Lori Taylor, Founder and CEO of The Produce Moms BB #:366223 announced this week the creation of The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award which recognizes an individual who has made a unique contribution to the food and beverage industry.
The inaugural recipient of The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award is Sarah Frey, Founder and CEO, Frey Farms BB #:170033. This award is for trailblazers in agriculture, technology, grocery, logistics, investment, and more. To date, TPM has hosted nearly 300 movers and shakers from the food and beverage value chain on The Produce Moms Podcast.
According to Taylor, “At The Produce Moms, we view our Podcast as an opportunity to spotlight individuals who are doing work that matters the most across industries that intersect with our mission to increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables . The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award is both an extension and elevation of this mantra. It will be awarded annually, just before Thanksgiving. After all, much of what we are thankful for in business and in life is due to a courageous trailblazer and Sarah Frey is the epitome of a trailblazer!”
Frey adds, “It is very meaningful to me to be the inaugural recipient of The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award, and not an honor that I take lightly. Through this award, I hope that I can inspire others with my story to follow their heart and do what’s right for the betterment of our society and our planet. My heartfelt thanks go to Lori and the entire community of The Produce Moms for this accolade.”
Sarah’s story is one of hard work, perseverance, and trailblazing. Sarah grew up in rural poverty on a struggling farm in Southern Illinois. At the age of 15, she started her own fresh produce delivery business out of the bed of an old pickup truck and is now the leading producer of pumpkins earning Frey the nickname “America’s Pumpkin Queen”.
Within two years of operating a melon route out of her pickup truck, Sarah took over the family farm and started doing business with the largest grocery retailers in the country. Sarah didn’t stop at produce and developed a vertically integrated beverage business that has competed successfully with large-scale CPG beverage companies. Frey Farms is now the largest producer of cold-pressed watermelon juice in the US. Distributing nationally to both retail grocery and foodservice under the brands Tsamma (sah-mah) and Sarah’s Homegrown.
Jack Blaida, Performance Foodservice, National Category Manager confirms Frey’s status as a trailblazer within the beverage category by saying, “We have been distributing Frey Farms beverages for just under five years, with their watermelon agua fresca being a top seller in over 10,000 restaurants. We value the supplier partnership with Frey as a diverse, woman-owned business, as well as their ability to meet the needs of our customers and consumers through transparent sourcing, clean ingredients and flavor. We enthusiastically applaud Sarah and Frey Farms as the inaugural recipient of The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award.”
Frey’s negotiation skills with Walmart were turned into a Harvard Business Review case study, and a few years ago, Doug McMillon, the CEO of Walmart recognized Sarah as an example of Walmart’s commitment to woman-owned businesses.
Sarah’s commitment to doing the work that matters is evident in her efforts to create thousands of jobs, improve labor and living conditions of farm workers and the H2A Workforce. Sarah’s vision and innovation have resulted in improvements such as converting school buses into harvest trucks. Prior to this innovation, the harvest crews had to haul heavy watermelons to bins. This resourceful use of school buses has become an industry standard. Sarah’s trailblazing actions led to her story being published as a best-seller memoir, The Growing Season. Learn more about Sarah by visiting her Instagram.
About The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award
The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award recognizes an individual who has made a unique contribution to the food and beverage industry. This award is for trailblazers in agriculture, technology, grocery, logistics, investment, and more. To date, The Produce Moms has hosted nearly 300 movers & shakers from the food and beverage value chain on The Produce Moms Podcast. For more information about The Produce Moms Trailblazer Award please visit https://www.theproducemoms.com/sarah-frey-trailblazer-award/
About The Produce Moms
The Produce Moms is a widely recognized consumer brand and certified B Corporation that is on a mission to put more fruits and vegetables on every table. Founded by Lori Taylor, we are a global community of passionate fresh produce advocates. Through our platforms and produce supplier partnerships, The Produce Moms educates consumers on the benefits of eating fresh produce, the growing process, and how to select, store and serve fruits and vegetables. We introduce our community to produce brands, engage the produce industry with consumers in inspiring conversations, and promote public policy to increase the availability of fresh produce at American schools. The Produce Moms digital platforms, podcast, television appearances, and consumer products reach millions per month and support the brand’s goal to increase produce consumption in both volume & variety. For more information, please visit theproducemoms.com
