.aglifemedia.com

Join host Patrick Kelly and special guest Amanda Horney of Zeno Fresh as they dive into the fast-evolving world of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recycling laws and packaging compliance impacting the produce industry. From sustainability challenges to the complexities of fresh lime supply from Mexico, this episode offers vital insights for growers, packers, and suppliers aiming to stay compliant and competitive in 2026 and beyond.Learn more at www.aglifemedia.com

Join Patrick Kelly and special guest Judd Bare from Georgia Ports as they explore the Port of Savannah’s rise as North America’s third largest port complex and a fresh produce shipping powerhouse.Discover how investments in refrigerated infrastructure and strategic location are offering importers a fresher, faster, and cheaper alternative for regional distribution. Tune in to hear insights on cold chain innovation, expanded services, and how Savannah is shaping the future of fresh produce logistics in the Southeast.Learn more at www.aglifemedia.com and https://gaports.com

In this eye-opening episode of the Produce Industry Podcast, host Patrick Kelly sits down with California grower Cesar Mora to discuss a high-stakes legal battle involving a proprietary fruit variety and the struggles faced by growers in the complex produce supply chain. Cesar shares his firsthand experience battling a major marketing company, revealing the risks, mistrust, and industry dynamics that impact farmers’ livelihoods. Tune in for an honest conversation about farmer protection, market power, and the future of farming in America.www.aglifemedia.com for more stories in Agriculture

Join Patrick Kelly and co-host Ross Nelson as they welcome Dean Fahselt of River Fresh Farms to delve into the dynamic world of wet vegetables. Discover how this nimble, minority-owned company is tackling extreme weather, supply chain challenges, and expanding into value-added products.Tune in for insider insights on market trends, crop rotation, and the future of freshness in produce supply.#freshprudce https://www.riverfreshfarms.com

Why did a blacksmith hide six cocoa pods under his tools to smuggle them past Spanish customs — and how did those six pods become the foundation of an industry that today supplies sixty percent of the world's chocolate? Who was Tetteh Quarshie, the man who spent six years watching cocoa grow on a plantation island before bringing the knowledge home to Ghana, and why has the credit for what he did been contested ever since? And what does it mean that the average cocoa farmer in Ghana earns a dollar a day for producing the raw material of a chocolate bar that sells for the same price?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Ghana and cocoa — the toolbox, the Cocoa Hold-Up of 1937, and the smallholder revolution that made a country from six pods...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did 27 words buried in a Bavarian price regulation from 1516 become the most famous food law in history — and why did it take 402 years for anyone to give it the name that made it sound ancient and inevitable? What was in German beer before hops arrived, why did the Church control it, and how did switching ingredients become an act of theological protest during the Reformation? And how did Bavaria hold its entry into the German Empire hostage to the extension of its beer law — and win?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Germany and the Reinheitsgebot — the gruit monopoly, the hop revolution, and the purity commandment that forgot to mention yeast...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did the man who just conquered India weep over a melon — and what does that tell us about the fruit that travelers from Ibn Battuta to Victorian cavalry officers have been stopping their journeys to describe for seven centuries? How did the river valleys of what is now Uzbekistan become the origin point of every sweet melon on Earth, and the crossroads through which paper-making, Islam, and Buddhism all passed in different directions? And who was Babur, the tiger who lost Samarkand twice, won an empire he couldn't love, and asked to be buried in a garden in Afghanistan?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Uzbekistan and the melon — the Silk Road, the Baburnama, and the concentrated sweetness of a fruit that still makes people stop and weep...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why does the most extravagant opera house in the history of South America sit in the middle of the Amazon rainforest — and how did a wild tree, a Connecticut hardware merchant's accident, and a debt bondage system built on human misery pay for Italian marble, Murano chandeliers, and a ceiling painted in Paris to look like the underside of the Eiffel Tower? Who was Henry Wickham, the man who took 70,000 rubber tree seeds out of Brazil and ended the boom in a single generation? And what happened to the opera house when the carriages stopped coming?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Brazil and rubber — the seringueiros, the Teatro Amazonas, and the most improbable building on Earth...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did the most productive colony in the entire world — generating 40 percent of Europe's sugar from an area the size of Maryland — become the site of the only successful slave revolution in human history? How did a Vodou ceremony in a forest clearing, a Stoic-reading formerly enslaved general, and yellow fever combine to defeat Napoleon's army and reshape the political geography of North America? And why were the people who freed themselves required to compensate the people who enslaved them — and to keep paying, with interest, for 122 years?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Haiti and sugar — the Pearl of the Antilles, the Black Jacobins, and the revolution that the world has been trying to forget ever since...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did the potato blight begin in Belgium before it reached Ireland — and why has the Flemish famine of 1845, which killed tens of thousands and stunted a generation, been almost entirely forgotten while the Irish catastrophe became the defining tragedy of a nation? What destroyed the linen industry of Flanders before the blight even arrived, and how did that earlier catastrophe turn a regional food crisis into something far worse? And what does DNA sequencing of museum specimens from 1845 reveal about where the most consequential agricultural disaster in European history actually began?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Belgium and the last great peacetime famine in Western Europe — the linen crisis, the Arm Vlaanderen, and the tragedy that Belgium forgot...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join host Patrick Kelly and special guest Meghan Diaz from Sprouts Farmers Markets as they explore the evolving definitions of local and hyperlocal produce, the importance of building sustainable ecosystems, and the future of fresh food sourcing. Discover how Sprouts' innovative strategies support growers, embrace regional diversity, and aim to transform the produce industry for consumers nationwide. Tune in for insights on freshness, seasonality, and the purpose-driven mission to connect farm to table like never before.

Why did a Greek historian standing at the foot of the Great Pyramid in 450 BC record that its builders were fed on onions, garlic, and radishes — and what does the archaeology say about whether he was right? Who were the people who actually built the pyramids, and what does a daily logbook written by a middle-ranking official called Merer, found in a Red Sea harbour in 2013, tell us about the greatest construction project in human history? And why does the onion, cut open to reveal its concentric rings, turn out to be both the fuel of the pyramid builders and a sacred image of eternity?Join John as he tells the story of Egypt and the onion — Herodotus, the workers' city at Giza, the oldest papyrus ever found, and the vegetable that runs through Egyptian life from the Predynastic period to breakfast this morning...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did a Portuguese colonial sugar ban inadvertently create Cape Verde's national spirit — and what does it reveal about how cultures find ways through every door that's closed to them? How did ten uninhabited volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic become the birthplace of a creole language, a music of longing, and a sugarcane brandy whose flavour is specific to each valley's microbes? And what happens when the law designed to protect a traditional product becomes the mechanism that pushes out the people who made it traditional?Join John and his special co-host as they tell the story of Cape Verde and grogue — the wild fermentation, the Barefoot Diva, the grogue wars, and the saudade that runs through all of it...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why do Bosnian Muslims make and celebrate a plum brandy that Islamic law technically forbids — and what does their answer to that question reveal about four centuries of Ottoman rule, Balkan identity, and the extraordinary weight of contingency behind things that seem simple? How did the Ottomans simultaneously bring distillation to the Balkans, prohibit alcohol, and shape the culture that would eventually inscribe plum brandy on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list? And what is in a glass of šljivovica that a supermarket bottle of slivovitz will never contain?Join John as he tells the story of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the plum — the copper still, the neighbors arriving in October, and the soul extracted from a fruit that has outlasted every political settlement imposed on this landscape...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join Patrick Kelly and co-host Ross "The Produce Boss" Nelson, as they celebrate America's 250th anniversary with a festive discussion on Fourth of July produce trends, from melon and grape supply updates to the rise of global flavors fueled by the World Cup. Discover how supply chain challenges, soaring fuel costs, and grilling essentials impact your summer produce choices and learn tips for retailers and consumers to make the most of this vibrant season.#celebration #freshproduce #agriculture

Why did a Jesuit republic of 140,000 people in the subtropical forests of South America — with its own armed militia, its own printing presses, its own Baroque composers, and the only successful mate plantation in colonial history — get destroyed by a riot about hats? How did the Guaraní and the Society of Jesus together solve a domestication mystery that no one else could crack, and why did that knowledge vanish the moment the priests were expelled?Join John as he tells the story of Paraguay and yerba mate — the Jesuit utopia, the bandeirante raiders, the angel faces carved in subtropical sandstone, and the leaf that built a kingdom...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

How did a shipping clerk in Antwerp discover one of the greatest crimes of the nineteenth century simply by paying attention to which ships were carrying what — and why did it take a decade of missionary photographs, a British consul's report, and Mark Twain's pen to force the world to look? Why did the invention of the pneumatic tyre turn a wild Congo rubber vine into the engine of an atrocity that halved the population of an entire country? And what made Leopold II's Congo Free State different from every other colonial horror?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of the Democratic Republic of Congo — King Leopold's rubber state, the severed hands, the missionaries with cameras, and the first international human rights movement that finally forced the world to look...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why does it take between 150,000 and 200,000 flowers — and up to 470 hours of human labour — to produce a single kilogram of saffron, and why has the plateau of La Mancha been the place where that labour happens for over a thousand years? What did the Moors actually bring to Spain, and why does every Spanish cook who reaches for the azafrán, the arroz, or the aceite speak a culinary history that maps directly onto what happened in those Andalusian fields between 711 and 1492? And what is the specific, irreversible tragedy of expelling the people who know how to maintain an irrigation system?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Spain and the Arab Agricultural Revolution — the acequias, the Morisco expulsion, and the red-gold threads still harvested at dawn in La Mancha by the same method the Moors left behind...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join the Global Fresh Series as we follow the journey of apples across continents and discover how growers, importers, and retailers work together to ensure European consumers continue to enjoy premium apples long after the local season ends. We discuss the outlook for the overseas apple program, changing trade flows, growing demand for premium varieties such as Pink Lady® and Rosy Glow, and how retailers are navigating a balanced market with stable pricing and consistent quality. The episode also examines the increasing importance of global sourcing, supply chain coordination, and year-round availability in today's fresh produce industry.#freshappleimports #Europefreshapples #consumersapples #appleexpots

Why was the most famous coffee farmer in the world a Cuban-American opera singer from Havana who had never visited Colombia — and how did a fictional man with a mule named Conchita become one of the most successful advertising characters in the history of capitalism? What is the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros, the institution that built its own roads, its own bank, and its own merchant fleet to protect 540,000 smallholder families from the commodity trap? And how did a research centre founded in 1938 end up saving the entire Colombian coffee industry from a fungal epidemic forty years later?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Colombia and coffee — Juan Valdez, the parafiscal tax, and the real institution behind the fictional farmer...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why does the word "paradise" — as used in every European language, in Arabic, in Urdu — simply mean "walled garden" in Old Persian, and what does that tell us about the civilisation that turned a horticultural achievement into humanity's vision of the afterlife? How did Cyrus the Great build a garden in the middle of one of Earth's most extreme deserts using a 3,000-year-old technology that is still working today? And why does the Taj Mahal, visited by millions who have never heard of the chahar bagh, turn out to be the most famous Persian garden on Earth?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Iran and the paradise garden — the qanats, the four rivers of the Quran, and the walled enclosure that became heaven...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why does a single spontaneous genetic mutation in a Styrian pumpkin field — sometime in the nineteenth century — matter enough to trigger diplomatic rows, European Parliament debates, and a forensic investigation involving rare earth element fingerprinting? How did an oil so dark it looks like used engine oil become both a peasant medicine worth its weight in gold and a gourmet product evaluated by specialist juries? And why are there now two legally protected "Styrian pumpkin seed oils" from two different countries, both called Styrian?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Austria and the green gold of Styria — the hull-less pumpkin, the fraud, the Slovenian oil war, and a landscape that wrote itself into a genome...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join Patrick Kelly and special guest GT Parris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Seald Sweet, as they dive into the dynamic world of South African summer citrus. Discover how growers and supply chain experts are overcoming challenges like tariffs and weather to deliver consistent, high-quality citrus to U.S. retailers. This episode offers insider perspectives on the season's outlook, the fruit basket variety, and the positive impact South African growers have on their communities.

Why does a town of 20,000 people in central Tunisia contain the third largest Roman amphitheatre ever built - and what does a structure that seated 35,000 people tell us about what olive oil money could buy? How did a Phoenician agricultural manual become the only document the Roman Senate preserved when they burned Carthage to the ground? And why do archaeologists now believe Tunisia was not just the breadbasket of Rome, but its main oil supplier too?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Tunisia and the olive - the Carthaginian farmers, the 2,500-year-old tree still bearing fruit in Cap Bon, and two and a half thousand years of unbroken continuity in an arid landscape that has outlasted every empire that ever claimed it...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join host Patrick Kelly as he sits down with industry legend Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk at the Seal Suite headquarters in Vero Beach. Discover Mayda's incredible immigrant story, her rise as a female leader in a male-dominated produce industry, and her pivotal role in shaping the global citrus market including the South African citrus program. This episode reminds us all why storytelling, resilience, and passion fuel the heart of fresh produce.

Why did Cleopatra demand the balsam groves of Jericho as the price of financing Marc Antony's wars — and what does it mean that a plant worth twice its weight in gold was guarded day and night by Roman soldiers after the conquest of Jerusalem? What was the balm of Gilead, the most expensive agricultural commodity in the ancient world, and why did it grow nowhere on Earth except the shores of the Dead Sea? And how does a thousand-year-old seed, germinated in a Jordanian valley in 2024, connect the ancient world to the present?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Jordan — the asphalt wars, Cleopatra's monopoly, and the extinct plant that Roman soldiers fought to protect...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did a Valencia orange, abandoned on a tiny arid Caribbean island, transform into a new species that nobody could eat — and how did that inedible fruit end up in cocktail bars on every continent? What made the harbour of Willemstad one of the most consequential trading posts in the Atlantic world, and what does the story of Sephardic refugees, the slave trade, and a language assembled from seven others tell us about how Curaçao became Curaçao? And why does the blue liquid in most bottles labelled "curaçao" contain nothing from the island at all?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of the laraha — the accidental species, the Dutch distillers, and the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why has the argan tree — which grows nowhere else on Earth — survived for 65 million years in the mountains of Morocco, and why are the women who have tended it for centuries now earning two euros sixty for a litre of oil that sells for a hundred in Paris? Who was Zoubida Charrouf, the chemist who gave scientific language to what Amazigh women had always known, and built a cooperative movement that changed thousands of lives — only for the global market to arrive and take almost everything? And what does liquid gold look like from the bottom of the supply chain?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Morocco and the argan tree — the performance goats, the women's cooperatives, and the ancient knowledge that the world monetised without ever properly paying for...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join host Patrick Kelly as he sits down with Antoni Porowski , beloved Queer Eye chef and food storyteller, at the CPMA 2026 Annual Conference. Discover how Antoni Porowski bridges the produce supply chain and culinary worlds, shares fresh salad inspirations with Fresh Express, and reveals simple yet exciting ways to elevate your meals with produce. Whether you're a food enthusiast or industry insider, this episode offers fresh perspectives and delicious ideas you won't want to miss!

Why did France's black truffle — once produced in the thousands of tonnes — collapse to near-extinction in a century, and what does its revival reveal about the country's relationship with luxury, landscape, and desire? Who are the truffle thieves stalking the oak groves of the Périgord with poisoned meatballs and stolen dogs? And why does a near-identical Chinese impostor, worth one-seventieth of the price, now threaten the French truffle industry from beneath the soil itself?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of the black diamond of the kitchen — the fraud, the cash markets, the criminal underworld, and the invisible biological invasion growing silently beneath the oaks of southern France...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join me for a fun, reflective, and produce-filled farewell to Greece as I wrap up an unforgettable month abroad—one conversation, one supermarket, and one peach at a time. 🇬🇷🍑🥒After a month of living and working as a digital nomad in Athens, it’s time for a final stroll through the streets, markets, and produce aisles of Greece. In this episode of the Global Fresh Series, I reflect on the little things that slowly became part of everyday life—from deciphering Greek signs and mastering a few local phrases to navigating the rhythms of a city that feels both ancient and surprisingly modern.Along the way, I met perfect strangers who somehow led me to a connection with the UK's legendary "Cauliflower King," crossed paths with U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, and discovered that some of the best travel stories happen when you least expect them.#greecefreshproduce. #argosgreece @Σκλαβενίτης. #Δημήτηρ # cauliflower king

Why did the Aztecs drink their currency — and what does it mean that the most global food in the world began as a bitter, frothy, sacred drink consumed by warriors and kings in the rainforests of ancient Mesoamerica? Who was Quetzalcoatl, the god who stole cacao from paradise and gave it to humanity — and why does his promised return from the east make the moment Montezuma handed Hernán Cortés a golden cup of xocolatl one of the most extraordinary in history?Join John and Patrick as they tell the four-thousand-year story of cacao and the bitter, spiced drink that was simultaneously a currency, a sacrament, and the food of the gods...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

From Indigenous sugar shacks to the Supreme Court of Canada… how did maple syrup become one of the world’s most tightly controlled commodities? Why does Quebec maintain a vast strategic maple syrup reserve? And how did a group of “barrel rollers” steal nearly $19 million worth of syrup in the most Canadian crime of all time?Join Patrick and John as they explore the history of maple syrup, the rise of Quebec’s maple cartel, and the extraordinary true story of the Great Maple Syrup Heist.----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Why did tobacco, and not gold or glory, save the first permanent English colony in America? How did the Founding Fathers' tobacco debts to British merchants help light the fuse of the American Revolution? And who were the Tobacco Lords — the scarlet-cloaked Glasgow merchants who controlled more of the British tobacco trade than London, Bristol, and Liverpool combined?Join John and Patrick in the first episode of their World Cup series as they tell the story of the plant that built America, from the dying streets of Jamestown to the cobbled pavements of Georgian Glasgow, and the uncomfortable truth that the Declaration of Independence was written by men who were, among other things, furious at their bankers...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join Patrick Kelly and correspondent Jonathan Buettner as they bring you exclusive coverage from the 2026 West Coast Produce Expo in Palm Desert, California. Hear from industry leaders from Produce X , IPR Fresh, and Top Katz sharing cutting-edge technology, market trends, and candid insights into supply chain challenges.

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays with Dan the Produce Man, on the produce table: early-season Santa Rosa-type plums, Japanese cucumbers, tamarillos, and the first California figs of the season. Find out what makes white peaches taste sweeter than yellow peaches, why organic bell pepper prices are so high right now, and get tips on how to pick the perfect pineapple and the perfect ear of corn. It's all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays from The Produce Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media. Check out AgLife Media today.

In this episode of the Global Fresh Series Podcast, we take an in-depth look at the powerful food trends reshaping consumer behavior across Europe in 2026. From the explosive rise of high-protein products and functional foods to flexitarian eating, convenience-driven meals, premium indulgence, sustainability, and nostalgic comfort foods, Europe’s food landscape is evolving rapidly—but not uniformly. Discover why Swedish consumers are embracing protein for satiety, why Italy resists the protein craze, how GLP-1 drugs are influencing food choices, and why consumers across the continent are demanding foods that are healthier, fresher, traceable, affordable, and emotionally comforting. Join us as we explore how these emerging trends are creating enormous opportunities for the fresh produce industry and redefining the future of food across Europe.#freshproduce #Europeanconsumers #Proteintrend #GLP-1

Who was Dewayne Lee Johnson, the school groundskeeper soaked in Roundup who took on the most legally powerful agricultural company in the world — and what did his trial finally expose about what Monsanto's own scientists had known, and hidden, for forty years? Why did the revolution that promised to feed the world end up increasing herbicide use by twenty percent, turning farmers into perpetual customers, and forcing a German pharmaceutical giant to pay billions of dollars for a mountain of lawsuits it still hasn't climbed? And how does the story of a Missouri peach farmer watching his trees die from a chemical he never even sprayed open a window onto a hundred and twenty years of the same corporate playbook?Join John and Patrick for the final episode of their Monsanto series — the dicamba drift, the cancer lawsuits, the slag heap still glowing in the Idaho dark, and the question of whether history ever truly catches up with the companies that shape what we eat — in an age when the most dangerous document in the world turned out to be an internal email that was never meant to be seen...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join host Patrick Kelly and his daughter Lillee Kelly as they share a heartfelt conversation about their scouting trip to the Dominican Republic. Discover how their experience with the Water for All initiative revealed the critical importance of clean water access, sustainable farming, and community resilience in the produce industry. Tune in for a personal and inspiring episode that connects global produce supply chains with real human stories.

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, California melons are in from El Centro, and May marks the beginning of California cantaloupe season.Dan the Produce Man dives deep into the fascinating history of the cantaloupe - from ancient times, to the papal villa where the melon is believed to have received its name, to the American railroad system that helped spread cantaloupes across the United States. Did cantaloupes really kill a pope? And how did they actually help save lives during World War II? Dan breaks it all down.Also on the table this week - a few early apricots, sweet Coachella Valley corn, and an update on the California cherry crop.It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays from The Produce Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media.Check out AgLifeMedia.com today.

Join host Juanita Gaglio from Athens, Greece, as she explores Brazil's rising role in the global mango market with expert guest Eryvan Pires, CEO of FruitMarket. Discover how Brazil's year-round mango supply supports key markets in Europe and the US, the intricate logistics behind keeping mangoes fresh across continents, and the future growth opportunities in mango consumption and marketing. A must-listen for anyone interested in the international fresh produce industry and tropical fruit trends.#brasilmangoes #FruitMarket #Eryvanpires #mangoeports #freshproduce

Who was Bob Shapiro, the guitar-playing Vietnam protester turned Monsanto CEO who genuinely believed genetically modified seeds could save the planet — and how did the same man who preached environmental salvation simultaneously bury a billion dollars of toxic human suffering in a corporate spinoff so that Wall Street would never have to look at it? Why did the most consequential revolution in the history of American farming arrive not with a manifesto but with a technology-use agreement that made it illegal for farmers to do what farmers had done for ten thousand years? And how does the story of Roundup Ready seeds open a window onto the hidden architecture of modern food; from a Vice President offering himself as Monsanto's Washington liaison in a company greenhouse, to the superweeds growing three inches a day that nobody in the marketing department wanted to mention?Join John and Patrick for the fifth episode of their Monsanto series — the GMO revolution, the monarch butterfly, the seed-saving ban, and the extraordinary gap between Bob Shapiro's vision and the contracts his lawyers were writing — in an age when the most powerful thing a company could own was a gene, and the most dangerous thing it could lose was trust...----------In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: [email protected]

Join Patrick Kelly and special co-host Ross Nelson as they dive into the fascinating world of vintage produce crate labels. Exploring iconic designs from the 1900s to the 1950s, they share stories of holiday themes, sports branding, and artistic creativity that shaped the produce industry. Tune in for a nostalgic trip with unique vintage finds, fan calls, and a community celebration of produce history and art.#vintage #history #agriculture

It was May of 1976 when 15-year-old Dan the Produce Man walked into a produce market in his hometown of Alameda, California. That’s where it all began.This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Patrick Kelly joins Dan to look back on some of the moments, memories, and fun from Dan’s 50 years in the fresh produce industry.From retail to wholesale, foodservice distribution, home delivery, and owning his own produce company, Dan’s journey through five decades in produce has been one incredible ride.Join us as we celebrate 50 years in the produce business. It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays from The Produce Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media.Check out aglifemedia.com today.