MISSION, TX - To be in the produce industry is to be in constant conversation with your fellow industry members. Oftentimes, things are moving so quickly that we keep these conversations short and to the point. The Fresh CrEd gives us an opportunity to breathe new life into those conversations, which is what earned the podcast a 2023 Besties Award.

“Receiving the award for me was very special. It indicated at least there are a few people that enjoy the show and maybe take something away from listening to our conversations,” said Craig Slate, Chief Executive Officer of SunFed. As Craig explained, he and his co-host, Ed Bertaud, Director of Retail Sales at IFCO, had a passion for podcasts, and although they were unsure of the execution at first, they vowed to get it done and continue learning along the way.

Early on when Craig and Ed discussed producing a podcast, they realized they could share some of their stories and life journeys to help others. It evolved into sharing not just their stories, but other people’s stories in the industry.

For this reason and so many more, we chose Fresh CrEd as Best Podcast at this year’s Besties Awards. We are in constant awe of how Craig and Ed reveal that at the heart of every story is its people—a vision of storytelling we work to achieve daily at ANUK and The Snack.

“I’d be lying if I said that this award was not validating,” Ed told me. “Particularly for those that looked at us like we had three heads when we’d talk about the concept early on. But the reality is that we are truly trying to be of service to the industry. There is a lot of work involved and we both have ‘day jobs,’ which means a ton of nights and weekends. There isn’t much time to rest in our lives, and I for one am grateful for it—grateful that I have the health to do it all. A few years back, I couldn’t have said the same.”

Coming off of the Viva Fresh Clean Eating challenge, which yielded significant results for Ed’s overall health and wellness, he was excited to share his experience with others. So, when Craig proposed the podcast idea, it seemed like the perfect fit.

“We’ve said it before—this podcast is not a ‘produce podcast,’ per se. It is more about two guys in the produce business trying our best to perform at a high level in life, sharing what we can along the way. If it only helps one person in the long run, it was worth it. I lived in survival mode with my health for several years and if we can help anyone avoid that, we’ve completed our mission as far as I’m concerned,” Ed expressed.

Craig went on to note his gratitude for both Ed and his son-in-law, Mason, who does a lot of the heavy lifting on the production side.

“I only started out this venture as a passion project, with a desire to learn. I did not expect two years later we would be doing live interviews from different parts of the country, with a multitude of different people,” Craig stated. “Thanks so much to ANUK and the Besties Awards! It really means a lot and gives us reason to keep moving forward.”

On a final note, Ed encouraged others to look beyond their day-to-day and engage in something they perceive as impossible from a bandwidth standpoint.

“The reality is you can always do more if you really want to. Craig and I don’t really see this endeavor as work—we have simply adopted it, along with all our other activities and obligations, as part of our lives. When you look at it that way, it is all much less daunting, and many more things become possible,” Ed concluded. “A special thanks goes out to the staff at ANUK and the selection committee for the award. As mentioned, we have a lot of balls in the air, and this recognition has already served to get us even more fired up about the future.”

Check out Fresh CrEd’s interview with our very own Editor in Chief, Jordan Okumura-Wright, above. The ANUK team is just as excited to see what’s to come.

Fresh CrEd