This week, we’re diving into one of the most universally celebrated events: New Year’s! But, as we know, how people ring in the New Year varies widely depending on where you are in the world. From feasting and fireworks to unique superstitions and rituals, the way we say goodbye to one year and hello to another can be incredibly different—and deeply meaningful. We will look at the history of New Year’s celebrations and a few of the varied traditions around the world which are strange and wonderful. Then we will dive into the Produce Buzzers’ New Year’s resolutions they have made to inspire them to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Tune in to be inspired as well for more fresh veggies in 2025. They have some great tips for you.

So as the new year begins, we thought we would look back on the most tortuous moments in 2024’s Produce Buzzers podcasts. Yes, our infamous “Home Groans.” We tried our best to “PUN-ish” you in every episode, with our fearless leader, Theresa Nolan’s terrible puns. We were going to call it “The Best of Home Groan” but the word “best” just doesn’t work with these awful attempts at humor. So we had to go with “The Worst of Home Groan.”

Yes, we tried to convince you every time that it was your favorite segment on the podcast. But to no avail. So many of you tuned out just as we introduced it in each episode. We showed no mercy on our guests and forced them to sit through a Home Groan as payment for appearing on the show. Amazingly, many of our guests actually returned for another episode even knowing this torture would be inflicted upon them. We just assumed they forgot this inhumane demand for appearing on the show and they took the “PUN-ishment” graciously. Some even laughed at the puns even though that is strictly forbidden.

So without further ado, we invite you to share in a little masochism and groan loudly with each of these painful samples of The Produce Buzzers “Home Groan.”

This week we are so delighted to have our favorite guest back on the podcast. The man widely known as the “Produce Expert” is back to tell us about the delightful fruits and veggies his company Melissa’s World Variety Produce sells. Which frankly could be any fruit or vegetable on the planet because Melissa’s sells every fresh produce item that exists and can be sold commercially. They have thousands of items in their catalogue many of which you can only get at Melissa’s.

Today we are thrilled to welcome back Robert Schueller, Director of Public Relations at Melissa’s and author of several books about fresh fruits and vegetables. There is no other person who has as much knowledge as Robert when it comes to the world of fresh produce.

But of course, we can’t talk about every fruit and vegetable that Melissa’s sells, so we are going to focus in on just a few of the items that are popular this time of year. You won’t want to miss this episode because what we are going to feature are truly some of the most delicious and exciting fruits on the market. Including a $400 pineapple! These fruits will put your celebrations over the top!