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3 Min Mango Expertise

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3 Minute Mango Expertise

July 24, 2024

 

The importance of mango literacy with Mango Hunter Jeff Ray

“If we keep talking about it. We’ll figure out solutions together to make it easier for everyone to get amazing mangoes.” -Mango Hunter Jeff Ray

I’ve been teaching people about food since my late 20s, starting with culinary herbs and eventually opening Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center in Brooklyn. My career in food education has always paralleled my work with farmers in global morganic agriculture. I believe that for farmers to succeed, consumers must understand the entire chain of connection from farm to table. Likewise, farmers need to understand the end user and the commodity they are growing. When these elements are in balance, a proper supply chain can be built, leading to optimal #MangoJoy and enhanced mango literacy or more general prosperity and joy.

When I met Mango Hunter Jeff Ray, I was captivated by his passion for mangoes. It wasn’t just about the Crespo mango he used in the first video I saw. His enthusiasm highlighted the industry’s gap between farmers, the product, and consumers. It was an “Oprah aha moment” for me, reminding me that mango literacy (a term I’m coining, much like #MangoJoy) is something we all must create together. It takes a lot of work and, more importantly, a passion for mangoes, which Jeff and I know many people share!

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Featured, People

3 Minute Mango Expertise: Noris Ledesma

July 8, 2024

Risk & Reward: “Who is going to take the risk, who is going to make the changes”

This season is a wake up call according to my guest this week!

I love unraveling ideas and sharing information. This Summer Mango Mania season, I’m excited to introduce 3 Minute Mango Expertise. Each 3-minute video features interviews with mango experts, covering the supply chain from orchard to table. Blog posts and full-length videos provide more details. This series aims to clarify the supply chain and expand knowledge, aligning with my mango blog’s motto – Under my mango tree, all is shared…..

This week’s guest, renowned Dr. Noris Ledesma,  emphasizes the importance of sharing information and collaboration. She knows firsthand the many challenges ahead and agrees that working together is the best path forward. She highlights her work with a diversity of cultivars and reminds us that tropical varieties, like the Ataulfo, fared best during the serious blooming issues throughout Latin America this season, which led to dismal numbers in output, she notes that without change, this is the future.

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Featured, People

3 Minute Mango Expertise: Brian Dey

July 3, 2024


“It’s about romancing the mango”

I love unraveling ideas, discovering truths, appreciating complexities, and sharing information. My new Summer Mango Mania series, 3 Minute Mango Expertise, is designed just for that. This week’s featured guest is totally aligned with my desire to graciously and generously share expertise, insights, ideas, and general knowledge when it comes to all things produce.

We equally align in our avant-garde style of both generating and executing ideas that many might consider ideas of madness at the onset.  His execution of ideas is typically flawless! He is a fellow Aries, loads of fun and filled with facts, and one of my all-time favorite produce experts.

He is the person from whom I have gained the most valuable insights in terms of merchandising, especially mango merchandising. We have worked together for the past nine years—he with Four Seasons and I with Crespo Organic. Together, we have navigated several Summer Mango Manias, numerous Cinco de Mayo #CelebrateMexico #CelebrateMangoes, and many Mango Cutting and Tasting Demos.

He is Mr. Brian Dey, and I am deeply appreciative of this learning relationship. I am always thrilled to share his thoughts and ideas especially as they pertain to mangoes. As with most useful insights, his advice is helpful across countless commodities and in life in general!

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