People Archives - Under the Mango TreeUnder the Mango Tree

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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!

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.

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!

Featured, People

3 Minute Mango Expertise: Jorge Crespo

June 25, 2024

The Crespo Mango Man dishes on what it takes to do specialty mangoes

“If you sell it, I will grow it.” Jorge Crespo on the simplicity of the specialty mango saga!

I love unraveling ideas, discovering truths, appreciating complexities, and sharing information. This Summer Mango Mania season, I’m excited to introduce my new series: 3 Minute Mango Expertise. In these videos, I explore various aspects of the mango supply chain, from orchard to table, by interviewing mango experts and sharing all the sweet details with you. Each short 3-minute video will capture the essence of each interview and I’ll supplement each 3 minute video with a blog post and the full length video interview, for those like me, who want more than just short snippets. This series aims to expand minds and provide access to valuable information simultaneously. Helping make the supply chain, from the orchards all the way to the consumer’s table a clear delineated line- which is essentially the motto of my mango blog…Under my mango tree, all is shared…..

Featured, People

David (OG) & Goliath (CV)

April 17, 2024

Who will protect organic growth amidst economic, climate and social uncertainties?

In the realm of organic produce, the ongoing struggle to safeguard organic growth often mirrors the tale of David and Goliath. This season, amidst economic, climate, and social uncertainties, the appeal of cheaper conventional products has never been stronger for importers, distributors, and retailers alike. Price remains a significant driver for consumer purchases, intensifying the pressure in my career more than ever before. Whether you share my passion for organics or view organics merely as another item on the shelf, the importance of protecting organic market share cannot be overstated.

I’ve experienced the weight of this David & Goliath struggle throughout my journey in the organic industry. However, in recent times, the intensity of this struggle feels magnified. It’s disheartening to witness substantial strides and achievements in organics being overshadowed by the allure of cheaper conventional produce. This shift undermines the integrity of our food systems, particularly concerning organic consumers who demand higher standards. The belief that conventional mangoes reign supreme in profitability is outdated and misguided. This misconception not only contradicts our trajectory but also carries greater consequences beyond profits alone. It’s evident to me that those who gamble against organics are destined to lose.

Culture, Featured, News, People

#CelebrateMexico #CelebrateMangoes

April 1, 2024

A Cinco de Mayo promotion that celebrates Mexico with mangoes

While Cinco de Mayo may not be a major holiday in Mexico, it has become a significant event in the USA, driving sales of Mexican produce items, including mangoes. We recognize the opportunity this presents for us.

Our #CelebrateMexico #CelebrateMangoes campaign not only excites and entices consumers with all things organic mango, but also educates on the beauty and culture of Mexico. It encourages a celebration of Mexican heritage, including its rich agricultural offerings. Through bold displays of Mexican organic fruits and vegetables, we aim to showcase the value of Mexico’s agricultural richness to consumers.

Featured, News, People

Ataulfo Marketing 101

January 24, 2024

Shortcutting the promotion of Mexico’s yellow slipper

This is an industry geared post.

Despite the challenges in the early Mexican season, Ataulfo mangoes are poised to bring us our much-needed #MangoJoy.

As our Crespo Organic Ataulfo mangoes are about to make their debut, now is the opportune moment to evaluate your current organic Ataulfo program or consider implementing one. With our expertise, top-quality products, and dedicated support, the Crespo Ataulfo program stands strong even amid the chaotic Peruvian circumstances……..carpe diem.

Featured, News, People

Harvesting Food Trends

January 15, 2024

A mango-centric exploration of the year’s most anticipated influences

Food trends are often a bit waggish, but the current buzzing trends seem poised for positive impact and that excites me. I think the timing is ripe for all of us in mangoes and produce to take a thoughtful look and see how we can harness them to benefit farmers, farming communities, consumers, and everyone’s bottom lines.

I explore 2024’s most anticipated food trends through mango-colored glasses, drawing insights from writers, researchers, mango enthusiasts, shoppers, marketers, culinary professionals, and mango experts. I aim to uncover the meaning within these trends, demonstrating how produce and mangoes align with them at retail level and across the entire chain. My goal is to help our industry foster deeper significance in our practices, embracing the interconnectedness between the business, the eating and the human elements and, above all, spread more #MangoJoy in 2024.

Culture, Featured, News, People

Cultivating #MangoJoy for Profit

September 19, 2023

The ROI of Crespo’s Summer Mango Mania promotion

I know I live in a world that doesn’t register ROI in happiness, let alone recognize the monetary value of #MangoJoy. I am, however, acutely aware that #MangoJoy has value and that when we work together to cultivate it, building comprehensive mango programs that encircle it, everyone (including farmers and farming communities) reap more substantial and sustainable profits, a rather difficult thing to achieve within any organic produce commodity; regardless of if you are a retailer, wholesaler or a grower/packer/shipper like El Grupo Crespo. Our summer mango promotion was designed to do just that. And yes, I’ve got empirical data, retailer, wholesaler and processor testimonials along with loads of intuitive data to prove that our Summer Mango Mania promotion works, delivering profits to retailers, excitement to shoppers and sustainability for our growing program.

Culture, Featured, Kitchen, News, People

#CelebrateMexico #CelebrateMangoes

April 5, 2023

The Cinco de Mayo show goes on, despite supply complexities

A single mango goes a long way: in recipes and in creating #MangoJoy for consumers. Mangoes don’t have to be dirt cheap or in heaping abundance for a consumer to feel the sweet tropical satisfaction and joy that comes from eating and using mangoes.

As I previously reported, Easter is the threshold for volume turnaround. For the most part, that is still the case. The main problem is that the Easter packhouse closings intersect with the lowest volume weeks of fruit. This means the low volume weeks we have experienced are bashing up against less fruit and orchard/packhouse shutdowns for a few days. This means next week (the week after Easter) will be the most difficult week for fruit volume fulfillments industry wide.

Oaxaca and Chiapas are a 3-5 day drive to Nogales & McAllen, and fruit has to be picked, packed, and shipped before anyone can get their hands on it. The math is simple and with an already empty(ish) pipeline and unprecedented demand, we anticipate that it will take a few weeks to fill up. This puts us directly into the Cinco De Mayo push, which means we do not expect a “flush” of product until after Cinco De Mayo. But I say that with caution as the timing puts is directly in the beginning of the transition from the southern regions into the Northern ones with the onset of Nayarit Ataulfos. Continue Reading…

Older Posts

People

3 Minute Mango Expertise

The importance of mango literacy with Mango Hunter Jeff Ray

3 Minute Mango Expertise: Noris Ledesma

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

3 Minute Mango Expertise: Brian Dey

“It’s about romancing the mango”

3 Minute Mango Expertise: Jorge Crespo

David (OG) & Goliath (CV)

Who will protect organic growth amidst economic, climate and social uncertainties?

#CelebrateMexico #CelebrateMangoes

A Cinco de Mayo promotion that celebrates Mexico with mangoes

Ataulfo Marketing 101

Shortcutting the promotion of Mexico’s yellow slipper

Harvesting Food Trends

A mango-centric exploration of the year’s most anticipated influences

Cultivating #MangoJoy for Profit

The ROI of Crespo’s Summer Mango Mania promotion

#CelebrateMexico #CelebrateMangoes

The Cinco de Mayo show goes on, despite supply complexities

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