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!