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\\u201cFood is culture. Food is what connects us all and food is a catalyst, a magnetic force for bringing people together to have the best day of their life.\\u201d

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Lori Taylor (17:31-17:44)

\\u201cI have so many, so many mixed emotions. My wish for everyone is peace and joy. I want to tell everyone that is part of our community at The Produce Moms that you\'ve been a huge part of my inner peace, my professional joy and you\'ve made me a better person because of my ability to connect with all of you, and my ability to meet so many fascinating, brilliant people that come on as is our guest.\\u201d Lori Taylor (1:09-1:44)

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Holidays are a great time to pause, reflect, and for Lori Taylor, The Produce Mom\\u2019s founder, it\\u2019s a time that reminds her how TPM began. Lori started The Produce Moms in 2012 when she was a marketing manager at a fruit company in Indianapolis and pitched the idea as a way to expand the marketing department. Lori received support from her employer to bring the idea to fruition. The Produce Moms blog kept growing and growing, and in 2015, her employer decided they were done with the blog, but gave Lori the opportunity to purchase it from them. From there, Lori\\u2019s been off to the races with TPM and the mission we\\u2019re on: to help you eat more fruits and vegetables in volume and variety, while bringing you closer to the farmers of our industry.\\xa0

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\\u201cThat leap has brought me so much strength as a human being. I\'ve evolved into a pretty self-confident woman. Trust me, I still have my moments, like all of us do\\u2026 moments of self-doubt and insecurities that happen to all human beings, but really the journey has been very empowering and it\'s made me a smarter person. It\'s made me more of a worldly thinker. And most importantly, it\'s given me the great privilege, honor and blessing to help share my passion with others and help enrich your life and everyone\'s life who\'s part of this show.\\u201d Lori Taylor (3:42-4:29)

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For the next few weeks into the new year, Lori and The Produce Moms team is focused on family. Lori will be hanging out with family, watching Christmas movies, making chex mix, baking cookies and relaxing, while the rest of the team finds ways to fill their soul with peace and joy.

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Lori\\u2019s also focused on spending her time off learning about the big developments happening in the digital space (did anyone say metaverse?) and understanding what\\u2019s available to help further TPM\\u2019s mission to be a catalyst for supporting farmers and our industry\\u2019s stakeholders in changing the grocery retail climate.\\xa0

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It wouldn\\u2019t be a holiday season without plenty of delicious recipes! Lori\\u2019s going to be cooking and baking a delicious, lemon cranberry almond bread she\\u2019ll share with her boys\\u2019 basketball team, a delicious capri pasta salad (using NatureSweet tomatoes, of course!), and food art like banana candles.

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Next year, The Produce Moms is focused on continuing to grow their footprint. A huge accomplishment for TPM this year was going from a content marketing platform into a well established brand that\\u2019s been featured on packages in actual grocery stores! TPM always wants to provide you with educational resources that connect you to and bring you closer to the farm, while inspiring you to eat a wider variety and amount of fruits and vegetables.\\xa0

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One way to do that is to check out our blog on how to request items at a grocery store. Whether you\\u2019ve learned about a new produce item on our podcast you\\u2019ve never heard of, you have a new year\\u2019s goal to be healthier and change or lifestyle, or just want to try doing something special that requires an unique ingredient, this blog will show you exactly how to request those items at your local grocery store. Even if you think you\\u2019ll never find it, remember that your local grocer doesn\\u2019t want you shopping at their competitors! Sometimes it\\u2019s as easy as telling the department manager or going online and making the request. The blog includes the top 25 grocers in the United States.\\xa0

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There\\u2019s also a new area on our website called \\u2018Produce\\u2019, found under the Menu section, where we\\u2019re teaching you how to select, store and serve the most popular produce department items.

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In January, you can look forward to some incredible episodes with former guests like Brittain Ladd, who will be discussing the state of the grocery industry, and Pamela R. Schneider, agricultural journalist widely celebrated in the grocery industry space who will be discussing what hot, 22 produce department items all moms should add to their grocery list in 2022.

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\\u201cWe\\u2019re really going to lean into the affordability of fresh produce and strategies that we can support you with to make sure that your food dollars are going as far as they can in the new year.\\u201d Lori Taylor (10:56-11:08)

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If you haven\\u2019t already, make sure to check out our annual holiday gift guide at the top of our homepage (www.theproducemoms.com). It focuses on gifts that are homemade or are found in the produce department and bring\\xa0 you back to your home kitchen, budget-friendly gifts, and there\\u2019s also a discount code for Fruitful Market.

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Lastly, remember to put your phones down and enjoy time with your family. Be present and lean into the people that you love the most this holiday season. Enjoy your holiday traditions, make new memories, and take great pride in how much you have helped empower us all. See you in January!

How to get involved

• Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!\\xa0
• Reach out to us - we\\u2019d love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.\\xa0

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If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we\\u2019d love for you to help us spread the word!