Global Impact, Local Voice with Ruth Villalonga on Passion and Purpose

Join Global Women Fresh hosts Julie Escobar and Carmell Clark for a dynamic conversation with this week’s special guest: • Ruth Villalonga – global marketing leader, brand strategist, and passionate advocate for storytelling in fresh produce.

Ruth brings a powerful voice to the industry, with deep roots in brand building, international trade, and consumer engagement. Her passion? Helping produce brands find their unique identity and connect with people in meaningful ways. With her multicultural background and bold creativity, Ruth is on a mission to elevate the voices of women and innovators in agriculture.

In today’s episode of the Global Fresh Series, we head south to the heart of Mexican avocado country for our first-ever conversation with a Mexican avocado company. Discover the unique advantages of Mexico’s diverse growing regions and how a strong commitment to sustainability is helping these growers stay competitive in the global marketplace. Join us in the avocado fields and find out what’s cooking in the world of Mexico’s most beloved green fruit!

First Class Sponsorship: Peak of the Market: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://peakofthemarket.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What kind of person looks at the treacherous Oregon Trail and says, “You know what would make this even harder? Let’s drag 700 fruit trees with us”?

In this episode, John and Patrick continue the epic tale of the Lewelling family - radical Quakers, abolitionists, and horticultural pioneers - as they pack up their Iowa homestead and begin one of the most improbable journeys in American history: a rolling orchard bound for Oregon.

From oxen-dragged nursery wagons to the disease-ridden banks of the Platte River, from frostbitten saplings near South Pass to a hand-built boat on the Columbia, this is the incredible true story of how Henderson Lewelling hauled an entire orchard across 2,000 miles of wilderness. Along the way, he’d test the limits of family, faith, and physical endurance - with a pregnant wife, eight children, and a dream of planting fruit trees at the edge of a continent.

Join John and Patrick as they follow the Lewellings from Salem, Iowa, to Fort Vancouver, through disease, death, divine protection - and, finally, rebirth.

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

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From produce as medicine to banana trade trends, we’re breaking down the biggest stories shaking up fresh produce:

• IFPA’s National Health Campaign – Can fruit and veg become part of your healthcare plan?
• Global Heatwaves – What extreme weather means for your supply chain.
• Pest Victory – California eradicates the Tau fruit fly in Orange County.
• Tech Meets Policy – Cold chain innovation meets produce prescriptions.
• Banana Markets – Why prices are swinging and trade lanes are shifting.

Whether you’re in the field, on the dock, or behind the desk—this episode connects policy, climate, innovation, and global trade in under 30 minutes

This week on Fresh from the Field Fridays From The Produce Industry Network and AgLife Media…

Ross is getting ready to hit the road again—this time, he's heading to Europe! And he’s promised to check in with us live from some of the fresh produce markets and street stands he discovers along the way.

Before that, we’ll recap his visits with growers across California, right before he met up with Dan at OPS. We’ll talk Summer Punch, Apriums, and a whole bunch of other cool goodies.

Dan shares California grown Suncrest Peaches, NectaPlums and Italian Sweet Red Onions… and from The Produce Man’s very own vegetable garden: Lemon Cucumbers, Shady Lady Tomatoes, San Marzano Tomatoes.

And The finishing touch - a visit to the Rowdy Rabbit Organics booth at OPS!

It’s all right here on Fresh from the Field Fridays - Good for your body, good for your mind,

So tune in and turn on!

This week’s episode is rooted in the rich, dark soil of Southern Manitoba—the kind that’s so soft and crumbly it won’t even stick to your feet, but grows picture-perfect potatoes and farm-fresh produce like it’s magic. 🥔✨

Come along as we walk the rows with the passionate growers of Peak of the Market, Canada’s premier grower-owned cooperative. From field to fork, these farmers are bringing their A-game to every harvest.

We’re also joined by CEO, Pam Kolochuk, who gives us a behind-the-scenes look at their cutting-edge packinghouse and how innovation is helping them deliver quality, sustainability, and freshness on a global scale.

Whether you're a produce pro or just curious how your potatoes make it to the plate—this episode is full of soil, soul, and some serious ag-tech.

First Class Sponsorship: Peak of the Market: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://peakofthemarket.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

How did a quiet Quaker family from North Carolina - devout, disciplined, and disinclined to dance - go on to revolutionize the fruit industry of the American West? Who were the Lewellings, and how did their deep-rooted values, obsession with grafting, and fierce opposition to slavery shape the orchards of Oregon, the nurseries of Iowa, and the future of American agriculture?

Join John and Patrick as they peel back the layers of one of the most extraordinary and overlooked sagas in American history. From humble beginnings in the red clay of the Carolinas to pioneering nurseries on the frontier, the Lewellings weren’t just planting trees - they were planting legacy. But what made Henderson Lewelling leave it all behind, again and again, to chase something even bigger?

In this opening episode of a sweeping multi-part series, we hear about the early years of a family whose grafting knives and moral convictions cut through the American frontier and helped grow an empire of apples, pears, peaches, and cherries.

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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 friends
• Give a 5-star rating
• 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.

-----------

Step into history - literally! Now is your chance to own a pair of The History of Fresh Produce sneakers. Fill out the form here and get ready to walk through the past in style.

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Instagram, TikTok, Threads:

@historyoffreshproduce

Email: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com

In this episode of The Produce Industry Podcast, host Patrick Kelly welcomes Amanda Nigg, founder of Farm Fit, for an inspiring conversation on the powerful link between nutrition, fitness, and everyday life.

Amanda shares her personal journey and how she’s helping farmers, ag professionals, and everyday folks take control of their health—starting with what’s on their plate. From the role of fresh produce in building strength and endurance to how diet impacts mindset and energy levels, this episode dives into why what you eat truly matters.