In this milestone episode celebrating six years of the Produce Industry Podcast, host Patrick Kelly welcomes Rob Austin, CEO of Empower Fresh, for an in-studio conversation about the transformative power of AI and hands-on training in the produce supply chain.

Discover how Empower Fresh University is reshaping team training, driving consistency, and helping retailers reduce shrink with cutting-edge AI tools. Tune in to learn actionable insights on revolutionizing your produce department and why the human touch remains crucial in the era of smart technology.

https://empowerfresh.com/for-retailers#empower-fresh-university

This week, we’re talking Gravenstein apples, a Sonoma County classic that is fading fast.

Up in the Yuba City area, peach orchards - gone!

At the same time, a whole wave of new fruit and berry varieties is coming your way.

And in the bigger picture, restaurants are closing left and right. What is really going on out there?

Plus, seasonal specialties like fiddlehead ferns and baby artichokes.

And a juicy strawberry romance story from Dan’s younger days.

It is all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays with Dan the Produce Man, from the Produce Industry Network, powered by AgLife Media.

Check out aglifemedia.com today.

his week on the Global Fresh Series, we dive into a major joint venture between two industry powerhouses that is set to redefine the fresh-cut fruit landscape in France. With a strategic location, integrated logistics, and a focus on convenience-driven consumption, this partnership highlights the rapid evolution of value-added produce across Europe. We explore what this means for suppliers, retailers, and the future of fresh fruit consumption in one of Europe’s most promising growth markets.

#freshcutfruit #Prepworld #Omer-Decugis&Cie #freshberries #produceindustrynetwork

How did the humble date palm become entangled in the great age of empire? Why did steamships, railways, and the opening of the Suez Canal transform an ancient oasis crop into a global commodity? And how did a handful of date palms - smuggled across deserts, nearly lost to a curious dog, and later replanted in California - come to shape the modern global date industry?

Join John and Patrick for the second part of their story on the history of dates, as imperial expansion, desert espionage, and ambitious American plant hunters carry this ancient fruit from the oases of North Africa and the Middle East to the highways of Southern California, and even back from seeds two thousand years old.

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In Sponsorship with Cornell University: Dyson Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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In this episode, Patrick Kelly dives into the recent silence in USDA's National FOB Review reports, exploring what it means for fresh produce market transparency and how industry professionals can adapt.

From private data solutions to strategies for maintaining supply chain awareness, tune in to learn how buyers, sellers, and procurement managers can navigate this reporting gap with confidence.

Reference: https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/publication/national-fob-review

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays, Dan the Produce Man dives into what this early spring heat wave here in California could be doing to the cherry crop, those blossoms still hanging on, and how it may impact early stone fruit still on the trees.

Then we head over to the produce table where he has purple snow peas, Padrón peppers, Ojai Pixie tangerines, jumbo heirloom artichokes, and red seedless Muscat grapes. Real springtime gems, good for your soul, good for your health, and flat-out enjoyable.

It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays, brought to you by the Produce Industry Network and AgLife Media. Check out aglifemedia.com today.

How did a humble desert fruit help build some of the world’s earliest civilizations? Why did ancient farmers in Mesopotamia become master matchmakers for palm trees? And how did the date palm come to symbolize life, victory, and divine blessing across the ancient world? 🌴

Join John and Patrick as they explore the astonishing origins of the date - from prehistoric hunter-gatherers and the orchards of ancient Mesopotamia, to Roman trade networks and the sacred traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In part one of this two-part series, they uncover how a single tree helped sustain empires, shape desert societies, and become one of the most important fruits in human history.

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In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.

The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies’ personal bodyguard. Learn more here!

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Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.

Support us!

1. Share this episode with your friends
2. Give a 5-star rating
3. Write a review

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Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.

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Join host Patrick Kelly live from the vibrant Florida Citrus Tailgating event in Fort Pierce! In this episode, Quentin Roe co-hosts with Patrick on-site at the event. They chat with industry leaders and longtime friends about the latest in Florida citrus, community connections, and innovations shaking up the produce world. Grab a glass of fresh-squeezed juice and celebrate the spirit of Florida citrus with us!

#farming #future #supplychain