Cream of the Crop

In this episode of Cream of the Crop we are focusing on Crop IQ: The Ultimate Tool for Smart Farm Management!  Join us as Product Owner, Mikayla Rogers, and Director of Customer Success, Tara Stroud discuss the dynamic capabilities of Crop IQ. They'll share insights on how this robust platform is empowering growers to navigate the complexities of modern agriculture with unmatched ease and precision.

Kickstart your week with a fresh episode of Cream of the Crop! In this episode, we shine a spotlight on Highland Hub's newest feature, Compliance Tracker. This innovative platform is poised to revolutionize the management of compliance and regulatory obligations for a wide range of professionals, including consultants, marketers, retailers, large cooperatives, and brokers. It empowers them with a comprehensive overview through a user-friendly dashboard, simplifying workflows and enhancing efficiency.

In this episode, we have Justin Machell, CEO, Brian Deese, Sales Manager, and Brent Lewis, Product Manager for Business Intelligence, delving into the latest iteration, Highland Ag MarketWatch 2.0, which introduces enhancements designed to optimize user experience and provide powerful functionalities.

In this episode, CEO Justin Machell chats with Product Manager - Brent Lewis and Sales Manager - Brian Deese about the latest feature FreshETA. Discover what FreshETA has to offer:MarineTraffic & Fresh Cargo Peru At-A-GlanceComprehensive overview of shipments entering North America, Europe & AsiaDiscover the when and where of industry volumes, with the latest ETAsETAs through CarrierGap, our solution for filling gaps in carrier dataDelivered to your inbox every Monday & Thursday

Highland Ag MarketWatch has made waves with its groundbreaking approach to analytics, earning it the 2023 AgTech Breakthrough Award for Analytics Innovation of the Year. In this episode, we dive deeper into the significance of real-time analytics within the fresh produce industry and offer our listeners a comprehensive understanding of Highland Ag MarketWatch's functionality and relevance.

At Highland Ag, we believe that data is the key to unlocking success in agriculture. But when it comes to aggregating, analyzing, and presenting that data, not all approaches are created equal.  In this episode, we discuss the need for a more reliable source of data in the fresh produce industry and why we built Highland Ag MarketWatch.

Welcome to a fresh episode of Cream of the Crop! Join us as we explore sustainability and how it's being achieved through the Highland Hub. In this episode, our CEO, Justin Machell, with Highland's Director of Customer Success, Tara Stroud, unveil the exciting integration of Sustainable Food Group's Sustainability Standard into the Highland Hub. Discover how we're paving the way for a sustainable future in innovative ways. Tune in now for this enlightening conversation!

In this episode we hear from podcaster Trevor Williams on the story of the Farm Traveler Podcast. Trevor shares with us the ups and downs of starting a podcast as well as the importance of sharing the heart of the ag industry. Education through communication is key, and Trevor has a lot of experience with that! Our host and Trevor both were previous ag teachers and share some of their learnings from the classroom! Trevor Williams is a former high school agriscience teacher turned podcaster that started the Farm Traveler podcast in 2019.  Farm Traveler has one goal, that being to connect consumers with farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs in the agriculture industry.  Trevor has published over 150 podcast episodes, educational videos, and Farm Tours on the Farm Traveler Youtube channel, and produces two other agriculture-focused podcasts.

In this episode, we chat with Margaret Dominguez, Vice President of Food Safety and Compliance at Soli Organic. Soli (formerly known as Shenandoah Growers) is the nation’s most commercially advanced indoor agriculture company. Margaret shares the “secret sauce” behind Soli and their growth as the nation’s leading grower of fresh organic culinary herbs, providing sustainable, organic greens and produce to retailers coast to coast.For more than five years, Margaret has worked on elevating their food safety program and building a food safety culture nationally across all Soli Organic locations. She is a food safety professional with more than 13 years of experience in the food industry. Margaret received her B.S. degree with a major in Food Science and Technology and a Masters of Science in Food Management from Warsaw Agriculture University in Poland. In addition, she earned her Master of Food Safety and Technology from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Before Soli, she held various food safety and sanitation roles at Kellogg’s and Fair Oaks Farms, a meat processing company based in Wisconsin.

In this episode, Jennifer Pulcipher, Director of Food Safety and Compliance and Kinsey Porter,  Food Safety Manager for North Bay Produce, discuss working in food safety for a grower-owned cooperative.  With 30 members representing over 2000 farms across North, Central, and South America, North Bay is a leader in fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, North Bay markets and distributes products worldwide. Jennifer holds a Master’s degree in Food Safety from Michigan State University and is responsible at North Bay for the oversight of foreign and domestic food safety programs; leading the charge on all corporate food safety and compliance initiatives.  Kinsey is responsible for Food Safety Modernization Act compliance, partnering with growers to implement good food safety practices, and communicating North Bay’s food safety commitment with customers. In this episode, we hear how their training and passion make them powerful forces in their industry.

Mental health in agriculture is often overlooked. Our industry tends to keep looking forward without looking inward. In this episode, we talk with Marshal Sewell, a fifth generation farmer who has observed the challenges and stresses of agricultural life. Marshal shares his story and the impact the stress had on his family, and walks us through his journey from tragic loss to advocate for mental health.

The agricultural industry is full of uncontrollable circumstances, which often leads to an abundance of stress. When you think about suicide, agriculturalists aren’t usually the first ones that come to mind. In this episode, we talk with Don McMoran, Director at the Washington State University Extension Office. Don and his team provide suicide prevention support and resources for those working in agriculture. The WSU Extension has partnered with organizations such as Farm Aid and the Washington State Department of Health to create the Skagit Suicide Prevention Pilot Program. By starting the conversation and providing support to those who need it, we can help prevent suicide and save lives.

The Russell Group is Washington’s leading bipartisan government relations firm, focused exclusively on food and agriculture public policy. Established since 1985, the firm's legacy of results have established them as the industry standard-bearer. Today, their bipartisan team of 10 builds on that legacy with a modern approach, marrying time-tested, direct advocacy with strategic foresight on all matters impacting the food and agricultural policy landscape. On this episode, we talk with Jessica Schulken, Principal at the Russell Group and Senate ag veteran, and Tyson Redpath, also a Principal at the firm. With their work in agriculture, the firm keep farmers farming and explain how they do it.

Michelle Miller, The Farm Babe, is all about educating consumers on the production of their food. Michelle has created a following of 200,000 and an average social media reach of 2-3 million per month with a style that is straightforward and without gimmicks. She has made a name for herself as a dedicated myth-buster in the food industry, influencing powerful corporations such as Burger King. On this episode, Michelle explains her move from “big city globetrotter” to the farm girl who is getting back to her roots in the Midwest.

Ole Tyme Produce Inc. is a premier, wholesale fresh food and grocery distributor employing state-of-the-art technology and the highest industry standards in food safety to provide a vital link in the food supply chain between farmers, restaurants, hospitals, schools, professional kitchens, and charitable organizations. Their mission is committed to helping ensure the well-being of everyone in their company, community, and country through environmentally responsible business practices, mutually beneficial partnerships, and by providing a reliable and safe food supply from national supply lines to local farms, food service outlets, and community organizations. In this episode Joan walks us through the heart of Ole Tyme Produce and their secret to success.

You might remember as a kid, that familiar Stuckey’s billboard on the highway and stopping at the one of their roadside stores just grab some pecan rolls and souvenirs during your family road trip. Such fond memories became the driving force for Stephanie Stuckey, granddaughter of Stuckey's and precisely why she chose to buy the company back. Stephanie Stuckey tells her family’s story, explains how she is saving her family’s legacy, and creating a candy and pecan and candy empire.

DNO Produce began in 1989 as a small co-op based in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, they have grown to become a leading produce distributor and processor for the Midwest. DNO provides customers with healthy and fresh solutions for food service, food manufacturing, school services, government, and retail industries. In this episode, Jeremy Taylor, Vice President of Sales and Marketing explains why his peers call him the “King of LinkedIn” and explains how to incorporate social media within the agriculture industry.

QIMA/WQS (formerly known as WQS) was founded in 1993, offering solutions to the food industry from farm to fork through GFSI recognized certifications (BRCGS, GLOBALG.A.P., SQF, IFS), food safety and ethical audits, quality seals, inspections, training, and supply chain management. Their team of food safety professionals innovates and streamlines processes to offer customers transparency, agility in the marketplace, and unprecedented control over their entire food supply chain. In this episode, we talk with two women who are a major force behind the QIMA/WQS team, Nicole Brunner and Liz Salinas.

Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) is a non-profit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce industry. Its unparalleled approach sets standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management while engaging workers at all levels on the farm to produce Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured® fruits and vegetables. In this episode, we unpack what it means when you see a EFI label, and the work behind it!

Jordan Carter has been elected as the first female President of the National Watermelon Promotion Board. In this episode we discover how Jordan got involved in watermelon production despite her degree in fashion merchandising. As the Director of Sales and Marketing at Leger & Son, Inc., Jordan has proven that her dedication to learning has paid off.