The History of Fresh Produce

Monsanto: The Sweetener and the Salesman (Part 1)

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Who was John Francis Queeny, the broke Irish-American salesman who founded one of the most powerful and controversial companies in the history of modern agriculture - without knowing the first thing about chemistry? Why did a secret deal with Coca-Cola, a presidential letter, and a warehouse full of matches save his fledgling empire from collapse? And how does the unlikely story of a fake sweetener made from coal tar in St. Louis open a window onto the birth of the American chemical industry; from patent medicines and caffeine trials to the fossil chemistry that would one day reshape what the entire world eats?

Join John and Patrick as they begin their six-part series on Monsanto - the company that started with saccharin and ended up controlling the farm - in an age when there were no labels, no regulations, and absolutely no shortage of things that could kill you...

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The Green Revolution 2.0: Bill Gates and the Remaking of Agriculture

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Who is Bill Gates, the college dropout from Seattle who built the operating system of global capitalism - and then turned his restless, problem-solving mind to the oldest human activity of all: growing food? Why did his six-billion-dollar mission to end hunger in Africa leave more people hungry than before? And how does the story of one man's extraordinary ambition over the world's food supply echo the great estates of Imperial Rome, the English enclosures, and the ruthless monopolies of the Gilded Age?

Join John and Patrick as they tell the unsettling story of the world's most powerful philanthropist and his campaign to rewrite the operating system of African agriculture — in an age when the line between benevolence and control has never been harder to draw...

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Huitlacoche: Corn Smut or Sacred Gift?

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What is huitlacoche, the fungus that Indigenous farmers in Mexico gave thanks for at harvest - and that American agronomists spent a century trying to burn, quarantine, and breed out of existence? Why did two civilizations look at the same diseased corn cob and see, one, a seasonal gift, and the other, an agricultural catastrophe? And how does this strange, blackened organism open a window onto the great collision between Indigenous knowledge and colonial science; from the burning of Aztec codices to the tasting menus of New York?

Join John and Patrick as they tell the extraordinary story of corn smut - the Mexican truffle, the genetics laboratory darling, the fungus that fed empires and terrified farmers - in an age when the line between disease and delicacy has never been more hotly contested...

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The Rise of Plastic in Fresh Produce

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What is plastic, and how did a shortage of billiard balls accidentally give birth to the material that would feed the modern world? Why did a Belgian chemist rummaging through coal tar waste end up transforming the way humanity eats? And how does the unlikely journey from Victorian ivory substitutes to the clamshell of strawberries on your kitchen counter open a window onto the great forces of industrial history; from total war to the supermarket revolution?

Join John and Patrick as they tell the extraordinary story of plastic's conquest of fresh produce, and the civilization it quietly built around us, in an age that made abundance the new normal...

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The Tree of Life: Empires, War, and the Modern Date (Part 2)

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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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The Tree of Life: How Dates Built the Ancient World (Part 1)

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

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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From Hot Houses to High Tech: The Rise of the Greenhouse

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What does a Roman emperor’s craving for cucumbers have to do with feeding eight billion people? How did a 15th-century Korean cookbook quietly invent heated agriculture centuries before Europe’s glass palaces? And how did Victorian spectacle, world wars, hydroponic ambition, and Dutch engineering transform the greenhouse from aristocratic indulgence into global infrastructure?

Join John and Patrick as they trace the extraordinary history of climate control in the service of fresh produce - from Tiberius’s selenite-covered cucumber beds, to the heated ondol systems of the Joseon Dynasty, the imperial glasshouses of Palace of Versailles and Royal Botanic Gardens, and the hydroponic battlefields of the Second World War.

Because this is not just a story about architecture. It is a story about anxiety, empire, science, and survival. About humanity’s refusal to let winter - or war, or geography - dictate what ends up on our plates.

From Roman villas to vertical farms... this is the history of the greenhouse, and the quiet revolution that changed how the world grows its food.

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Wheels, Plates and Pyramids: Produce & U.S. Dietary Guidelines

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What was the United States government’s first move, when it decided that what Americans ate was a matter of national concern? Why, from the depths of the Civil War to the height of the culture wars, has Washington repeatedly redrawn the nation’s plate - sometimes to fight hunger, sometimes to win wars, sometimes to battle heart disease and obesity? And how did fruits and vegetables move from quiet supporting players to nutritional protagonists, caught between science, industry, and politics?

Join John and Patrick as they trace the extraordinary history of U.S. dietary guidelines - from the founding of the United States Department of Agriculture in 1862, through wartime rationing and the “Basic Seven,” to the rise and fall of the Food Pyramid and the fierce debates of today. As public health, agricultural economics, and political ideology collide at the dinner table, one question lingers: when the government tells you what to eat, who (and what) is really being served?

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The History of Avocados

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What kind of fruit was designed to be swallowed whole by giant sloths? How did a sacred Mesoamerican tree become the green badge of millennial brunch culture? And how did a humble postman’s backyard seedling end up conquering global agriculture?

Join John and Patrick as they trace the astonishing history of the avocado - from the forests of ancient Mexico and the courts of the Maya and Aztec, to the chandeliers of the Alexandria Hotel, the rise of Calavo, and the accidental genius of Rudolph Hass. Along the way: plant explorers, freezes that nearly wiped out an industry, marketing masterstrokes, cartel violence in Michoacán, and the birth of the Super Bowl guacamole ritual.

This is not just the story of a fruit. It’s a tale of extinction and survival, empire and branding, crime and cultivation - a relic of the Pleistocene that somehow became the taste of modernity.

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Joseph Banks: The End of the Journey, Not the Influence (Part 7)

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What becomes of a man who spent his life moving plants, people, and power across the globe - when his own body finally begins to fail? How did Joseph Banks face his final years: in pain, in controversy, and yet still at the very center of British science? And why, after four decades at the helm of the Royal Society, did his reputation wither almost as quickly as his health?

In this seventh and final episode, John and Patrick follow Banks into his twilight: chairing meetings from a wheelchair, backing Arctic expeditions, sampling three-year-old tinned meat in the name of progress, and making one last pilgrimage to Kew to see a cone bloom after forty years of waiting. As grief, illness, and imperial consequence close in, the question sharpens: was Banks a visionary architect of modern science - or an overbearing relic of an older age?

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Joseph Banks: Kew and the Power of Plants (Part 6)

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What happens when exploration gives way to administration - and adventure turns into power? How did a royal garden become the beating heart of a global botanical empire? And how did Joseph Banks, without leaving London, reshape landscapes, economies, and diets across the world?

In this episode, John and Patrick move from the drama of ocean voyages to the quieter - but far more consequential - world of Kew Gardens, where Banks transforms botany into infrastructure, plants into policy, and seeds into instruments of empire. From globe-spanning networks of plant hunters to glasshouses, diplomacy, and even Britain’s first brush with cannabis, this is where Banks stops collecting plants - and starts running the system.

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Joseph Banks: The Birth of Australia (Part 5)

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0400

How did a gentleman botanist turn a vague imperial idea into a functioning colony on the far side of the world? Why did Joseph Banks’s quiet influence matter as much as any act of Parliament or naval broadside? And how did food, plants, and fragile supply lines decide whether Britain’s most audacious colonial experiment would live or die…?

Join John and Patrick as Parliament finally commits to Botany Bay, Arthur Phillip sails with the First Fleet, and a penal colony teeters on the edge of starvation. From floating prisons and travelling greenhouses to shipwrecks, rum empires, and botanical lifelines, this is the moment when Banks’s vision collides with reality - on scorched soil, among hostile factions, and under the brutal pressure of survival.

This is not just the founding of Australia.

It’s the story of how empire is fed - or fails - one seed at a time.

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Joseph Banks: Fame, Tantrums, and the Seeds of Empire (Part 4)

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Fresh from fame and flush with ambition, Joseph Banks sets out to remake the world in his own image. But what happens when celebrity curdles into entitlement, when science collides with the Navy, and when one man’s colossal ego derails an imperial voyage before it even leaves port?

Join John and Patrick as Banks plans a second South Seas expedition, throws one of the great tantrums of the eighteenth century, and quietly begins his transformation from globe-trotting naturalist into the most powerful scientific fixer in Britain.

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Joseph Banks: Death and Survival (Part 3)

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What happens when discovery turns to disaster — and survival hangs on a sliver of luck? How close did Joseph Banks come to losing everything he had collected, and his life with it? And how did coral, disease, and chance shape one of the most important scientific voyages in history?

Join John and Patrick as the Endeavour smashes onto the Great Barrier Reef, limps into Batavia, and is transformed from a ship of discovery into a floating hospital - a brutal reminder that Banks’s botanical triumphs were forged on the very edge of catastrophe.

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Joseph Banks: The Endeavour Sets Sail (Part 2)

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0400

What happened when Joseph Banks finally put to sea - and discovery left the comfort of gardens behind? How would a voyage meant to advance science collide with storms, suspicion, imperial rivalries, and human tragedy? And what would it cost to catalogue the natural world at the far edges of the globe?

Join John and Patrick as they follow Banks aboard HMS Endeavour, from vineyards in Madeira and standoffs in Rio de Janeiro to catastrophe in Tierra del Fuego and the intoxicating promise of Tahiti. This is science under sail: plants collected at gunpoint, lives lost to ice and overconfidence, and the birth of a vision that would bind botany, empire, and exploration together - whether the world was ready for it or not.

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Joseph Banks: Weeds Over Greek (Part 1)

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Who was Joseph Banks before he became the most powerful botanist in the British Empire? How did a wealthy, restless young man turn a childhood fascination with weeds into a scientific obsession that would reshape global agriculture? And why did one cold, miserable voyage to Newfoundland prove to be the spark that launched a world-changing career?

Join John and Patrick as they begin a brand-new multi-part series on Joseph Banks, tracing his early life from privileged English estates to the edge of the North Atlantic - and setting the stage for the voyages that would transform science, empire, and the history of fresh produce.

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The Swiss War on Fruit Trees

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Once, Switzerland was a land of pears.

When we picture the Swiss countryside today, we imagine tidy fields, precision farming, and alpine order. But not so long ago, vast stretches of eastern Switzerland were covered in towering pear trees - ancient giants that fed communities, sustained wildlife, and produced perry renowned across Europe.

So how did a nation famed for care, balance, and cultivation come to destroy eleven million fruit trees in the space of a generation?

Join John and Patrick as they unravel one of the strangest and most unsettling episodes in modern agricultural history: the deliberate, state-sponsored destruction of Switzerland’s perry orchards. From temperance panics and alcohol laws to bureaucrats with axes, propaganda films, and the cult of “modern” efficiency, this is a story of progress turned destructive - and of a drink, a landscape, and a culture quietly erased.

Was this modernization… or cultural vandalism? And what was lost when the last great pear trees fell?

What Will History Remember: 2020s [so far] in Review (Livestream)

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0400

As 2025 draws to a close, we also reach the midpoint of the decade. Looking back on an eventful first half of the 2020s, we’re left with a big question: what will history remember about this era in the world of fresh produce?

In this final livestream of 2025, John and Patrick will revisit the defining moments of the past five years, unpack their historical significance, and ask whether these events will endure as true turning points - or fade into the background as intriguing but fleeting milestones.

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The Three Wise Men

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What do gold, frankincense, and myrrh really tell us about the world into which Jesus was born? Who were the Magi - kings, mystics, scientists, or traders - and why did they travel vast distances carrying some of the most valuable agricultural products on Earth? How do desert trees in Arabia and the Horn of Africa connect a humble birth in Bethlehem to ancient global supply chains, imperial economics, and the earliest luxury produce markets? And what happened when symbolic gifts became engines of demand, reshaping landscapes, trade routes, and even Christian worship for centuries to come?

Join John and Patrick as they follow the scent trail of frankincense and myrrh - from wounded bark and caravan routes to temples, churches, and modern medicine - in a fresh-produce retelling of the Nativity that reveals the Three Wise Men not as fairy-tale kings, but as emissaries of the ancient global economy.

This is the Christmas story as you’ve never heard it before: rooted in trees, trade, and the fragile agricultural systems that quietly changed the world.

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The History of Figs

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From incestuous wasps and prehistoric forests to sacred enlightenment, revolutionary resistance, and a certain square-shaped snack aisle icon - what if the fig is the most powerful fruit in human history?

Join John and Patrick as they trace the astonishing 80-million-year saga of the fig: its ancient pact with tiny wasps, its role in shaping ecosystems, feeding early humans, inspiring gods and emperors, fueling revolutions in Kenya, and conquering America as the mighty Fig Newton.

Was the fig humanity’s first domesticated plant? Did it help build civilizations, religions, and even our own hands? And how did one strange fruit manage to bridge myth, medicine, empire, and mass production?

This is the epic, unexpected history of the fig - one of the most extraordinary stories nature ever wrote.

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Space Films, Produce and History (Livestream)

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0400

"They say once you grow crops somewhere, you have officially colonized it. So technically, I colonized Mars. In your face , Neil Armstrong!"

As Mark Watney's line from the book and film The Martian suggests, fruits and vegetables have long played a starring role in our visions of space. Sometimes they’re subtle symbols of home; other times, they’re humanity’s only hope for survival.

But how realistic are these space gardens?

Could these crops truly grow beyond Earth - and if they could, would they be enough to sustain life?

And what lessons can we draw from history, when explorers relied on produce to survive their own journeys into the unknown?

Join John and Patrick on this month's livestream as they pull out the popcorn to talk space films, produce and history!

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The Artichoke King

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What does a thorny Mediterranean thistle have to do with the American Mafia? How did a humble vegetable — adored by Romans, cultivated by Renaissance queens, and grown lovingly by Italian immigrants — become the centerpiece of one of the strangest criminal rackets in U.S. history? And why did a fiery New York mayor decide that the only way to defeat organized crime… was to ban artichokes altogether?

Join John and Patrick as they trace the extraordinary saga of the Artichoke King — Ciro Terranova — the East Harlem mobster who turned produce into power. From the early Italian farmers of California’s coast, to the violent “Artichoke Wars” of the 1930s, to Fiorello La Guardia’s theatrical crusade against racketeering, this is the bizarre and gripping story of how food, identity, and crime became entangled in the markets of New York.

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Ever see a shirt that you could just eat it? Well, this New Jersey family-run business may just be it!

Visit EatShirts here to order your favorite fruit or veggies shirt!

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The Guano Wars: When Poop Became Power

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What if the most valuable substance on Earth wasn’t gold, or oil, or diamonds… but bird droppings?

In the mid-19th century, guano—yes, seabird excrement—fueled an agricultural and geopolitical revolution. From the sacred islands of the Inca Empire to the docks of Victorian London and the halls of the U.S. Congress, this strange, smelly fertilizer transformed farming, powered economies, and even sparked wars. Nations fought for it, empires expanded because of it, and fortunes were made (and lost) in the race for what Victorians called “white gold.”

Join John and Patrick as they dig into the astonishing history of guano: how it sustained the Inca Empire, drove the birth of American imperialism, and even set the stage for modern synthetic fertilizers. It’s a tale of science, empire, and excrement — one that changed the world, quite literally, from the ground up.

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Ever see a shirt that you could just eat it? Well, this New Jersey family-run business may just be it!

Visit EatShirts here to order your favorite fruit or veggies shirt!

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Produce in Space: The Story of Intergalactic Agriculture

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What happens when humanity takes its most basic need - food - beyond Earth’s atmosphere? From John Glenn’s applesauce tubes to the first lettuce grown aboard the International Space Station, the story of fresh produce in space is one of science, innovation, and survival.

In this episode, John and Patrick are joined by Vickie Kloeris, former NASA Food Scientist and manager of the Space Food Systems Laboratory, to explore the fascinating evolution of eating in orbit. How did scientists first overcome the fear that astronauts might not even be able to swallow in zero gravity? Why is fresh produce so rare on space missions? And how did international cooperation - and culinary compromise - shape mealtimes aboard the ISS?

From the psychological power of comfort food to the groundbreaking Veggie experiment that saw astronauts harvest their own lettuce, this is the extraordinary story of how fresh produce became part of life among the stars. And as we look toward Mars, could farming on other worlds become the next great agricultural revolution?

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Order Vickie Kloeris' book: Space Bites: Reflections of a NASA Food Scientist

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Tanaka Farms: A Japanese-American Farming Legacy

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What is the legacy of Japanese American farmers in shaping California’s agricultural landscape? How did a community once barred from owning land become pioneers in strawberry and vegetable farming? And how did families like the Tanakas endure displacement, incarceration, and prejudice to rebuild—and ultimately thrive?

John and Patrick are joined by special guest Glenn Tanaka, whose family has been farming in California for generations. Together, they trace the journey of Japanese Americans who transformed the agricultural landscape of the West Coast — from small tenant plots to thriving family enterprises — and the immense challenges they faced along the way.

How did these farmers turn discrimination into determination? What became of their farms during internment? And how has Glen Tanaka and his family continued this legacy through innovation, education, and agritourism today?

In this episode, John and Patrick explore the remarkable story of Japanese American farmers — a story of endurance, identity, and the deep cultural roots that continue to nourish American agriculture.

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Cornellian Chats: Van Gogh, Organics, Tomatoes on Trial, and Freeze!

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Join John and Patrick for a special bonus episode recorded live from Anaheim, California, at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show!

Surrounded by the sights, sounds, and scents of the world’s freshest innovations, they sit down with four bright Cornell University students to hear their impressions of the show - and to ask a question close to their hearts: who are their favorite figures and moments in fresh produce history?

From Van Gogh’s humble potato paintings to the landmark establishment of USDA organic standards, a Supreme Court showdown over the tomato, and the revolutionary invention of freeze-drying foods - these students reveal their favorite moments in produce history and why they still matter today.

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Produce Poisons and Curses

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What do garlic, blackberries, cucumbers, eggplants, mushrooms, and pumpkins have in common? More than you might think. Across history and folklore, fruits and vegetables have not only nourished humanity but terrified it - linked with madness, curses, demons, vampires, and even the Devil himself. From garlic garlands that warded off the undead, to blackberries spoiled by Satan’s spit, to Japanese river demons with a fondness for cucumbers, and the pumpkin lanterns that still haunt our porches every Halloween - produce has carried meanings far darker than the dinner table.

Join John and Patrick as they explore the eerie world of cursed crops and sinister superstitions: a journey from medieval England to haunted Japanese rivers, from Bedouin tales of madness-inducing eggplants to the psychedelic mushrooms of Siberian shamans. This is the story of fruits and vegetables not as symbols of life and vitality, but as omens of death, disease, and the supernatural…

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The History of Apples: Modern Fragility (Part 5)

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From myth and legend to cider-fuelled revolutions, from Johnny Appleseed’s frontier orchards to the Victorians’ quest for the perfect pippin, the story of the apple has been anything but ordinary. In the final part of this five-part series, John and Patrick follow the fruit onto the world stage - when refrigeration, global shipping, and empire transformed it into an international commodity. From Tasmania’s “Apple Isle” and Cecil Rhodes’s Cape orchards, to Japan’s remarkable embrace of the fruit that would one day give us the Fuji, the apple became both a tool of empire and a symbol of modernization.

But world war would shake that story, stripping Britain of its imported fruit and forcing farmers to dig for victory. The apple rallied in service of king and country - only to face a peacetime collapse that saw Britain’s orchards vanish in the shadow of supermarket shelves and European imports. Yet the apple endures, still shaping landscapes, economies, and everyday diets around the globe.

Join John and Patrick as they conclude the saga of the world’s most storied fruit - a tale of empire, war, decline, and resilience - that leaves us with the apple we know today.

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The History of Apples: The Colorful Victorian (Part 4)

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From the barefoot wanderings of Johnny Appleseed to the fiery kick of applejack on Civil War battlefields, the apple’s story in America takes a dramatic turn in this fourth episode of our series.

John and Patrick trace how John Chapman’s seed-planting helped shape frontier life, fueled the nation’s cider culture, and - ironically - set the stage for America’s drinking frontier. But the apple’s journey doesn’t stop there.

Across the Atlantic, the fruit was taking root in Victorian Britain, where royal tastebuds, scientific curiosity, and household culture transformed it into a symbol of both domesticity and national pride. Yet under the gloss of toffee apples and orchard competitions lurked darker tales of poisonings, poverty, and fierce competition with American imports.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover how the apple became at once a folk hero’s legacy, a soldier’s solace, and the centerpiece of Victorian life - setting the stage for its leap into the modern global age.

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The History of Apples: America's Dependence (Part 3)

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

John and Patrick journey into the seventeenth century, when cider wasn’t just a drink - it was a matter of national survival. From John Evelyn’s bold call for apple orchards to secure England’s navy and replace French wine, to the early experiments that nearly made England the home of “apple champagne,” the apple takes centre stage in politics, science, and patriotism.

But apples weren’t only about orchards and fizz. This was also the age when John Milton transformed them into the forbidden fruit of Eden, when physicians and quacks alike prescribed them as medicine and beauty aids, and when settlers carried them across the Atlantic to the New World. There, apples and cider became woven into the fabric of colonial life - fueling households, politics, and survival itself.

From Restoration England to early America, discover how the apple evolved into both symbol and staple, preparing the stage for one of history’s most legendary figures: Johnny Appleseed.

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The Tales Behind Apple Names (Livestream)

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Apples are one of those rare fruits that you can actually recognize by name. Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji… the list seems endless.

But have you ever wondered where these names came from?

Is there an actual 'granny' behind the Granny Smith?

Was the Red Delicious truly the most delicious of all red apples?

And what about Bramley - does that name come from a person, a place, or perhaps an aristocratic family?

In this month's livestream, John and Patrick dig into a few apple varieties and explore the fascinating history behind their names.

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The History of Apples: Medieval Times (Part 2)

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From the kitchens of medieval Europe to the orchards of Anglo-Saxon England, the apple became far more than just a fruit. It was medicine, it was myth, it was ritual.

In part two of our apple series, John and Patrick explore how crab apples were pressed into sharp, sour verjuice to season everything from pigs’ feet to plague remedies, how Anglo-Saxon charms and midwinter wassailing blended Christianity with ancient fertility rites, and how monks carried apple cuttings—and their spiritual symbolism—across the continent.

From the orchard-cemeteries of St. Gall to the fruit catalogues of Charlemagne, apples became embedded in the medieval imagination. And just as they took root in law codes, legends, and royal gardens, they also crept into the realm of story—appearing in myths of archers, kings, and poisoned fruit.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover how the humble apple became a cornerstone of medieval life, belief, and lore…

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The History of Apples: Nomads, Gods and Emperors (Part 1)

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Where did the apple come from, and how did it go from a sour, berry-sized wild fruit to the sweet, plump star of our fruit bowls today? Was it really bears (and their sweet tooth) that shaped its destiny? How did the mountains of Kazakhstan become the apple’s Garden of Eden, and what role did nomads, traders, and even the poets of Ancient Greece play in transforming it from wild crab to cultivated treasure? And why has this fruit, more than almost any other, become so entangled in our myths, our laws, and our imaginations?

Join John and Patrick as they peel back the first layer of the apple’s astonishing story—from its tangled roots in Central Asia to its golden glow in the myths of Greece—in the opening episode of this epic five-part series.

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The History of Carrots

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What do Afghan purple roots, Roman aphrodisiacs, Dutch horticulturalists, and wartime propaganda have in common?

The answer: the carrot.

From its wild ancestor Daucus carota scattered across Europe 10,000 years ago, to its starring role as Britain’s unlikely weapon in the Second World War, the carrot’s journey has been anything but straightforward.

Once confused with parsnips, praised by Dioscorides for its medicinal powers, and supposedly beloved by Caligula for rather different reasons, the carrot slowly transformed from a bitter, scraggly root into the sweet orange staple we know today. Along the way it fed peasants, adorned Renaissance paintings, crossed oceans with colonists, and became the poster-child of Ministry of Food propaganda.

Join John and Patrick as they unearth the remarkable history of the carrot - a story of medicine, myth, empire, science, and survival - that reveals how this humble vegetable helped shape diets and imaginations across the world.

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Beneath Our Feet: The Hidden History of Soil

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Where does soil come from? How has it shaped the rise (and fall) of human civilizations? And why is it now at the center of some of the most urgent debates about food, farming, and the environment?

Join John and special guest Louis De Jaeger - landscape architect, author, and agro-ecology advocate - as they dig into the history of soil. Together, they trace the story of soil from the birth of the Earth’s crust to the collapse of ancient empires. They explore how the forced removal of Indigenous peoples and their agricultural wisdom devastated soils in the Americas, how the transition from farming to eat to farming to export led to catastrophes like the Dust Bowl, and how industrial agriculture, monocultures, and the rise of pesticides became the norm.

Why did the Green Revolution sow the seeds of ecological damage while trying to feed the world? What was behind the 1970s mantra "Get big or get out"? How are globalization, technology, and today’s protests across Europe connected to centuries of soil mismanagement? And most importantly, where do we go from here?

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Order Louis De Jaeger's NEW book: Save Our Soils: How regenerative food and farming will save your health and the planet

Visit Louis' website at www.louisdj.com

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History Daily: Lewis & Clark and the Invention of Pasteurization

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In this special collaboration with History Daily, we present a double feature exploring two pivotal moments in history.

First, you’ll hear the story of Lewis and Clark’s return after successfully completing the first U.S. overland journey to the Pacific Ocean.

Then, you’ll learn how French biologist Louis Pasteur developed a method of heating liquids to destroy harmful bacteria - a process that would come to bear his name.

Hear more episodes from History Daily here.

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Foreign Hands in American Agriculture (Livestream)

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

On July 8th, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the administration is determined to reclaim farmland owned by what it calls "foreign adversaries" and to establish a "100% American workforce" in agriculture.

But how much U.S. farmland is actually owned by foreign governments?

When did this trend begin?

Has there ever truly been a 100% American agricultural workforce?

And when did immigrants first begin working on American farms?

In this month’s livestream, John and Patrick dive into the historical roots of these questions, unpack the claims made by the current Trump administration, and explore what this could mean for the future of American agriculture.

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

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The Lewellings: Legacies Secured (Part 6)

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What became of the Lewellings - the visionary brothers who transformed the American West one orchard at a time?

In the final episode of our six-part series, John and Patrick return to the verdant hills of Napa and the fertile valleys of Oregon to chart the triumphs and tragedies that defined the twilight of the Lewelling legacy.

As phylloxera silently strangles California’s vineyards, John Lewelling rises to the challenge with pioneering grafting techniques - only to fall to illness just as his wine career reaches its zenith. Meanwhile, Seth Lewelling’s quieter revolution unfolds in Oregon, where a towering Chinese laborer named Ah Bing helps bring a world-famous cherry to life - only to be cast out by America’s rising tide of anti-Chinese sentiment.

Through collapsing nurseries, bitter market failures, and political upheaval, we follow the final acts of these horticultural radicals and examine the seeds they planted in American agriculture, racial justice, and democratic reform.

Join John and Patrick as they say farewell to the Lewellings and uncover the roots of their enduring influence.

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The Lewellings: Icon of Napa Valley (Part 5)

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

What happens when your orchards begin to rot, your industry collapses, and California starts beating you at your own game? If you're Seth Lewelling, you plant harder - and you get political with your cherries.

In this episode, John and Patrick trace the dramatic unraveling of Oregon’s once-thriving fruit economy and the quiet resilience of Seth Lewelling, whose visionary grafting experiments - including the boldly named Black Republican cherry - became acts of agricultural resistance. As Oregon wilted, California soared, and the Lewellings were right there at the epicenter of both decline and rebirth.

From rootstock innovations to golden-skinned prunes, from nursery collapses to bank-led agricultural reform, and from Spiritualist love stories to raisin kilns and winegrowers’ clubs - this is the story of a family (and a fruit industry) constantly reinventing itself in the face of loss, change, and opportunity.

Join John and Patrick as they explore how Seth and John Lewelling didn’t just adapt to the changing tides of 19th-century horticulture - they helped shape them, transforming Pacific agriculture and leaving a legacy that would reach far beyond the orchard rows.

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The Lewellings: California Calling and Free Love (Part 4)

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

California, 1853. Henderson Lewelling sets off to sell apples and ends up sparking a revolution.

In this fourth episode of our multi-part series, John and Patrick trace the astonishing rise of the Lewelling family in California’s fruit frontier. They follow Henderson’s ambitious leap from Oregon to Alameda, where he builds the legendary Fruit Vale estate, and his brother John’s transformation of a Spanish mission orchard into a commercial powerhouse of cherries, currants, and citrus.

But as fortunes bloom, tensions mount. Henderson becomes entangled in free love, clairvoyants, and a failed utopian voyage to Honduras aboard a doomed schooner called The Santiago. Meanwhile, Seth Lewelling and William Meek battle shifting markets, falling prices, and the rise of California's orchard empire.

Join John and Patrick as they explore an era of extraordinary agricultural innovation - and personal implosion. From Osage orange hedges to egg-fueled mutinies, this is the wild, weird, and deeply fruitful story of how the West was really grown.

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The Lewellings: Planting Pacific Roots (Part 3)

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

It’s 1848, and amid the towering firs and scorched stumps of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a revolution in American agriculture quietly takes root. In this third installment of our epic Lewelling saga, John and Patrick trace the extraordinary efforts of Henderson Lewelling as he establishes one of the Pacific Northwest’s first grafted fruit orchards - alongside his ambitious partner William Meek.

As they plant the seeds of what would become a booming nursery industry, the nurserymen face a harsh frontier, personal loss, and complex moral questions - navigating everything from spiritual awakenings to land disputes with the U.S. government. Along the way, they’re joined by Henderson’s brothers, John and Seth, fresh from the gold fields of California and ready to graft their own legacy into Oregon soil.

Join John and Patrick as they explore scorched forests, fruit grafting experiments, metaphysical revelations, and the bittersweet human stories at the heart of America’s horticultural westward expansion. This is not just the tale of an orchard - it’s the story of how ambition, adversity, and apples helped shape the American West.

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The Lewellings: On The Oregon Trail (Part 2)

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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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The Lewellings: Nurserymen Abolitionists (Part 1)

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

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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The Sullivan Expedition: Genocide and War on Native Crops

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In the shadow of revolution, a campaign of quiet devastation unfolded. While Washington’s Continental Army fought British redcoats along the eastern seaboard, a very different war was being waged in the lush valleys of upstate New York. It was not a war for cities or forts but for orchards, granaries, and the very soil beneath Seneca feet.

Join John and Patrick as they unearth the harrowing truth behind the Sullivan Expedition - a scorched-earth campaign ordered by George Washington to annihilate the agricultural heartland of the Iroquois Confederacy.

With orders to destroy not only villages, but entire food systems, Sullivan’s army marched north to break the back of Indigenous resistance. What followed was less a battle than a deliberate erasure: orchards axed, cornfields torched, entire towns razed in cheerful efficiency.

From the diplomatic genius and agricultural brilliance of the Seneca people to the haunting final stand at Genesee Castle, this is the story of America’s first total war - a war not just against a people, but against their ability to survive.

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The Fascist Origins of Organics

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The rise of the organic movement is often remembered as a peaceful revolution - a return to the earth, to purity, to harmony with nature. But its true origins tell a far darker tale. Born not in the flower-strewn fields of 1960s counterculture, but in the grim laboratories of fascist ideology, the organic movement was shaped by the poisonous ideal of Blut und Boden - blood and soil - Hitler’s vision of racial purity rooted in sacred, cultivated land.

In the shadow of the First World War, as modernity fractured Europe, a coalition of aristocrats, ideologues, and agrarian radicals began to turn away from industrial farming and toward a mystical belief in soil as the lifeblood of the nation. Sir Albert Howard’s composting theories were seized upon by those who dreamed not of sustainability, but of supremacy. Lord Lymington, a British peer and passionate fascist, declared modern agriculture a threat to the racial soul of Britain. And Lady Eve Balfour, often lauded as a pioneering environmentalist, helped found the Soil Association not just to heal the earth but to preserve a vanishing, hierarchical vision of Englishness under threat.

As fascism spread through Europe in the 1920s and 30s, so too did the organic ideal - not as liberation, but as control. And even after Hitler’s fall, those same roots crept into post-war Britain’s environmental movements, disguised under new names.

So how did a movement forged in the crucible of authoritarianism become the darling of the left? How did fascist soil science transform into the ideology of hippies, Whole Foods, and farmer’s markets?

Join John and Patrick as they descend into the murky, forgotten history of the organic movement and discover that the soil is far darker than it first appears.

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Fruitful Flags (Livestream)

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From the sun-soaked pineapple fields of Puerto Rico to the grapevines that shaped Puritan Connecticut, from Madrid’s legendary El Oso y el Madroño to Grenada’s fragrant nutmeg empire, symbols of fresh produce have found their way onto flags, seals, and coats of arms across the world. But behind these charming emblems lie stories of indigenous resilience, colonial ambition, revolutionary struggle, and ecological peril.

Join John and Patrick in this month's livestream episode as they reveal how fruits, trees, and spices became powerful icons of identity, survival, and national pride. What seems quaint today was once fiercely contested and in some cases, remains precariously at risk.

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The History of Pineapples (Part 2)

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The pineapple may have begun as a rare curiosity from the tropics, but by the 18th century, it had become a symbol of imperial power, elite refinement, and national rivalry. In this second and final part of their journey into the history of the world’s most flamboyant fruit, John and Patrick explore the height of pineapple mania in Georgian Britain, where aristocrats competed to grow the perfect specimen in lavish “pineries,” often at extraordinary cost. Possessing a pineapple was no longer just a sign of wealth - it was a performance of dominance, control, and taste.

But the fruit’s story didn’t end in the hothouses of Surrey. As tensions simmered between Britain and its American colonies, the pineapple -by now appearing in colonial door frames, tableware, and rebellion-fueled satire - played an unexpected supporting role in the growing transatlantic divide.

By the 19th century, technological innovations transformed the fruit from rarefied luxury to household staple, while industrial canning and the rise of plantation production brought pineapples into the homes of an emerging American middle class.

From the lush fields of Florida to the imperial fantasies projected onto Hawaii, the pineapple was reshaped, rebranded, and ultimately reborn as a golden icon of tropical abundance. But behind its sunny image lay a legacy of labor, land seizure, and corporate control. And just when it seemed the fresh pineapple had been lost to a syrupy tin, it made a glittering comeback with the launch of the Gold Pineapple, engineered for sweetness, shelf life, and spectacle.

Join John and Patrick for the extraordinary conclusion of the pineapple’s global odyssey - one of science, scandal, colonial ambition, and the enduring power of fruit to shape empires.

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The History of Pineapples (Part 1)

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The pineapple - today a familiar tropical fruit, boxed in lunch kits and blended in cocktails - was once the most exotic and awe-inspiring delicacy known to Europeans. Its journey from the hands of Indigenous cultivators in the rainforests of South America to the hothouses of Georgian England is a tale of exploration, obsession, imperial rivalry, and horticultural espionage.

In this first episode of a two-part series, John and Patrick trace the pineapple’s origins to the Tupi-Guarani people, for whom the nana was a cherished crop. Then came Columbus, who encountered the fruit on the island of Guadeloupe and, dazzled by its flavour, brought it back to Spain as a trophy of the New World - presenting it to King Ferdinand as evidence of the riches ripe for conquest. From there, the pineapple set off on an extraordinary global voyage, becoming an object of fascination in courts and colonies alike.

Within decades, the fruit had spread to Asia and Africa, and it wasn’t long before European elites became obsessed. In England, King Charles II embraced the pineapple as a symbol of royal magnificence, commissioning portraits to cement its mythic status. Meanwhile, the Dutch, ever resourceful, mastered the art of growing pineapples using rotting tanners bark in heated greenhouses, setting off a botanical arms race. The English soon caught up thanks, ironically, to a Dutchman of their own.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the tropical fruit that ignited imperial rivalries, captured royal imaginations, and reshaped global agriculture. The humble pineapple was never just a fruit - it was power, prestige, and paradise incarnate.

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The History of U.S. Tariffs Through the Eyes of Fresh Produce

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Tariffs might seem like dusty matters for economists, but their effects on fresh produce have been anything but dry. In this episode, John and Patrick trace the surprising - and at times surreal - impact of American trade policy on fruits and vegetables.

First, they dive into the Mongrel Tariff Act of 1883, where a tomato’s very identity was put on trial to decide whether it was a fruit or vegetable. Next it’s on to the chaos of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, a protectionist gamble that backfired spectacularly on American farmers during the Great Depression. Then, they move on to more recent history to discuss the so-called "Banana Wars" - a bitter trade dispute between the United States and Europe that saw fresh produce caught in the crossfire. Finally, John and Patrick turn to the present day, asking what Trump’s tariff wars have meant for modern growers, and whether history offers any guidance for navigating the uncertain future of fresh produce.

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Papal Produce (Livestream)

Tue, 27 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

A new Pope has been chosen! And that got us thinking: have Popes of the past shaped the history of fruits and vegetables?

In this month’s livestream, John and Patrick explore the surprising connections between the Papacy and produce.

From Popes with a passion for fresh fruits to the hidden stories of the Vatican gardens, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the role of produce in the lives of history’s holiest leaders.

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The History of Cherries

Tue, 20 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

From the windswept Caucasus Mountains to the decadent tables of Renaissance Europe, few fruits have lived a life as rich (or as risqué) as the cherry. In this episode, John and Patrick trace the cherry’s remarkable journey through time, beginning with its elusive origins in ancient Mesopotamia and Anatolia, where birds, not botanists, first sowed the seeds of this future delicacy.

As Greek philosophers began to take note of its cultivation, cherries found their way into the hands and stomachs of empires. With a Roman general, the cherry became more than food. It became a symbol of conquest, luxury, and horticultural ambition, spreading from Roman villas to British roadsides.

But that’s only the beginning. The cherry takes root in Islamic gardens, medieval courts, and the bustling markets of early modern London, where barrow-women hawked “cheryes in the ryse” with babies on their hips. Along the way, it becomes a sensual symbol - adorned in love songs, sacred art, Shakespearean innuendo, and more than a few barely veiled metaphors for desire.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the fascinating story of this small red fruit. From botany to mythology, empire to erotica, this is fruit has it all.

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Carthage and the Power of Agriculture

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The rise of Carthage is one of the most dazzling stories of the ancient world. A tale of cunning queens, glittering harbors, and empires built not just by sword and sail, but by soil.

In this episode, John and Patrick trace the astonishing birth of Carthage - from Queen Elyssa’s legendary ox-hide bargain to the booming agricultural empire that threatened Rome itself. Far from a mere city of merchants, Carthage was a powerhouse of farming innovation: with iron plows, vine-laced terraces, and sweet wines that made even the Romans jealous.

At its heart was a rich and fertile land, one so abundant that Homer himself sang its praises. From pomegranates to elephants, from olive groves to slave-worked estates, Carthage was an empire rooted in the earth. And behind it all loomed a mysterious figure: Mago of Carthage, the so-called "father of agriculture," whose lost treatise would echo across centuries.

Join John and Patrick as they unearth the agricultural engine behind Carthage’s meteoric rise. A story of invention, ambition, and the fields that fed an empire on the brink of war with Rome.

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From Bloom to Bust: The Rise and Fall of Tulip Mania

Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The tulip - elegant, exotic, and ephemeral - has long captivated the human imagination. But in 17th-century The Netherlands, it ignited something far more volatile: a frenzy. This is the story of Tulip Mania, the extraordinary episode in Dutch history when a single flower became the object of national obsession - and financial ruin.

In this episode, John and Patrick trace the tulip’s journey from the windswept mountains of Central Asia to the refined gardens of Persian poets and the grand courts of the Ottoman Empire, where it became a potent symbol of power and beauty. Then there was Carolus Clusius: the eccentric botanist whose passion for plants (and a few misplaced bulbs) unleashed the tulip upon Europe.

As the Dutch Republic soared to riches during its Golden Age, so too did its appetite for rare and unusual tulips. At first the preserve of aristocrats and collectors, tulips soon spilled into the hands of speculators, shopkeepers, and artisans. As demand for variegated and ‘broken’ tulips surged, prices climbed to lunatic heights - until, suddenly, they didn’t.

What followed was a spectacular crash, a financial catastrophe that would echo down through the centuries. Or did it?

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the truth behind the tulip craze: from its exotic roots to its supposed ruinous end, and how one 19th-century Scottish journalist may have exaggerated the entire affair.

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Top 6 Produce Drinks (Livestream)

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

How did a drunk church-goer influence the Navy’s go-to-beverage? What does a Persian fruit beverage and sherbet powder have to do with each other? How did an American favorite drink fall from grace? And why does tomato juice taste so much better on a plane?

In this month's livestream, John and Patrick each reveal their top three produce-based drinks from history.

From orange juice’s vital role in World War II to grape juice’s unexpected place in the fight against alcoholism, these drinks don’t just quench thirst - they reflect the spirit of their times.

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The Great Tea Heist: Secrets Revealed (Part 2)

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Robert Fortune’s journey was far from over. After infiltrating China in disguise, Fortune now sets his sights on the Wuyi Mountains—steeped in legend, veiled in mist, and home to the most coveted tea in the world: black tea. Guided by his newly appointed servant, the enigmatic Sing-Hoo, Fortune pushes deeper into China’s forbidden interior, navigating treacherous paths and even more treacherous politics. But not all goes according to plan. His prized green tea shipment meets an unfortunate fate, while back in India, the impulsive botanist William Jameson jeopardizes the mission with his rash decisions.

Yet amid the chaos, Fortune finds unexpected wisdom among Buddhist monks, who not only reveal the secrets of cultivating tea but also teach him how to brew the perfect cup. It’s in these sacred temples, not the markets of London, that the future of tea begins to shift.

As Fortune’s precious tea plants take root in the Himalayan foothills, Indian tea is born—forever altering the global balance of trade. From British agent to American hire, Robert Fortune’s legacy would be one of ambition, deception, and botanical revolution. He didn't just steal tea—he transformed it.

Join John and Patrick for the thrilling conclusion of Fortune’s audacious adventure, as they uncover the spiritual, imperial, and agricultural dimensions of one of history’s greatest botanical heists.

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The Great Tea Heist: Mission Received (Part 1)

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The British thirst for tea had become insatiable by the mid-19th century, but there was one problem: nearly all of it came from China. For the East India Company, this dependency was a costly vulnerability. What they needed wasn’t more silver to trade but a way to break China’s monopoly entirely. Enter Robert Fortune: a Scottish botanist with a talent for subterfuge, a taste for adventure, and an uncanny knack for survival.

In this first part of a two-part series, John and Patrick trace the remarkable early life of Fortune - from his humble Scottish beginnings to his acclaimed first expedition in China that put him on the map. With the East India Company desperate to grow its own tea in India, Fortune is entrusted with a daring mission: to steal the secrets of tea production from deep within the Chinese heartland.

Clad in local robes and speaking rough Pidgin, Fortune navigated a dangerous landscape few foreigners ever saw - sneaking through the storied city of Hangzhou and gaining rare access to a green tea factory. But what he found there would shock even him: Chinese producers were secretly poisoning the tea, adding toxic pigments to create a more vibrant hue for foreign buyers.

Join John and Patrick as they trace the first steps of this daring mission, where botany, espionage, and empire collide, and the fate of tea - and indeed, global trade - hangs in the balance.

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The History of Chili Peppers (Part 2)

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

When Portuguese traders arrived on India’s western shores in the early 1500s, they brought more than religion, colonial ambition, and a lust for spice - they also carried with them a tiny, crimson fruit that would set Asia ablaze.

In part two of their deep dive into the scorching history of chili peppers, John and Patrick trace the pepper’s path across India, China, and Korea, where it would come to define cuisines, ignite revolutions, and even ward off evil spirits.

From its humble beginnings in Goan gardens to the fiery markets of Guntur, from Sichuan’s numbing heat to the fermented jars of kimchi on Seoul’s rooftops, this episode follows the trail of Capsicum as it infiltrates empires and reshapes entire culinary traditions. Along the way, we’ll meet Buddhist monks, Portuguese conquerors, imperial skeptics, Communist revolutionaries, and, of course, Wilbur Scoville—the mild-mannered American pharmacist who gave us a way to measure the madness.

Join John and Patrick for the sizzling second act of this global saga—a tale of heat, history, and the humble pepper that conquered the world.

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The History of Chili Peppers (Part 1)

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

For millennia, chili peppers have been at the heart of the Americas - long before Columbus set sail, before the Aztecs built their empire, and before the Incas wove them into myth. Originating in what is now Peru and Bolivia, these fiery pods were among the first crops cultivated by humans, shaping the diets, medicine, and rituals of entire civilizations.

From the wild “tolerated weeds” of early foragers to the carefully cultivated varieties prized by the Maya and Aztecs, chiles were far more than a seasoning - they were power, tribute, and even punishment. In Incan lore, Brother Chile Pepper was woven into creation myths, while Aztec markets overflowed with dozens of varieties, traded and taxed like gold. When Columbus finally arrived in the Caribbean, he wasn’t discovering chiles - he was stumbling upon a centuries-old tradition that had already conquered the New World.

Join John and Patrick as they trace the ancient roots of the chile pepper, exploring its sacred role in pre-Columbian societies, its legendary place in Aztec and Incan mythology, and the fateful moment it first crossed the Atlantic. But this is just the beginning - because once Columbus carried chiles back to Spain, their journey was only getting started.

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Death by Olives (Livestream)

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

On August 23, 1919, a celebratory dinner at the Lakeside Club in Canton, Ohio, was held in honor of Col. Charles C. Weybrecht’s return from France at the end of the First World War. But what began as a joyous occasion soon turned tragic, as guests fell ill - and over the following days, several would die.

In this month’s History of Fresh Produce livestream, we delve into the infamous event known as The Great Olive Poisoning, a case that would help shape America’s food safety system. How did olives play a role in the deadly outbreak? How many lives were lost? What was the impact on the olive industry? And most chillingly—was it an accident, or something more sinister?

Join John and Patrick as they unravel this real-life murder mystery, where fresh produce was at the heart of it all.

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The History of Olives

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The story of the olive is one of resilience, empire, and cultural transformation. From its first human interactions in Africa over 100,000 years ago to its role in the economies of the great Mediterranean civilizations, the olive tree has been a silent witness to the rise and fall of history’s greatest powers. In the Eastern Mediterranean, early farmers began cultivating olives nearly 7,000 years ago, setting the stage for what would become an essential commodity of the ancient world.

Join John and Patrick as they trace the olive’s journey from its first cultivation in the Levant to its sacred status in ancient Greece, where it adorned Olympic champions and fueled temple lamps. Discover how the Romans transformed olive oil into a vast commercial empire, using it for food, lighting, medicine, and even as a tax currency. Learn how olive groves survived the decline of Rome, weathered the Middle Ages, and ultimately laid the foundation for the Mediterranean’s enduring love affair with this golden elixir.

From trade routes to warfare, from myth to medicine, this is the epic tale of the olive—a story that spans continents and centuries, shaping the world in ways we still feel today.

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Saemaul Undong: How a Rural Movement Transformed South Korea’s Agriculture

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In the wake of war, division, and rapid industrialization, South Korea’s countryside faced a crisis. By the late 1960s, rural poverty was deepening, farmers were abandoning their fields for the cities, and the gap between urban and rural life had never been wider. But then, a dramatic shift began.

Join John and Patrick as they explore the origins and impact of the Saemaul Undong Movement - the sweeping rural development program launched by President Park Chung-Hee in the 1970s. But to understand why this movement was necessary, they first take a journey through Korea’s long and complex agricultural history, from dynastic land ownership and Japanese colonial rule to postwar land reforms and the struggle for modernization.

How did centuries of social hierarchy shape Korea’s farmland? Why did colonial policies leave so many farmers dispossessed? And what led Park’s government to turn its focus back to the countryside? Tune in for a deep dive into one of the most ambitious agricultural revolutions of the 20th century.

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Russia, Ukraine, and the Battle for the Breadbasket

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400

The relationship between Russia and Ukraine is as much about soil as it is about politics. The fertile black earth of Ukraine—cherished by empires, fought over by nations—has been both a source of great prosperity and deep conflict. And today, as world leaders negotiate the terms of peace, the historical struggle for control over Ukraine’s agricultural bounty remains as relevant as ever.

Join John and Patrick as they unearth the long and complex history of fresh produce and agriculture in shaping the geopolitics of Russia and Ukraine. From the legendary chernozem soil to Kyivan Rus, the rise of Odessa as a grain powerhouse, and Catherine the Great’s imperial ambitions, this episode explores how wheat, trade routes, and the struggle for control over food supply have influenced centuries of war, conquest, and diplomacy.

With echoes of history playing out in the present, this is a story that stretches from medieval markets to modern battlefields—one where agriculture is not just a means of survival, but a tool of power.

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HFPC: African American Foodways and Fresh Produce in Chicago

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Chicago’s history is deeply entwined with African American migration, resilience, and food traditions. Once a key destination of the Great Migration, the city became a new home for millions seeking opportunity - bringing with them the rich culinary heritage of the South. But how did African Americans adapt to urban life when access to farmland was scarce? And how did fresh produce shape their food culture in a city built on industry?

Join John and Patrick for this special bonus episode, where they welcome photographer, content creator, and 77 Flavors of Chicago podcast cohost Dario Durham (who you may also recognize from Netflix’s award-winning series High on the Hog). Together, they explore the legacy of Chicago’s Black food culture, from its early agricultural roots to the role of markets like Maxwell Street in keeping Southern food traditions alive.

What fresh produce was central to Southern cuisine, and how did Black communities source it in a rapidly growing city? How did community gardens and urban farms become a lifeline for preserving traditional foodways? And what systemic barriers limited access to fresh produce in historically marginalized neighborhoods?

From iconic dishes to modern initiatives aimed at bringing fresh produce back to Black neighborhoods, this is the story of how Chicago’s food culture was shaped by migration, adaptation, and resilience.

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Listen to Dario Durham's podcast 77 Flavors of Chicago

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America's Forgotten Farmers (Livestream)

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0400

African Americans have played an undeniable role in shaping American agriculture, yet today, they make up less than 2% of the nation’s farmers. From the rich agricultural knowledge enslaved Africans brought with them - cultivating crops like rice, okra, and yam - to the broken promise of "40 acres and a mule," Black farmers have faced generations of systemic barriers.

What happened during Reconstruction that made land ownership so difficult? How did sharecropping trap so many in cycles of debt? And what role did government policies, like those of the USDA, play in pushing Black farmers off their land? As millions left the rural South for Northern cities during the Great Migration, what became of their agricultural traditions?

Join John and Patrick as they sit down with culinary historian, educator, and award-winning author Michael Twitty - whose works The Cooking Gene and Koshersoul have transformed the conversation around food, identity, and history. From the Gullah Geechee people and their deep connection to African crops to the rise of urban farming as a means of reclaiming Black agricultural heritage, this special livestream episode explores the struggles, resilience, and ongoing revival of African American farming traditions.

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George Washington Carver: More Than Just Peanuts (Part 2)

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0400

After years of relentless study, George Washington Carver arrived in Alabama in 1896 with a bold vision: to transform Southern agriculture and help Black farmers break free from poverty. But what he found was a region devastated by over-farmed soil, sharecropping, and economic struggle.

Joining the Tuskegee Institute under Booker T. Washington’s leadership, Carver faced immediate resistance—from both the land and his colleagues. With a near-impossible workload and tensions mounting among faculty, his revolutionary ideas weren’t always welcomed. Yet, despite these obstacles, Carver developed innovative farming techniques, pioneered soil restoration methods, and helped create the Jesup Wagon—a mobile agricultural school that brought education directly to struggling farmers.

But Carver’s impact extended far beyond Tuskegee. His unwavering passion for agriculture and his commitment to improving the lives of Black farmers earned him national recognition. His innovative research on peanuts and sweet potatoes left a profound mark on American agriculture.

Join John and Patrick for the conclusion of this two-part series, as they explore how Carver’s contributions not only transformed agricultural practices in the South but also paved the way for his rise to national fame, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire today.

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George Washington Carver: A Quest for Education (Part 1)

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0400

George Washington Carver, born into slavery in the early 1860s, would go on to become one of the most influential figures in American agriculture.

His life began in turmoil - kidnapped as an infant, raised by his former enslavers after the Civil War, and set on a path of profound curiosity and innovation. Despite immense adversity, George developed a deep connection to the land and plants, experimenting with natural solutions to help local farmers and developing a lifelong fascination with agriculture.

But his journey was not an easy one. From the horrors of witnessing a lynching to being turned away from a prestigious school because of his race, Carver’s life was shaped by the cruelty and limitations of his time. Yet, through every hardship, Carver’s pursuit of knowledge and commitment to bettering his community remained unwavering.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the early years of George Washington Carver's life, his deep connection with the natural world, and his unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, setting the stage for his transformative work in agricultural science and his lasting legacy in shaping modern farming practices.

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Africa's Produce and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Africa’s agricultural innovations have shaped global food systems for over 10,000 years, yet its legacy is often overshadowed by misconceptions of scarcity. This episode begins with exploring Africa’s deep-rooted contributions to agriculture, from the domestication of crops like millet, sorghum, and coffee to the continent’s vital role in feeding both its own people and the world.

But this story takes a darker turn with the transatlantic slave trade, where African food systems became the backbone of a brutal enterprise. Enslaved Africans were not only sustained by African-grown crops like yams, rice, and sorghum but also carried their agricultural knowledge and even seeds to the Americas - forever shaping the diets of the New World. From the plantations of Brazil to the kitchens of the American South, the influence of African agriculture endures.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the hidden history of Africa’s food legacy, its role in the transatlantic trade, and the resilience of enslaved people who carried their traditions across the ocean.

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Top 10 Produce Gods (Livestream)

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0400

For centuries, people from all walks of life have turned to gods and goddesses to ensure a bountiful harvest. The myths surrounding these deities are as diverse as they are fascinating, with stories of forbidden fruits, underworld bargains, and even gods donning flayed skins. But what common threads run through these ancient tales from distant cultures? What can these myths reveal about the societies that believed in them, and their deep ties to the land? Were these gods objects of fear, reverence, or a little of both? And do they still hold sway over modern worshippers?

Join John and Patrick for this month’s livestream, where they each reveal their top five produce deities, exploring everything from Greek to Aztec mythology and beyond.

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The History of Asparagus

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Julius Caesar adored it, the Catholic Church feared it, and Benjamin Franklin grumbled about it. Asparagus is a vegetable that has stirred strong emotions throughout history, yet it always finds its way back to the table.

Known as the “aristocrat of the allium world,” asparagus captivated the ancient world, vanished for a time, and then made a grand reappearance during the Renaissance, symbolizing luxury and sophistication. As European explorers expanded their reach, so too did asparagus, and today it remains one of America’s most beloved vegetables—partly due to the War on Drugs.

Join John and Patrick as they unravel the vegetable’s unexpected ties to emperors, poets, Impressionist painters, and even the Nazis. With a blend of science, the evolution of language, and art history, this episode delves into the fascinating story of asparagus - one of the most intriguing vegetables in history.

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Jimmy Carter: The Peanut President

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Born into a humble farming family in Plains, Georgia, Jimmy Carter's life began with roots firmly planted in the red clay fields of the South. His early years were shaped by the rural rhythms of farm life, where peanuts, cotton, and sweet potatoes formed the backbone of his family's livelihood. This foundation cultivated his work ethic, character, and eventually his sense of social justice. From selling peanuts as a child to managing a struggling farm in his adult years, Carter's experiences laid the groundwork for his political career and lasting impact on both Georgia and the world.

Join John and Patrick as they delve into Carter's evolution from peanut farmer to U.S. President, examining the pivotal moments that defined his life and legacy. With insights into his rural upbringing, his stand against segregation, and his unconventional rise to the White House, this episode uncovers the remarkable story of America's 39th (and last farmer) president.

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Were Gladiators Vegetarians? (Livestream)

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Who were the gladiators, and how did they become iconic figures in Roman history? What roles did slaves, criminals, and even emperors play in the gladiator world? How were these fighters trained, categorized, and prepared for combat? What did gladiators eat to stay battle-ready, and why was their diet primarily vegetarian? How did a strange brew of plant ashes help them recover from injuries?

In this Livestream, John and Patrick delve into the fascinating world of gladiators, exploring their mysterious origins, elaborate training, and carefully structured diets.

In the immortal words of Maximus Decimus Meridius: "Are you not entertained?!"

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Jaffa and the Israel-Palestine Conflict: Catastrophe, Loss and Legacy (Part 3)

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Jaffa orange, a fruit that once symbolized prosperity and collaboration, is now tied to a complex and painful history.

Before the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jaffa's citrus industry was world-renowned, celebrated for its sweet, vibrant fruit. This thriving sector, cultivated by both Jewish and Arab farmers, symbolized the region's agricultural success. However, with the eruption of conflict following the United Nations' proposed partition plan, Jaffa became a flashpoint of violence. Thousands of Palestinians were displaced, and the agricultural heart of the region was shattered. The flourishing groves that once exemplified collaboration were destroyed, leaving the Jaffa orange to embody not only agricultural achievement but also political turmoil.

How did the Jaffa orange, a shared symbol of Jewish-Arab harmony, transform into a powerful political emblem after the 1948 Nakba? What role did it play in the founding of Israel, and how did it shape Palestinian identity and resistance? What became of the groves, and why does the Jaffa orange continue to resonate as a symbol of loss and struggle despite the disappearance of the land that nurtured it?

In the final part of this series, John and Patrick delve into the tangled legacy of the Jaffa orange, uncovering its deep ties to the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the enduring significance of this storied fruit.

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Chestnuts Roasting: How Nuts Became a Christmas Icon

Tue, 24 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Nuts have been symbols of faith, fortune, and fertility for centuries, and their deep-rooted significance can still be felt today during Christmas celebrations. From their connection to Christian symbolism to their role in medieval mystery plays, these humble gifts have held profound meanings throughout history.

Why were hazelnuts, chestnuts, and walnuts so prominent in holiday traditions across Europe? How did Julian of Norwich's mystical visions connect the hazelnut to divine creation? And why have nutcrackers become so iconic during the festive season?

Join John and Patrick in this special Christmas episode as they delve into the symbolic layers of these beloved nuts, exploring their place in religious art, medieval culture, and modern holiday traditions.

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Jaffa and the Israel-Palestine Conflict: Cooperation and Competition (Part 2)

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In the early 20th century, the thriving citrus industry of Palestine became a complex backdrop for political tensions and shifting power dynamics.

As the British Mandate took control, Jewish and Arab communities navigated a shared landscape of cooperation, competition, and rising nationalism. The Jaffa orange, once a symbol of prosperity, became a key player in this evolving story, symbolizing both economic success and the deepening rifts between communities.

What role did the British Mandate play in shaping the citrus industry? How did the Jaffa orange become a symbol of political identity for both Arabs and Jews? And what were the surprising moments of collaboration and competition between these two communities?

Join John and Patrick as they explore the fascinating intersection of citrus cultivation, nationalism, and the complex history of Jaffa during the British Mandate.

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Jaffa and the Israel-Palestine Conflict: The Rise of Citrus (Part 1)

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Jaffa, known to the ancient Canaanites as "Yafi," meaning “gorgeous,” is one of the oldest cities in the world, and its history is as rich as the citrus groves that would later define it. From its days as a bustling trade hub under the Egyptians and Israelites to its transformation into a cultural and agricultural powerhouse under Ottoman rule, Jaffa’s story intertwines the rise of empires with the cultivation of a simple yet extraordinary fruit: the orange.

How did Jaffa oranges outshine their Spanish and Italian competitors to grace royal tables across Europe? What role did a German religious movement and Arab farmers play in revolutionizing citrus farming? And how did the shared citrus heritage of Arabs and Jews evolve into both a symbol of unity and a source of contention?

Join John and Patrick in the first episode of our three part series on the Israel-Palestine conflict, as they explore the captivating journey of Jaffa oranges and their enduring impact on culture, trade, and the legacy of a city that has stood at the crossroads of history.

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Cornell: A History of Agricultural Leadership and Fresh Produce Innovation

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0400

"[This college] was not established to serve or to magnify Cornell University. It belongs to the people of the state. The farmers of the state have secured it. Their influence has placed it here... If there is any man standing on the land, unattached, uncontrolled, who feels that he has disadvantages and a problem, this College of Agriculture stands for that man." – Liberty Hyde Bailey

In 1868, as the nation still felt the aftershocks of the American Civil War, a small town in the rolling hills of upstate New York became the cradle of a groundbreaking vision. In Ithaca, on a modest farm, an institution was born - one that would go on to revolutionize agriculture and the fresh produce industry, leaving a lasting impact on the United States and the world.

Who were Ezra Cornell and Andrew White, the visionaries behind this ambitious endeavor? How did their bold ideas and the Morrill Land-Grant Act transform a farm into a university with a mission to reshape agriculture?

What role did Liberty Hyde Bailey play in establishing Cornell as a leader in agricultural innovation? How did the university’s experiment stations and the Cornell Cooperative Extension spread cutting-edge techniques across the globe? What was the significance of the Cornell-Nanking project, and how did Cornell’s plant breeding programs produce iconic crops like the Empire apple and Concord grape?

Looking ahead, how will Cornell continue to drive the evolution of agriculture in the years to come?

Join John, Patrick, and special guest Corey Ryan Earle of Cornell University as they explore the rich history of this esteemed institution and its extraordinary contributions to agriculture and fresh produce.

---------------------------------------------

Visit the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS): https://cals.cornell.edu/

Apply for the Executive Leadership Development Program at Cornell, March 23-27, 2025: https://www.freshproduce.com/events/executive-leadership-development-program-at-cornell-university/

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Produce and Dinosaurs (Livestream)

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Dinosaurs and fresh produce? It might sound unusual, but the connection between prehistoric plants and ancient giants is stronger than you think.

In this episode, Patrick and John explore the fascinating history of ancient plants like cycads, ginkgoes, and conifers, and how they relied on dinosaurs for seed dispersal. Discover how the rise of flowering plants transformed ecosystems during the Cretaceous period and the surprising role of herbivorous dinosaurs in shaping the evolution of fruit as we know it.

From Mesozoic megafauna to the enduring legacy of "living fossils," this journey through Earth's prehistoric past will change the way you think about fresh produce!

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

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The Spice Trade Wars: Nathaniel Courthope’s Heroic Stand (Part 2)

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The British are determined to secure control over the spice-rich island of Run in the Banda Islands. To do so, they need a strong, capable leader, and they find this in East India Company officer Nathaniel Courthope.

As the Dutch intensify their efforts to seize Run, Courthope confronts formidable obstacles, from building defenses to managing dwindling food supplies and the loss of British ships. Amid fierce battles, grueling conditions for British prisoners, and Courthope’s desperate attempts to hold out as supplies run low, the struggle escalates.

From assassinations to shifting alliances, the political fallout of the spice trade wars are immense. How will Britain respond when Run is lost to the Dutch? What events led to the brutal Massacre of Amboyna? And how did the English ultimately break the Dutch monopoly on nutmeg?

Join John and special guest Giles Milton for the gripping conclusion of this tale of adventure, betrayal, and the fight for control over one of the world's most coveted spices.

Order the special 25th anniversary copy of Nathaniel's Nutmeg by Giles Milton here.

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The Spice Trade Wars: Nutmeg and the Clash of Empires (Part 1)

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0400

"Nutmeg, the seed of the tree, was the most coveted luxury in seventeenth-century Europe, a spice held to have such powerful medicinal properties that men would risk their lives to acquire it." - Giles Milton, Nathaniel's Nutmeg

In the seventeenth century, a fierce rivalry emerged between the British and the Dutch in the East Indies over the lucrative spice trade. Nutmeg, a rare and highly prized spice native to the Banda Islands, fueled the establishment and rapid expansion of both the British and Dutch East India Companies, each determined to control the trade.

Reaching these distant islands was perilous, with expeditions facing violent storms, outbreaks of disease, unfamiliar cultures, and the constant threat of piracy. Despite these challenges, both powers were relentless in their pursuit of nutmeg.

With the Dutch securing an early foothold in the region and equipped with a more formidable fleet, they were intent on eliminating British influence to establish a global monopoly on nutmeg. But could they achieve their goal? Or would the British hold on against the odds—and at what cost?

Join John and special guest Giles Milton in the first episode of our two-part series on the spice trade wars as they delve into how a single spice from a group of remote Pacific islands would shape the course of world history.

Order the special 25th anniversary copy of Nathaniel's Nutmeg by Giles Milton here.

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Harvesting Hysteria: Fresh Produce and the Salem Witch Trials

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we delve into the complex tapestry of Salem's early years, exploring how agricultural life intertwined with rising tensions that ultimately led to the infamous witch trials.

Join John and Patrick as they recount the arrival of Puritan settlers in 1626 and the ensuing rivalry between the wealthy Porter and conservative Putnam families. Discover how economic disparities, religious fervor, and environmental factors—including the role of contaminated crops—created a fertile ground for hysteria.

As we uncover the darker implications of daily life in Salem, we reveal how fresh produce not only sustained the community but also became a symbol of fear and division.

Tune in for a deep dive into one of America’s most haunting historical episodes, where food and fear were inextricably linked.

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Coca-Cola: How Fresh Produce Shaped a Global Icon (Livestream)

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

"Coca-Cola is Atlanta, and Atlanta is Coca-Cola." - Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young

In our first ever, live in-person event, John and Patrick dive deep into the intriguing history of Coca-Cola, exploring its unexpected ties to fresh produce.

Discover how John Pemberton, a pharmacist with a penchant for herbal remedies, transformed his initial concoction of coca-infused wine into the iconic soft drink we know today. Our hosts trace the origins of coca leaves and kola nuts, and their roles in Coca-Cola’s formulation, alongside the societal shifts that shaped its recipe over the years.

From the Civil War to the temperance movement, and the complex legacy of caffeine and cocaine, join John and Patrick as they unravel the fascinating journey of Coca-Cola, revealing how fresh produce and historical events intertwined to create a global phenomenon.

This episode was sponsored by the International Fresh Produce Association for the 2024 Global Produce and Floral Show in Atlanta, Georgia.

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The History of Mangoes

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Join John and Patrick as they embark on a captivating journey through the rich history and cultural significance of one of the world's most adored fruits—the mango.

From its ancient roots in North-East India and its spiritual significance in Hinduism and Buddhism to its role in diplomacy and myth, the mango’s story is as sweet and complex as the fruit itself.

Discover how the mango spread globally, from India to Europe and the Americas, shaping cultures and palates across centuries. Along the way, you'll hear tales of Mughal emperors, explorers, and farmers who helped the mango flourish in new lands.

Join us for a vibrant exploration of how the mango has transcended borders and time, becoming a beloved fruit around the world.

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The [Weird] History of Apple Picking (Livestream)

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Each year millions of Americans spend their autumn days picking apples from the many orchards that dot the country. But why? And when did this tradition start?

In this livestream episode, we explore the fascinating history of apple picking in America, tracing its journey from the introduction of apples by early European settlers to the rise of today’s popular you-pick orchards.

Join Patrick and John as they delve into the apple’s transformation from a colonial staple used primarily for cider to a symbol of American autumn traditions.

Learn how industrialization, agritourism, and the birth of you-pick farms shaped the modern apple-picking experience, and uncover the hidden costs behind the labor that brings apples from the orchard to your hands.

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Flagler’s Florida: Railroads, Resorts, and the Rise of Fresh Produce (Part 2)

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this episode, we continue our deep dive into the life and legacy of Henry Flagler, focusing on his transformative role in shaping Florida’s fresh produce industry. Following up on part one, which explored Flagler's rise from grain merchant to Standard Oil powerhouse, we now turn our attention to his ambitious projects in Florida.

Join John and Patrick as they uncover the stories behind the founding of towns like Pompano Beach and Hastings, the rise of Florida’s fresh produce industry, and Flagler’s ambitious railway extension to Key West. From devastating freezes that shifted the state’s citrus belt to Flagler’s innovative farming ventures, this episode paints a vivid picture of how one man’s vision helped shape modern Florida.

Don’t miss the fascinating history of Flagler’s railroads and their lasting impact on Florida’s agriculture.

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Flagler’s Florida: The Origins of a Titan (Part 1)

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

“I did not form a very favorable first impression, I must admit. I came here from Jacksonville by way of the river and the Tocoi railway and got here just at night. The accommodation was very bad and most of the visitors here were consumptives. I didn’t like it, and took the first train back to Jacksonville.”

While Henry Flagler’s initial impression of St. Augustine, Florida, was far from glowing, he would go on to be the driving force behind transforming the state into the agricultural and economic powerhouse it is today.

In part one of this new series, John and Patrick dive into the remarkable story of Henry Flagler, the man whose vision and investments helped transform Florida into the state we know today. Discover Flagler’s humble beginnings, his rise to prominence with Standard Oil, and his first encounters with Florida’s untapped potential. As our hosts take you through Flagler’s journey, they also explore the rich agricultural history of 19th-century Florida, including the booming citrus industry that laid the groundwork for his transformative work.

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The Mongol Empire's Agricultural Legacy

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

At its height, the Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous land empire in history, initially forged under the leadership of Genghis Khan. Spanning from 1206 to 1368, it extended across much of Eurasia, fueled by advanced technology and a formidable force of nomadic warriors. The Mongol Empire's influence was profound, leaving a lasting legacy that even reached the world of fresh produce.

In this episode, John is joined by special guest Dr. Marie Favereau, a leading expert on the Mongols and the Golden Horde, to explore the intriguing impact of the Mongol Empire on agriculture and fresh produce.

How did an empire led by pastoralists manage its agricultural territories? What role did the Silk Road play in the exchange of crops and the spread of key agricultural techniques? Did the Mongols even enjoy fresh produce? And what traces of their influence can still be seen in agriculture today?

Tune in to uncover the surprising ways the Mongols shaped the world of fresh produce and agriculture.

Order your copy of Dr. Favereau's book The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World.

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America's Oldest Botanical Garden (Livestream)

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this live-stream, John and Patrick follow up the week's earlier episode with a summary of their visit to America's oldest Botanical Garden. Bartram's Garden is a 50-acre public garden and National Historic Landmark in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, situated on the banks of the Tidal Schuylkill River. Founded in 1728 by botanist John Bartram (1699–1777), it is the oldest botanical garden to survive in North America. Join us in this episode for a walk through history.

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A Visit to Bartram's Garden

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:15:00 -0400

In this episode, John and Patrick take a trip to the historic Bartram’s Garden, where they are joined by special guest Mandy Katz, Lead Gardener at Bartram’s Garden. Together, they explore the legacy of renowned botanist John Bartram, whose pioneering work in horticulture laid the foundation for America’s botanical heritage.

Mandy shares insights into the fascinating history of the garden, its connection to fresh produce, and how it has evolved since its founding in the 18th century.

Whether you're a history buff, a gardening enthusiast, or simply curious about this historic site, this episode offers a captivating look at one of America's most cherished gardens.

Visit Bartram's Garden: https://www.bartramsgarden.org/

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Middle-Earth Produce: Tolkien’s Agrarian Dream

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Join John and Patrick as they dive into the rich, agricultural tapestry of Middle-earth in this episode focused on the symbolic significance of fresh produce and farming in Tolkien’s world.

Explore how the idyllic Shire, with its abundance of gardens and homegrown foods, contrasts with the industrial blight of Isengard and the barren wastelands of Mordor. Through these contrasts, Tolkien reveals deeper themes about the battle between good and evil, and the moral compass of Middle-earth’s inhabitants.

We’ll also uncover how Tolkien’s own life experiences shaped these landscapes and delve into the surprising connections between iconic scenes and simple, everyday vegetables.

Whether you're a fan of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Rings of Power, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how food and farming are central to the moral fabric of Tolkien’s universe.

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USA: The Delano Grape Strike

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:15:00 -0400

In the final episode of this Olympics marathon, John and Patrick share the story of the Delano grape strike. During the early 20th century, Filipino and Mexican immigrants arrived in America seeking better opportunities for themselves and their families. Many found themselves laboring on farms along the Western seaboard, often with little care given to their health and working conditions. However, the actions of two men—one Filipino-American and the other Mexican-American— would lead a movement that would change the agricultural landscape of America forever.

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Kenya: Kenyan Farmers v. British Colonizers

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, John and Patrick discuss the disruptive impact of British colonization on Kenya and its agricultural landscape. Kenyan farmers and communities faced immense hardships, from having their lands appropriated to being restricted on what crops they could grow.

As tensions boil over following the Second World War, leading to open rebellion, the big questions emerge: Will Kenyans reclaim their ancestral lands, or will the British manage to suppress the uprising and hold their ground? And how has this historic conflict shaped modern-day Kenya? Tune in to find out!

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Brazil: The Rise of Coffee

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Join John and Patrick as they unravel the captivating journey of coffee in Brazil, from its clandestine introduction in the 18th century to its explosive rise as a global powerhouse. Discover how coffee's rise redefined Brazil’s agricultural landscape, influenced global trade, and fueled social change, all while navigating the tumultuous impacts of slavery and economic upheavals.

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Russia: The Life of Nikolai Vavilov

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, John and Patrick explore the extraordinary life and tragic fate of Nikolai Vavilov, a visionary scientist who revolutionized agricultural science in the early 20th century. Against the backdrop of revolution and war-torn Russia, Vavilov's commitment to collecting and preserving seeds from around the world, culminating in the creation of the world's first seed bank, became his enduring legacy. Yet, his dedication to science and truth led to a clash with another rising star whose pseudo-scientific theories gained Stalin's favor. Join John and Patrick as they uncover the dramatic story of Vavilov's courage, sacrifice, and enduring impact on agriculture worldwide.

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Canada: The McIntosh Apple Story

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Join John and Patrick as they unravel the fascinating journey of the McIntosh apple, from its humble beginnings in Canada’s rugged wilderness to becoming a beloved global symbol. Discover how John McIntosh’s accidental discovery transformed the apple industry, and explore the surprising connection between this iconic fruit and the birth of a tech giant.

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Japan: Fruits of Edo to Luxury Today

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, John and Patrick explore Japan's rich history with fruits, uncovering how what was once a rare indulgence has evolved into a symbol of luxury and cultural significance. From historical roots to contemporary practices, discover why fruits continue to captivate the Japanese imagination and why even today, a perfect melon or strawberry can command thousands of dollars.

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New Zealand: The Kiwifruit's Odyssey

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:15:00 -0400

In today's episode, John and Patrick explore the remarkable journey of the kiwifruit, tracing its origins from the misty mountains of central China, where it grew wild for centuries, to its introduction in New Zealand by pioneering botanists and missionaries. Discover how this once-unknown fruit, initially dubbed the Chinese gooseberry, transformed into a global icon synonymous with New Zealand's lush landscapes and agricultural prowess.

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Argentina: Jewish Agricultural Colonies

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In the early 20th century, a wave of Jewish migrants set sail for Argentina, driven by dreams of a brighter future. Their path began in agricultural colonies, spurred by Baron de Hirsch's late 19th-century vision to establish South American homes for Eastern European Jews. Join John and Patrick as they delve into the triumphs and tribulations of this ambitious venture.

From Moisés Ville, the pioneering settlement fraught with both promise and adversity, to the eventual evolution and challenges faced by these colonies, discover how these settlers tackled unfamiliar landscapes, economic struggles, and the complexities of cultural assimilation.

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South Africa: Cape Town’s Agricultural Roots

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:15:00 -0400

Join John and Patrick as they delve into the early interactions between Dutch settlers and Khoikhoi pastoralists at the Cape of Good Hope. What begins as a Dutch East India Company refreshment outpost to supply ships traveling to and from the East Indies evolves into a catalyst for European colonization driven by trade and agricultural ambitions. As Dutch settlers strive to expand their farms, tensions rise over land acquisition. How will the Khoikhoi respond to these encroachments? Will peace prevail, or will conflict ensue?

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UK: The Rise and Fall of Currants

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In today's episode, join John and Patrick as they uncover the captivating history of currants, tracing their evolution from Corinth to becoming a dietary staple in England. By the 17th century, these miniature grapes, mainly imported from Greek territories, served as an essential sweetener before sugar became widely accessible.

The Levant Company seized upon this trade, yielding substantial profits for shareholders and influencing British culinary traditions. Explore the dynamic rise and eventual decline of the currant trade, leaving behind a lasting impact on global commerce and gastronomy.

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Australia: The Great Emu War

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:15:00 -0400

In today's episode, John and Patrick delve into Australia's tumultuous World War I era. They uncover how veterans, armed with patriotism but little farming know-how, embarked on the Soldier Settlement Scheme, only to face an unexpected adversary: the emus. Discover how these flightless birds transformed from protected species to notorious crop destroyers, adding a quirky twist to the hardships of the Great Depression down under.

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China: Mao's Mango Mania

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Cultural Revolution of 1966 in China was characterized by violent purges and the rise of the Red Guards, plunging the nation into chaos. Amid this turmoil, the Chinese people became captivated by mangoes, a gift from Chairman Mao that sparked an unexpected obsession. Join John and Patrick as they explore the rise and fall of the bizarre "Mango Craze" in 1960s China.

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France: The Story of Potager du Roi at Versailles

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The moment has arrived! John and Patrick are launching their epic Olympic-themed extravaganza in honor of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Over the next two-and-a-half weeks they will be unveiling new episodes, each dedicated to a different country competing in this historic sporting event. With 17 days, 13 countries, and 13 episodes ahead, get ready for an exhilarating journey!

First up is the host country, France. In today's episode, John and Patrick look at the story of France's most illustrious kitchen garden and its legacy on the country's produce and culinary history. From its roots under the patronage of Louis XIV, the Sun King, to its prestigious status as a UNESCO historical monument, the Potager du Roi at Versailles has a rich and storied past.

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The Boston Tea Party: From Protest to Revolution (Part 4)

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The stage is set. Britain's East India Company dispatches four laden ships bound for American shores, their cargo: tea. In the heart of Boston, colonists face a pivotal decision. Will they accept the tea, return it, or dare to defy the crown? The clock ticks down as tensions reach a boiling point!

Join John and returning special guest, historian Dr. Benjamin Carp, as they unravel the suspenseful days leading to the arrival of these ships in Boston Harbor. In this thrilling conclusion to our Boston Tea Party series, discover the bold figures and dramatic moments that culminated in the infamous night of December 16, 1773. How did Britain react to the Boston Tea Party? What role would agriculture go on to play during the revolutionary war? And can we point to this event for the reason Americans prefer coffee over tea today?

"Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America" by Benjamin Carp: https://www.booksaremagic.net/item/jLdKSQngN1FuSs5T9KDClg

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The Boston Tea Party: Tyranny, Taxes and Tea (Part 3)

Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

After a triumphant victory in the Seven Years' War, Britain faced an unexpected adversary: staggering debt. With the national debt skyrocketing from £74 million to £133 million, the pressure was on to find new revenue sources. Britain's gaze turned across the Atlantic to its American colonies. What demands would they place on the colonies? Would the Americans comply, or would resistance brew?

Join John and his special guest, renowned historian Dr. Benjamin Carp, as they delve into the escalating tensions between Britain and America. Explore how a seemingly innocuous commodity—tea—ignited a fierce battle for control and freedom. What lessons can we glean from history about the power of everyday foods to shape monumental conflicts?

"Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America" by Benjamin Carp: https://www.booksaremagic.net/item/jLdKSQngN1FuSs5T9KDClg

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The Boston Tea Party: Tea Goes Viral (Part 2)

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Britain and tea. It’s difficult to picture a time when these two weren’t linked, but that was very much the case until about 350 years ago. The change came when a Portuguese princess brought her tea addiction to England through her marriage to Charles II. Soon after, this ancient Chinese beverage captivated the entire British society, cutting across all classes, and spreading even further.

Join John and Patrick as they explore the origins of tea, its rise as a valuable trade commodity, and how it became a cultural phenomenon in Britain and the American colonies.

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The Boston Tea Party: Corporate Greed (Part 1)

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Boston Tea Party marked a turning point in Colonial American-British relations, triggering a sequence of events that ultimately led to the American Revolutionary War. This act of defiance resonated deeply across the American colonies. At the heart of the conflict was the tea leaf, a commodity shipped to Britain and its colonies by the formidable British East India Company. As the world's largest corporation of its time, the British East India Company wielded not just economic influence but also increasingly acted as an imperial force in its own right.

Join John and Patrick as they explore the role of the British East India Company and its impact, including its involvement in a devastating famine in India that stirred concerns in colonial America.

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Discover Fresh Produce Holiday Destinations (Livestream)

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Summer is here, and it's time to plan your vacation! Whether you're hitting the beach, traveling abroad, or enjoying a staycation, there are fantastic produce-themed destinations to explore.

In today's bonus livestream episode, John and Patrick showcase several produce-themed holiday spots to inspire your summer adventures. From a fruit museum in Italy to a presidential vegetable garden in Virginia, this vacation planning episode has something for everyone.

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Bridgerton: Produce of the Regency Era

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In 1811, King George III, often referred to as the "mad king who lost America," was declared unfit to rule, leading his son to assume the role of Prince Regent and ushering in the Regency Era in England. This era was characterized by indulgence in excess, lavish parties, extravagant fashion, and opulent food. While Jane Austen's novels have immortalized this period over the past two centuries, it is now the Netflix hit Bridgerton that has captured the modern imagination.

Join John and Patrick as they explore the world of Bridgerton to uncover the role of fresh produce in high society. How did agriculture evolve during this time? Why were the elites obsessed with pineapples? And what surprising connection did celery have to sexual practices?

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Baghdad's Bounty: Exploring the Produce Paradise

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It was the political and cultural center of the Arab world during its height. The city was a melting pot of cultures, foods and ideas that attracted people from as far north as Scandinavia and as far south as Africa. Within 100 years of its establishment, there were lush gardens, elaborate villas, and great libraries. This was THE city to be in - the 'navel of the world'. The city of medieval Baghdad!

Join John and renowned Iraqi historian and author Nawal Nasrallah, as they uncover the fresh produce scene of golden age Baghdad. What role did food and produce play in the daily lives of this impressive city? Why were vegan dishes referred to as not "real" food? How important was agriculture to this society? And what impact did this city from the 8th century leave on our world today?

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"Delights from the Garden of Eden" by Nawal Nasrallah: https://www.booksaremagic.net/item/ZrQwhj121jBbbuq8aku0Gw

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Eating to Extinction: The Decline of Produce Diversity

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Of all the people that have ever lived, about 90% were hunter gatherers. These people were intimately connected with the wild, relying on a diverse array of plants for sustenance, possibly numbering in the hundreds or even thousands. Our ancestors thrived in a world rich in biodiversity. As the human species evolved and developed more advanced tools and technology, their bodies remained relatively the same but their eating habits changed. Trade, colonialism, globalization, wars have all contributed to a world that has seen much of its biodiversity disappear.

Join John and Patrick, along with renowned food journalist and author Dan Saladino, as they explore the history of biodiversity. Together, they will unravel how humanity transitioned from consuming a vast array of plant species to a diet centered around only a few dozen varieties. What historical events shaped this evolution? What consequences does this trajectory hold for our future? And most importantly, why should we be deeply concerned about this shift?

"Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them" by Dan Saladino: https://www.booksaremagic.net/item/3Czr8TaWU98U46nCdbG9tg

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Learn the Produce Idioms (Livestream)

Tue, 28 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this LIVE-STREAM John and Patrick cover the History of Produce Idioms. Are you Cool as a Cucumber, a bad apple, the apple of my eye or just BANANAS. Come join as we have some fun on The History of Fresh Produce.

The French Revolution: Vive les produits!

Tue, 07 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

We've heard about the storming of the Bastille, the countless heads that rolled off the guillotine, and Marie Antoinette's famous "Let them eat cake!" but what role did food and produce play during the French Revolution?

Did crop failures lead to a 'hangry' mob of peasants? Why did vegetarianism become associated with revolutionaries?

Join John and Patrick as they discuss the unique perspective of this epic event through the lens of food and produce.

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Civilizations Lost to Crop Failures (Livestream)

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this LIVE-STREAM playback on the History of Fresh Produce we are looking into Civilizations Lost to Crop Failures. Are you ready to understand how crops can completely fail and recover and/ or never to be seen? John and Patrick uncover civilizations that you have heard and some that might make you scratch your head into existence. Take the time to learn about where your food really came from. Tune in and Tune on!

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The History of Blueberries

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

25,000 years ago as glaciers tore their way through North America, they left behind a unique mix of soil that only a few plants would thrive in.

One of those first plants to adapt in this new terrain was the wild blueberry bush. But don't let the small size of this berry fool you.

It's a fruit packed with history, wars and innovation.Join John and Patrick as they take us through the barrens of Maine and trace the story of how the wild blueberry became the tamed, cultivated blueberry we all know today.

Instagram, TikTok, Threads: @historyoffreshproduce

Email: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com

Club Teasing, Solar Eclipses, and a Pineapple-less Hawaii

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

What could a History of Fresh Produce Club look like? What role did farming and produce have in solar eclipses throughout history? Who would've annexed Hawai'i if the US hadn't? Would pineapples still have been the big crop?

Could the Sicilian Mafia still have been born without lemons? What crop had the biggest impact on history? And when did farmers and farming become perceived as less noble?

Instagram, TikTok, & Threads:@historyoffreshproduce

Titanic: Produce on the "Unsinkable Ship"

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

On the evening of April 14, 1912, passengers aboard the RMS Titanic sat down for what was to be their final meal on the 'unsinkable ship'. At 11:40pm, the Titanic scraped an iceberg and within hours sank to the bottom of the ocean. Today, the Titanic is one of the most romanticized and infamous ship sinkings in history. But what exactly did the passengers and crew eat on board this legendary ship? What do the menus tell us about the cuisine of this period?

What made dining on board the Titanic unique? And how does produce play a role in this unforgettable story? Join John and Patrick as they explore one of the most famous ships in history with a special guest: Titanic-culinary expert and author, Veronica Hinke.

Following the timeline of the ship's journey from its departure in Southampton, England to its ill-fated demise in the Atlantic, they dive deep into the culinary scene onboard and discover the role produce played in the dining halls and during the sinking.

The Last Night on the Titanic: Unsinkable Drinking, Dining, and Style: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-Titanic-Unsinkable-Drinking/dp/B07WW9PSVH/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2N098JKC5TC4F&keywords=veronica+hinke&qid=1707345522&sprefix=veronica+hinke%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-2

Titanic: The Official Cookbook: 40 Timeless Recipes for Every Occasion: https://www.amazon.com/Titanic-Official-Cookbook-Timeless-Entertaining/dp/1647228573/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2N098JKC5TC4F&keywords=veronica+hinke&qid=1707345522&sprefix=veronica+hinke%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-1

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

Uncovering St. Patrick's Day Produce (Livestream)

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

In this LIVE-STREAM, John and Patrick are back the day after St. Patrick's Day and no they are not hungover! That is right you guessed it we are uncovering St. Patrick's produce? Yes, we are going to unlock the secret of mysterious fruits during the holiday and the St. himself. Join Patrick and John as we uncover more of the history of fresh produce!

Instagram: @historyoffreshproduce

"Veggie Loving" Vikings

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Recognized today for their long ships, horned helmets, raiding and pillaging, the Vikings have a frightening reputation. But how much of what we see in movies is true? Were the Vikings truly meat-loving warriors? Or were they veggie loving farmers? Did they even have an agricultural sector in their society?

In today's episode, John and Patrick are joined by the leading expert on Viking age food, Daniel Serra as they explore the role fresh produce played in Viking cuisine, society and history.

Instagram, TikTok, Threads:

@historyoffreshproduce

Email: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com

The Sicilian Mafia's Sour Origins

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

From Al Capone to Tony Soprano, real life and fictional mafiosi have captured the public imagination for decades. Portrayed as thuggish, Italian American gangsters valuing “the family” above all else, Hollywood has certainly had an influence on how we think of the Mafia. But who exactly are the mafia?

When did they come into existence? And what do they have to do with produce? Join John and Patrick in today’s episode as they make you an offer that you can’t refuse.

The boys travel back in time to explore the origins of the world's most infamous criminal organization and its surprising ties to citrus groves on the idyllic island of Sicily.

Join the History of Fresh Produce Club (https://app.theproduceindustrypodcast.com/access/) for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.

Instagram, TikTok, Threads:

@historyoffreshproduce

Email: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com

All Hail The Commander-in-Produce: Presidents & Produce (Livestream)

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Since the founding of the United States, its Presidents have left their unique mark on American history. These leaders have influenced U.S. participation in global conflicts, social causes, domestic policies and even the food we eat. In today's bonus livestream episode, John and Patrick discuss the relationship that 10 former U.S. Presidents had with fresh produce and what we can learn from those stories.

Can future leaders of the free world make produce great again?

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

Native Americans and the Magic 8 from Seed to Plate

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Long before Europeans set foot on the American continents, indigenous peoples had lived on these lands for thousands of years. In that time, the Native American peoples developed a rich, diverse collection of cultural traditions which, of course, included food. But what happened to those traditions when contact was made with Europeans?

Would Native Americans be able to preserve their culinary practices? and how would the 'Magic 8' crops contribute to global cuisine?In today's episode, John is joined by Native foods historian and author, Lois Ellen Frank and Chef Walter Whitewater as they take us through the fascinating evolution of Native American cuisine with a keen focus on fresh produce.

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

The Stolen Lands of Hawai'i: Pineapples from paradise (Part 4)

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0400

The Hawaiian islands have been annexed by the United States and an agriculture boom is underway. American entrepreneurs flood the shores of Hawaii in search of their fortune. But this comes at a cost to the indigenous Hawaiian peoples and their land. In today's episode, John and Patrick explore how the pineapple industry bursts onto the scene following the collapse of the Hawaiian monarchy and quickly transforms the island nation.

The success of pineapple may have been relatively short lived, but the impact on Hawaii has been long lasting. Will the impact be for the better or worse?Don't miss the fourth and final episode in this thrilling account of the Stolen Lands of Hawai'i!

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

Fresh Produce in Disney Movies: Magic or Reality? (Livestream)

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0400

We've all heard about the hidden Mickeys and "easter eggs" in Disney movie classics but what about fresh produce? Food, especially produce, plays a pivotal role in many of these movies.

It may not always be obvious but these foods tie in significant cultural and regional elements that help to paint a bigger picture of the characters and their setting. In today's bonus livestream episode, John and Patrick explore the fresh produce landscape of a variety of Disney movies and their historical accuracy.

From the desert city of Agrabah in Aladdin to the Andean mountains in The Emperor's New Groove, are the crops we see Disney magic or reality?

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

The Stolen Lands of Hawai'i: President Dole (Part 3)

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Tensions are rising between plantation owners and the Hawaiian monarchy. Plantation owners want the island nation to be annexed by the United States to further their wealth. The royalists want more agricultural diversity and power returned to the natives. Two groups but there can only be one victor.

In today's episode, John and Patrick describe the pivotal point in Hawaiian history where annexationists and royalists face off in the ultimate battle for control. There will be coercion, secret meetings, and manipulation. Is this farewell to the Hawaiian peoples and their sovereignty?

Don't miss the third episode in this thrilling account of the Stolen Lands of Hawai'i!

Instagram: @historyoffreshproduce

The Stolen Lands of Hawai'i: From Sea to Soil (Part 2)

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0400

King Kamehameha the Great has unified the Hawaiian islands and with it brings vast trade opportunities to European powers. Seeking to move away from a rest stop to a player in international trade, what does Hawaii have to offer to the world and what does it mean for their people and land? In today's episode, John and Patrick explore the extraordinary transition of the Hawaiian islands from a mere trade outpost to an international supplier of goods.

As the young United States continues to expand, Hawai'i positions its goods towards the growing American market. Will this bring wealth and prosperity to the peoples of Hawai'i? Or will outside powers look to extort and control the small island nation?

Don't miss the second episode in this thrilling account of the Stolen Lands of Hawai'i!

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

The Stolen Lands of Hawai'i: The Story Begins (Part 1)

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 00:00:00 -0400

A paradise island chain in the middle of the Pacific remained in relative isolation for over 1,000 years until the controversial Captain Cook became the first recorded European to encounter what he called the Sandwich Islands. This encounter marked the beginning of the end of the sovereignty of what we now know as the Hawaiian islands.

The story of Hawai'i is a tragic tale of violence, exploitation and imperialism that has food, namely produce, at the very heart of it all.

Join Patrick and John in the first episode of this epic series, as they explore three key moments in the late 18th century that set the course of Hawaii's fate.

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

2023 Review and What's Coming in 2024 (Livestream)

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Join Patrick and John in their very first History Of Fresh Produce bonus livestream, as they review the past year and what exciting topics they have planned for 2024.

Instagram:@historyoffreshproduce

The Politics of the Potato

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0400

From the moment it landed on European shores in the early 16th century, the potato has been used as a political instrument. From the Age of Enlightenment to European empire and colonialism to the World Wars and beyond, the potato has arguably played every role between savior and enemy in its relatively short history on the global stage.

Listen as John and Patrick are joined by historian Rebecca Earle to discuss the politics of the potato.

Order a copy Rebecca's book "Feeding the People" here: https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-People-Politics-Rebecca-Earle/dp/1108484069

The History of Tomatoes - Part 2

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In this new series of The Produce Industry Network we explore the history of Produce. In the modern world we live in with technology we as humans dont have a clue where our foods comes from. While some think everything is local and others worry about too many imports, what is the world coming to? Do you know what you are putting in your body?

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

The origins of some food extend to the earliest human civilizations. Through the centuries, many of these foods shaped or altered the course of history. In the process, some of them took on a life of their own in religion, literature, the arts and popular culture.

Today join us for the history of TOMATOES (Part 2)!

The History of Tomatoes - Part 1

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of TOMATOES (Part 1)!

Saunderskill Farm

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In 1663, Hendrick Schoonmaker was granted 300 acres of land as payment for his military service in the Esopus Wars (1659-1663). By 1680, the Schoonmaker family was farming the land in what is today Accord, NY and continues to do so today. In fact, Saunderskill Farm is one of very few farms in the nation to receive the “Tricentennial Award” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Join John as he sits down with 10th generation family member, Jack Schoonmaker, as they discuss over three centuries of history on Saunderskills Farm.

The History of Maize

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of MAIZE!

The Food Explorer w/ Daniel Stone

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Today is the July 24, 2023 and we are bringing you a BONUS EPISODE exploring the life and history of the "Food Explorer", David Fairchild. But that's not all! We have a very special guest joining us. National bestselling writer and professor of environmental science and policy at The Johns Hopkins University Mr. Daniel Stone will be walking us through the adventures of Fairchild.

Grab your spy gear and adventure hat. You are not going to want to miss this.

The History of Strawberries

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of STRAWBERRIES!

The History of Potatoes

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of POTATOES!

The History of Bananas

Mon, 01 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of BANANAS!

The History Of Dragon Fruit

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of DRAGON FRUIT!

The History of Grapes

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of GRAPES!

The History of Citrus

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This new series is all about the global history of produce including fun facts and stories, when it all started, how it became commercialized and how when and why it is done.

Today join us for the history of CITRUS!