Sometimes the best business opportunities are the ones you never saw coming. Just ask Alisha Taff, founder of California’s Rockfront Ranch and Just Jujubes, a brand introducing American consumers to one of the world’s oldest fruits. What began as a shift away from traditional cattle ranching has grown into a regenerative farming operation and an emerging consumer brand built around sustainability, quality and a willingness to forge her own path.
In this episode of Forktales, Alisha shares how she discovered the potential of jujubes, the challenges of turning an unfamiliar fruit into a consumer brand and the importance of mentorship and community in building a business. She also recounts the devastating 2025 wildfire that destroyed a third of her orchard and how she’s rebuilding with resilience, gratitude and an eye toward the future.
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Forktales is a podcast and video series that feeds the food, beverage, restaurant, and hospitality industries with insights, innovations, and incredibly entertaining stories. Each episode we interview the industry's leaders from veterans to the up and comers, to get a glimpse of trends, trials, tribulations, and more.
Alisha Taff – Regenerative farmer, entrepreneur and founder of Just Jujubes
Sometimes the best business opportunities are the ones you never saw coming. Just ask Alisha Taff, founder of California’s Rockfront Ranch and Just Jujubes, a brand introducing American consumers to one of the world’s oldest fruits. What began as a shift away from traditional cattle ranching has grown into a regenerative farming operation and an emerging consumer brand built around sustainability, quality and a willingness to forge her own path.
In this episode of Forktales, Alisha shares how she discovered the potential of jujubes, the challenges of turning an unfamiliar fruit into a consumer brand and the importance of mentorship and community in building a business. She also recounts the devastating 2025 wildfire that destroyed a third of her orchard and how she’s rebuilding with resilience, gratitude and an eye toward the future.
Tricia Greyshock – President and CEO of NFRA and Champion of Frozen and Refrigerated Food Innovation
The frozen food aisle isn’t what it used to be. From restaurant-quality meals to globally inspired flavors, frozen and refrigerated foods are changing the way Americans shop, cook and eat. Tricia Greyshock is President and CEO of the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), where she leads efforts to drive category growth, champion innovation and connect brands, retailers and consumers.
In this episode of Forktales, Tricia joins Michael Pavone to discuss the rise of premium frozen foods, shifting consumer expectations around convenience, value and nutrition, and the trends driving innovation across the grocery store. She also shares how NFRA is helping emerging brands break through and developing the industry’s next generation of leaders.
Jenn Palmer – Consumer brand financing expert and champion of women-led businesses
Growth can be exciting, but without the right financial foundation, success can create as many problems as it solves. Jenn Palmer, founder and CEO of JPalmer Collective, has spent 20 years in the financing industry helping growing consumer brands access the capital they need to scale. Today, she specializes in food, beverage and wellness brands, with a particular commitment to expanding access to capital for women-led businesses.
In this episode of Forktales, Jenn explores why rapid growth and major retail wins can put unexpected pressure on cash flow, the financial metrics more founders should be watching and why sometimes the smartest move is saying no to a big opportunity.
Amit Pandhi – Food industry veteran and expert in building, fixing and scaling brands
Some of the hardest brands to grow are the ones consumers already think they know. Amit Pandhi has spent his career taking on that challenge, building, fixing and scaling food businesses across categories. Now President and CEO of Westminster Cracker Company, Amit brings experience as a founder, operator and turnaround leader to a heritage brand with roots dating back to 1828.
In this episode of Forktales, Amit shares why he believes the right people are the key to transforming a business, how leaders can identify the overlooked “culture carriers” who influence an organization and why established brands can be harder to reinvigorate than new ones.
Paul Hemingway – CPG marketing leader and food innovation strategist
The grocery store may still be where the purchase happens, but the decision increasingly starts somewhere else. Paul Hemingway, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Litehouse Foods, brings 25 years of CPG experience to marketing and innovation for the employee-owned company behind the nation’s leading refrigerated salad dressing brand.
In this episode of Forktales, Paul discusses how social media and AI are changing food discovery, the impact of GLP-1s on food trends and how economic pressures are reshaping value. He also shares how employee ownership shapes Litehouse’s culture and why strong retailer relationships are built on true partnership.
Jim Herr – Third-generation snack industry leader and champion of flavor innovation
For nearly 80 years, Herr’s has remained a family-owned snack company by staying rooted in its values while continuing to evolve. Jim Herr, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and R&D, represents the third generation of the Herr family and oversees the consumer-facing side of the business, helping guide everything from product innovation to marketing and growth.
In this episode of Forktales, Jim discusses the opportunities and challenges of leading a multigenerational family business, building brand loyalty through authenticity and maintaining Herr’s deep connection to Philadelphia. He also shares how consumer feedback influences flavor innovation, why accepting occasional failures encourages bolder ideas and how Herr’s balances research and data with entrepreneurial instinct when developing new products.
