For the Love of Avocados

Food is fuel, especially for the high-performance athlete! In the midst of football season, we hear two unique perspectives about how nutrition, and avocados, can play an important role in athlete performance and overall health. Chad Hansen, a professional football wide receiver formerly with the Houston Texans and New York Jets in the National Football League, tells Mission Produce about his routine and go-to foods to help him perform at his peak. And Sarah Koszyk, a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist, explains the science behind healthy fats and how avocados can boost mood, energy, and satiety. Listen now to learn more!

In this episode, we discuss a critical but often forgotten topic in agriculture: the contribution of pollinators to our global food supply. We are joined by Executive Director Kelly Rourke and Bee Friendly Farming Coordinator Miles Dakin from the Pollinator Partnership to learn the science behind bee pollination, its contribution to a diverse food system, and how the industry is making strides towards bee-friendly farming. Listen now to learn how you can do your part in protecting pollinators and why these hard-working insects are integral to human health and the planet.

To close out National Nutrition Month, we hear from board-certified, licensed nutritionist Monica Reinagel, on how you can “up the nutritional ante” in your day-to-day lifestyle by power pairing avocados with other fresh produce. Monica tells us it’s less about following the “perfect diet,” and more about small, sustainable shifts that lead to healthier eating habits.

In continuation of For the Love of Avocados’ Avocado Demand series, we dive into the art of ripening. Featuring America’s “favorite fruit,” the banana, we sit down with Charles Johnston, Ripening Manager at Dole Food Company, Inc., to hear how two of the most popular ripe fruits in the U.S. compare.

In anticipation of the Big Game 2022, Mission sits down with Katie Austin (@katieaustin), Health & Fitness Influencer, Host of Austin AF Podcast, and Kim Charon (@charcuterie_n_things), Owner of Charcuterie & Things, LLC, to talk entertaining, food, and how to make the best game-time #guacuterie board with Mission Avocados.

For this episode, we’ll be taking a look at the state of the avocado category, how it performed in 2021, and analyze the key sourcing and consumption trends we’ve seen throughout the year.

As we wrap up 2021, who better to speak with than Matt Britton, CEO & Founder of Suzy, the consumer intelligence platform used by over 300 leading global brands? As a Suzy client ourselves, we use the platform to get quality consumer insights on demand. So, in this episode, we take a look back on 2021 with Matt, and analyze some key happenings: how consumer shopping habits are reacting to inflation, eating out vs. dining in, and Matt’s predictions heading into 2022.

Dana Gunders, national expert and strategic advisor for food waste reduction, joins us to look at the state of food waste in the home. We discuss major causes and practical solutions for food waste at the consumer level, and how to reduce waste around the holidays, including Thanksgiving.

In this special episode, we are joined by none other than Steve Barnard, CEO & Founder of Mission Produce, to open up a series on the birth of the global avocado phenomenon. Steve introduces us to the growth of the avocado category and gives an overview of where global supply and demand are today.

In this episode, we dive into all things food safety with industry experts Dr. Max Teplitski, Chief Science Officer of PMA, and Tim York, CEO of California LGMA. We debunk the myths around keeping food safe, look at the importance (and increase) of produce recalls, and learn what consumers can do to prevent food-borne illness.

Harvard Nutritional Psychiatrist, Dr. Uma Naidoo, author of national bestseller, “This Is Your Brain on Food,” speaks to us about eating for brain health and mental well-being. We discuss the importance of eating your greens, grains, spices, and the doctor’s go-to healthy fat, the avocado.

Growing the perfect avocado is no easy feat. So, what does it take to manage a farm and keep the trees producing bountiful fruit? In this episode, we sit down with 5th generation avocado farmer from California, Scott Cummings, about the process of growing avocados and his lifestyle in the groves. We speak about the 2021 California season, manual labor, water and irrigation, how input costs affect the end-price for consumers, and how his avocados ultimately make it around the world!

So how has the pandemic affected how consumers shop for groceries? Are they eating healthier? Are they ordering online more? We look at the data and the latest shopper insights with Jonna Parker, Principal of the Fresh Center of Excellence at Information Resources, Inc. (IRi). We discuss consumer trends we saw during the pandemic, changes in purchase habits, increases in e-commerce, and how consumer behaviors are anticipated to change moving forward. And, of course, what this all means for avocados, produce, and grocery shopping overall.

Have you ever wondered how that guacamole got on your plate? Or the tomato in your burger, or the onions in your salad? In this month’s episode, we discuss all aspects of the produce supply chain, known as the field-to-fork model that brings food to your plate. We hear from industry leaders across a variety of commodities, including Marcus Shebl, Vice President of Operations at Taylor Farms; Richie Keirouz, Senior Director of Sales at Mastronardi Produce; and Shay Myers, CEO of Owyhee Produce, on how they keep our favorite produce stocked year-round.

We sit down with Chipotle’s Head of Sustainability, Caitlin Leibert, and Walmart’s Senior Manager of Sustainability Strategic Initiatives for Produce, Anabella de Freeman, to hear how leaders in the food industry address some of the most urgent matters in sustainability. We discuss food waste, responsible packaging, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and sustainability in produce. We also hear about Chipotle’s innovative solutions to reducing its global footprint and learn about Walmart’s new commitment to pollinator habitats.

Let us introduce Alessandro Biggi, Shark Tank winner and co-founder of the world’s first avocado bar based in New York, Avocaderia. As a huge fan of avocados and their natural nutritional benefits, Alessandro shares how his love for avocados began and how he transitioned from the tech industry to beginning his avocado-based eatery. We talk about how Alessandro’s restaurant has been a driver in the health space for more accessible, healthy foods made of quality ingredients, simple recipes, and satisfying flavors, and how he navigated the foodservice crisis of 2020!

It’s game time, folks! Welcome to our first podcast episode. We sit down with a quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, champion of the 2021 Big Game, and Southern California hometown phenom, Ryan Griffin, to discuss his Big Game experience and affinity for avocados! Ryan gets real with us about pre-game nerves, the Tampa Bay celebratory boat parade, and how he determines the perfectly ripe avocado. Our host Patrick Cortes also discusses avocado sales insights for one of the biggest avocado holidays of the year!  

You’re listening to “For the Love of Avocados,” a podcast by Mission Produce! With almost four decades of fresh avocado experience, we’re here to “guac” about tips and tricks, avocado farming, marketplace trends and everything in between. So without further ado, let's get ripe to it!