035, Lori Taylor: Fresh Food Activism with The Produce Moms

Soul Soil: Where Agriculture and Spirit Intersect with Brooke Kornegay

If you can commit to serving fresh fruits and vegetables every time you serve food— to yourself, to others, and especially to children, you will feel better, you will look better, and your community and loved ones will thrive. Food security is national security, and supporting the US farmers who grow our produce is a vote for healthy bodies and healthy economies. Today we talk with Lori Taylor of The Produce Moms, a community of passionate fresh produce advocates with a mission to inspire everyone, especially children, to eat more fruits and vegetables. For ten years Lori sold fresh produce to over 300 grocery stores throughout the US. Today, Lori and her team are fully focused on educating consumers about fresh produce, introducing them to produce brands, engaging the produce industry with consumers in inspiring conversations, and promoting public policy to protect and increase the availability of fresh produce at American schools. Lori is a top child nutrition lobbyist and grassroots activist in the US with a staunch focus on bringing more fresh-form fruits and vegetables to USDA School Meals as well as food insecurity nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC. Her policy work in D.C. includes Farm Bill and Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Lori is the host of The Produce Moms Podcast, a seasoned Keynote Speaker and is currently writing her first book. Lori resides in Indianapolis, IN with her husband Chip, their two sons Joe and Mac, and their Great Dane.

In this episode…

• How The Produce Moms got started
• Don’t overthink it—one step in the right direction is how you start addressing these issues
• 94% of the farms in the US are family-owned
• Food security is national security
• The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program within the Federal School Nutrition Program
• Food is culture
• Producing more using less is the secret to sustainability in our agriculture systems
• No one cares about the planet the way that growers do
• Technology in agriculture
• Whole Foods named “regenerative agriculture” the top food trend of 2020
• Double up food bucks—stretching the SNAP and WIC dollars at farmers’ markets
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program empowers both students and the local food economy
• Only 2% of the fruits and vegetables served in schools are “fresh form” or raw
• Monthly produce challenge calendar

Resources

• The Produce Moms website

• The Produce Moms Podcast

• The Produce Challenge Calendar

• [e-mail]

• Soul Soil Podcast Patreon Page

• Soul Soil Grow and Glow package