America’s Heartland
Episode Guide
Season I
#101
Heartland celebrates the world of our Nation's agricultural landscape by profiling the people,
places, and processes that bring food, fiber, and fuel from farm and ranch to American
consumers. First, a historical overview of our agrarian roots, followed by a visit to a South
Dakota farm family who have farmed the original homestead for 120 years. The show travels to
New Hampshire to review the Old Farmer's Almanac; and we see a Midwest icon up close - the
Corn Palace, and then travel to find the origin of sweet Georgia carrots.
#102
Heartland visits New England to see a master syrup maker demonstrate how the process of
turning sap into syrup hasn't changed much in over a hundred years, and then moves to the far
west to discover how a community of Basque sheepherders maintain the farming techniques and
culture of their ancestral home in Spain. A visit to Louisana, and the historic Loyd Hall, a
beautifully preserved mansion and a symbol of plantation agriculture. Then, to the dry environs
of Yuma, Arizona to see lush fields of iceberg lettuce and pick up preparation tips from noted
chefs. Finally, it's time for the "Schmeckfest" - an annual celebration of food and art in tiny
Freeman, South Dakota.
#103
A look at the growing soybean biofuel industry in Pennsylvania, and how farmers there are using
their harvest to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Then, to Babcock Ranch in Florida, where an
ancient breed of livestock known as 'cracker cattle' are raised along with alligators. Some of the
world's finest bourbon comes from Kentucky corn, and we go inside the Maker's Mark distillery
to see why. Peanuts are one of Georgia's most important crops, and Heartland travels to the farm
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that grew a President…Jimmy Carter. Finally, a profile of an organic farm Massachusetts for
proof that stress-free, well-fed hens produce superior eggs.
#104
The story of historic King Ranch in Texas, its legend told by cowboys who have worked there
for more than five decades, and a profile of Captain King, who made popular the Texas
Longhorn cattle. Then, a look at one of Heartland's biggest crops: Iowa corn and its many
varieties, plus a visit to the famous Iowa State Fair. Along the banks of Idaho's Snake River, we
find Clear Springs Foods, one of the country's largest rainbow trout farms, and follow the
process from spawning to shipping. Also: new ideas solve old problems, as ranchers use GPS
systems to track lost cows, and then, a lighthearted look into the 'Colonel's' world: the Kentucky
Fried Chicken museum.
#105
Heartland starts at MaryJane's Farm in northern Idaho for a profile of the 'Martha Stewart' of
self-reliant living. Then, the rich and troubled history of the Creole Farmers in old Louisana, who
established agriculture in the area even before New Orleans. Then, a report on some of America's
finest Swiss cheese, produced by Amish farmers in Pennsylvania. We go 'round the track with
Kentucky thoroughbred horses, and visit a park that showcases this unique farm culture and
history surrounding the legendary animals. Finally, a Texas farm family who specializes in Aloe
Vera, and we learn the secrets of cultivating the jelly-like fluid that's used for everything from
stomachaches to serious burn treatments.
#106
Episode 6 opens with Pat McConahay's visit in Pennsylvania with a man who once made his
living demolishing old barns, but now devoted his life to saving them. Viewers learn about
traditional barn construction and the intricacies of restoring old barns from the ravages of work
and weather. Heartland then moves northeast to Gloucester, Massachusetts with Paul Ryan's visit
with descendants of the hard-working, hard-living Gloucester fisherman. It's the story of
generations of men and women sailing hundreds of miles into the dangerous North Atlantic to
earn a living, and the stories and legacy they left behind. A modern Gloucester fisherman tells of
the respect he feels for his predecessors and the challenges and freedom of the work.
Jason Shoultz heads back out to the Midwest and Illinois to visit Muller's Farm - an 11-acre
family farm operating in much the same way family farms did more than a century ago; that is,
mostly by horse and hand power. Shoultz discovers why the young owners left prosperous jobs
to take up this difficult challenge, and why they're committed to teaching their children the same
self-reliance they've taught themselves. Along the way, viewers get an authentic portrait of 19th
century Midwest farm life.
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Life in the Heartland is about innovation and the time-honored philosophy of having the right
tool for the job. A visit to the John Deere factory in Illinois shows viewers the making of the
complex equipment that helps keep American farmers productive. The factory's centerpiece is a
fascinating high-tech combine featuring everything from air conditioning to stereo sound to GPS
navigation. And viewers meet the third generation of one Kentucky family that's in the grain
milling business - using the same equipment their ancestors did more than a century ago.
#107
The Montana rancher is a storied icon of western agriculture. In Jason Shoultz' opening segment,
we meet a modern Montana cattle breeder who mixes the rough-and-ready lifestyle with science
to build a better stock. His story illustrates why even on a successful family-run farm, everyone
must pitch in to make ends meet. Few spectacles in American agriculture can match the energy
and color of a genuine Wyoming cattle auction. Heartland viewers meets some men who have
developed the skill of calling an auction into a fine art, and witness some of the region's finest
livestock going to the highest bidders at prices in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Jason Shoultz travels to central Louisiana to report on a crayfish farm, packing, and sales firm
operated by just one couple. They demonstrate why a farmed crayfish may be a superior product
to its wild relative, and share the secret of preparing the creatures perfectly. In addition, viewers
learn the challenge of running a farm by day - and fulfilling hundreds of customers' orders by
internet at night. Some Midwest farmers are learning that their most lucrative "crop" might be…
tourists.
Paul Ryan introduces viewers to an Illinois couple who imported a small herd of reindeer to their
ranch, which in turn are attracting visitors by the busload. It's another example of how
agritourism is taking root in the Heartland. Finally, from New Bedford, Massachusetts comes
some of the America's tastiest specialty foods and produce, thanks to Sid Wainer & Co. Pat
McConahay explores a family business that looks for the best of the best in produce throughout
the Heartland to create best-selling products for gourmet kitchens across the land.
#108
In south Texas, one crop can often be located by pillars of smoke dotting the horizon. Sugar cane
is making a comeback in the region. Pat McConahay shows viewers why farming it is so laborintensive, and why fire is a critical part of the harvest. In addition, local scientists work with the
sugar crop in a novel way to experiment with substances that may one day lead to a cure for
some of our most serious afflictions. Two of the largest and most important crops in Montana are
wheat and barley.
Host Paul Ryan takes us to the heart of Big Sky country to meet a family that has harvested the
grains for decades, but stands at a crossroads now as the youngest generation decides whether to
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stay with the farm or move on to other pursuits. America's favorite upscale seafood dish is the
genuine Maine lobster. The storied Downeast Maine lobsterman may be an icon, but the task of
bringing the crustaceans in from the coastal North Atlantic is fraught with a growing number of
challenges. Pat McConahay visits Maine for the story.
A lesser-known crop growing in the heart of Nebraska is simply… grass. Viewers learn how one
farmer has turned turf into a lucrative nationwide business, and why Nebraska is the right place
to be home-based. What kind of fair can attract half a state's population? Host Paul Ryan visits
Iowa for a colorful look at that famous - and huge - celebration of the Heartland's agricultural
culture and output: the Iowa State Fair.
#109
What did America's Heartland look like before agriculture? Many of its hundreds of millions of
acres were covered in tall, waving prairie grass. Jason Shoultz begins Episode 10 with a visit to
the greater Flint Hills area of Kansas, which is one of the few places people can see the prairie as
it once was. In addition, viewers will meet entrepreneurs creating organic farm products from
some of the prairie's wild flora.
For the finest potatoes, consumers in the East look for the "Maine" label, while pretty much
everyone else expects their spuds to come from Idaho. Host Paul Ryan offers an overview of this
critical crop in both states, and why their potato farmers proudly tout the advantages of their
locales. One common feature of America's Heartland is the ubiquity of the "boutique" potato
chip brand. Every state seems to have its own favorites, and a small potato chip-making group in
Ohio shows how they make the chips that the locals love.
It's not the most popular vegetable in school cafeterias, but it's among the most nutritious:
spinach. A visit to a huge Texas spinach farm shows viewers how sophisticated the production of
the leafy green has become.
Finally, host Paul Ryan visits a Louisiana town that steadfastly celebrates its strawberry harvest
with a colorful festival, even as that crop is fading from the region. Viewers will meet a family
farmer determined to grow the best strawberries as long as he lives regardless of shifting
economic pressures.
#110
They're magnificent and intimidating, and two centuries ago millions of them roamed the
Heartland at will. Jason Shoultz opens with a visit to a place on the Kansas prairie where the
American bison is making a comeback, and they're more than an historical curiosity - they're a
new agricultural opportunity. The state of Minnesota is producing the largest volume of organic
corn in the nation. While a good deal of it goes directly into food products for the state's
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enthusiastic consumers of organic foods, most of it becomes feed for cows who produce the most
in-demand organic product of all: milk.
Paul Ryan visits a family farm to follow the fascinating, unusual process of producing multiple
products to be designated "certified organic," and learns why the family would never farm any
other way. Pat McConahay visits the scenic Wisconsin ranch of country music star Michael
Martin Murphey, where once again "organic" is the catchword, music's usually playing, and
running the ranch is a purely family affair. Following the "earth-friendly" theme, Jason Shoultz
visits a small farmer in Iowa to investigate the new practices he's employing to keep his land and
his animals healthy - and that have earned him awards from the state. Finally, Pat McConahay is
in Pennsylvania to get a local variation of a growing national story: fuel from agriculture. The
fuel is diesel, but the source of it isn't corn or soybeans - it's cows.
#111
North Carolina is still a leading producer of America’s first crop: tobacco. But times are
changing. Smoking is down, and the state’s tobacco farmers are looking at other crops to grow.
Jason Shoultz visits two tobacco farmers to learn how they’re making the transition from tobacco
to alternative crops like strawberries and flowers. For a time in New England and the northern
Midwest, round barns were all the rage on the farm. Architects argued they used space more
efficiently; the superstitious believed they kept the devil away. Few remain on the landscape, but
Pat McConahay discovers one area in Wisconsin where many round barns still stand and are a
source of pride in their communities.
Throughout the Great Plains and particularly on the cattle ranges of Montana, an eastern
European weed called spurge is invading valuable rangeland. It destroys native grasses, poisons
the soil, and cattle won’t eat it. Host Paul Ryan discovers how some ranchers are cooperating in
the use of a novel solution: sheep ranchers “lend” their flocks, who love the stuff, to cattlemen –
and the range is cleared of spurge, at least for a while. Pat McConahay visits an affluent Florida
couple and the farm they built to better the lot of farmers everywhere. The aim of their “Harvest
for Humanity” project is to demonstrate that farmers can and should earn a decent living, and
that it’s also the responsibility of the food consumer to choose food coming from producers who
compensate their farmers adequately. The Harvest for Humanity farm has grown into a fullfledged community in which farmers are offered the additional opportunity to own a home.
Drive along certain highways of the Southwest, and you may spy a 20-foot high, startlingly
realistic painting of a farmer in his field… a cow… perhaps an infant playing with a life-sized
tractor. This roadside “farm art” is the creation of a self-effacing painter with a sense of humor,
and the farmers he paints for love his work. Jason Shoultz discovers how, why, and where he
paints, and meets some of his satisfied customers.
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#112
In late autumn, thousands of trees start shaking throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley.
They’re walnut trees, and as correspondent Dawn Smith discovers, using a motorized shaker is
the best way to bring the nuts down. Dawn shows how walnuts are processed to move from farm
to market, and finds that new information about walnuts’ medical benefits have local walnut
growers excited about the future. Many Americans may not realize that herds of wild horses still
roam free in the American West. Pat McConahay finds that it’s a difficult challenge for the
ranchers whose rangeland is affected by them, and for the Bureau of Land Management, which is
responsible for rounding a number of them up annually and placing them for adoption.
Paul Ryan introduces us to an Arizona woman who was compelled to become a horse rancher
out of mercy. Over the past decades, many horse ranchers in the U.S. and Canada have
maintained herds of mares in pregnancy to produce widely-used drugs for hormone replacement
therapy in women. Amid reports those drugs may carry health risks, the need for the mares has
declined and thousands are being sold for slaughter. More than a hundred lucky ones have found
their way to Frances Causey’s Equine Voices ranch, where she and a number of volunteers try to
“teach them to be horses” again. In Montana, home to vast ranches and hard-nosed wheat
farmers, a new industry is blossoming: organic farming. Jason Shoultz profiles a company
named “Timeless Seeds,” which started as a small organic garden in the 1970s and now ships its
products worldwide.
Pat McConahay closes the program with a visit to two “sultans of scent” in Wisconsin’s dairy
country: America’s last remaining producer of odiferous Limburger cheese, and a cheesemaker
capitalizing on the growing demand for Feta cheese. Both have at least one thing in common:
they’re certified “Master Cheesemakers” in a state that has some of the country’s highest
standards for the art.
#113
Two brothers and their families are running sheep on their vast 50-thousand acre Wyoming
spread much as their grandparents did at the turn of the century. Host Paul Ryan discovers why
these hard-nosed ranchers in their 70s still love what they do – and why they’re concerned about
the future of their business. Near the tiny town of Elk River, Minnesota lies the perfectly
preserved mid-1800s farm of Oliver H. Kelley, founder of the National Grange. Jason Shoultz
visits to find out just how difficult things were for America’s early farmers, and how that
motivated this telegraph operator-turned-frontier farmer to work tirelessly to persuade American
farmers to form their first national organization.
They’re the color of hot lava and they were developed just east of volcanic, towering Mount
Rainier. Rainier cherries are among the sweetest in the land. Paul Ryan discovers why the
delicate fruit have been a passion for three generations of orchardists in Washington’s Yakima
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Valley, and how they’re using new high-tech means to both grow them and sell them. Pat
McConahay visits two small apple orchards in Maine that hit on separate ways to cope with a
collapse in apple prices a decade ago: one turned to pre-baked, homestyle apple pies made from
the tart McIntosh apple; the other simply invited the public in to pick their own – at a price five
times what they were getting before. Each family is an example of how Maine is working hard to
preserve its agricultural heritage.
Jason Shoultz ends the program with a story about a patient farmer and his decidedly odd “herd.”
Emus – those large Australian birds – were once thought to be “the next big thing” in agriculture,
which might someday even supplant beef cattle on many farms and ranches. But as this farmer
discovered, the real money may be in emu oil, and that this kind of ranching is anything but
conventional.
#114
It’s been called “The Superbowl of Agriculture.” The Farm Progress Show, lately held in
Decatur, Illinois, is a mega-bazaar of the latest farm equipment and products being marketed to
America’s food producers. Pat McConahay tours the grounds to hear the sales pitches and check
out products, prices, and how farmers respond to the innovations designed to make their lives a
little easier and their farms more productive. Along the way, Pat tries out the controls of some
ultra-high-tech equipment. Countless American kids have worn the green clover emblem and
learned their first real lessons about farming and animal husbandry as members of 4-H. Jason
Shoultz travels to the Kansas State Fair to discover why enthusiasm remains high for many nonfarm kids: besides growing show-ready cows, hogs, rabbits, and produce, many are learning
furniture-making, photography – and rocket science!
A select assortment of America’s food producers harvests their products underwater – and in
person. Count the abalone farmers of California’s Monterey Bay among them. Pat McConahay
visits the only business of its kind in the U.S., and its energetic proprietor dons his scuba gear to
show how the very best of these mollusks are grown and harvested. Old farmers never die – they
try a new line of farming! Jason Shoultz visits with a “retired” Nebraska farmer who never quite
got his fill of growing corn, so he made a switch to popcorn. Now he and his wife are pioneering
new ways to make the perfect popcorn – right in a laboratory in the back of their barn.
The world’s best wild blueberries thrive in the cool, salty air of Maine’s northeastern coastal
region. Pat McConahay looks into the challenges of hand- harvesting this legendary state
specialty, as well as some of the mouth-watering foods they wind up in. She discovers new
nutritional findings are making the berries more popular than ever.
#115
Each year, Minnesota delivers America’s largest organic corn crop. While a good deal of it goes
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directly into food products for the state’s enthusiastic consumers of organic foods, most of it
becomes feed for cows who produce the most in-demand organic product of all: milk. Host Paul
Ryan visits a family farm to follow the fascinating process of creating multiple products
designated “certified organic,” and learns why the family would never farm any other way.
The music is woven into the agricultural heritage of the Appalachian region – Bluegrass. Jason
Shoultz travels to North Carolina to meet one man who with his friends farms tobacco by day
and strums his own high-energy, irreverent brand of bluegrass by night. A California company
shows Paul Ryan some surprising things that can be made from bales of straw.
Back in Minnesota, Pat McConahay introduces viewers to the quiet, timeless ritual of the annual
wild rice harvest by members of the Ojibwe tribe and learns the painstaking process of handpreparing the grain for market. And from Montana, Jason Shoultz reports on another unusual
product – soap made from goat’s milk. One farmer’s 40-goat herd produces enough milk for him
to produce and amazing quantity and array of products – right on his farm.
#116
Many farming tools and techniques employed by early European-born farmers were provided by
Native Americans who’d lived on this land for thousands of years. Some of those pioneers
employed that valuable knowledge and the values of agriculture to build a new nation. Among
them: George Washington. Host Paul Ryan discovers the fascinating story behind George
Washington, Farmer. Ryan digs even deeper into our colonial farming past with a journey to
nearby Sussex, Virginia, where he meets a family whose agricultural roots stretch back to
Washington’s time. Seven generations later, they’re still raising the crops of their ancestors;
among them, peanuts. The business is changing rapidly, but this family’s determined to build on
its 200-year legacy.
They’re cute, cuddly, and a legendary plague to American farmers. Pat McConahay travels to
Texas to dig up the fact about prairie dogs – how they live, how they spread, and why they’re
perpetually at the top of ranchers’ “enemies” lists.
#117
America’s Heartland presents a special edition from the country’s most far-flung center of
agriculture: the Big Island of Hawaii. First, Host Paul Ryan visits the legendary Parker Ranch,
where the stories of explorers, kings and cowboys intertwine. Today, it’s the home of the
paniolo, Hawaii's own brand of cowboy. Paul learns how founder John Parker Palmer came to
the island in 1809 and went to work for King Kamehameha. He rounded up herds of wild cattle
and eventually married a Hawaiian princess. Paul discovers that the ranch has undergone many
changes, but retains its majesty while the roundups still go on.
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The Big Island also happens to be the only place in America that produces one of America’s
favorite beverages: coffee. Kona coffee is known worldwide for its distinct flavor. Paul visits
Greenwell Farms, a coffee plantation owned by a family that’s been growing the beautiful bean
for more than a century. A yearning to raise their children on a farm inspired Jim and Tracy
Redicopp to move from the hustle and bustle of Hawaii’s Oahu to the more tranquil Big Island.
Then they decided to grow what may be the ultimate niche crop: vanilla orchids. Pat McConahay
visits to learn the rest of the story behind the only vanilla plantation in the United States. Where
vanilla grows, can cocoa be far away? Pat moves on to visit a farm couple working to make the
Kona region as famous for its chocolate as it is for its coffee. Pat learns how they are growing,
harvesting, processing and packaging the only pure Hawaiian chocolate. She has the story from
bean to bar. Paul says goodbye and “mahalo” to the Big Island with a visit to some farms that are
unusual even for this island state. Thanks to deep-waterpumps that draw cold seawater from
depths as great as 3000 feet, aquatic entrepreneurs are raising fish like "moi,” a nearly-extinct
delicacy that was once served only toHawaiian royalty; and flounder, a fish normally found in
the icy watersof the North Atlantic.
#118
They’re worn by billions around the world, and all the cotton for those denim jeans has to come
from somewhere. A great deal of it is farmed in Texas, and Pat McConahay finds a farm
operation that decided to think big and turn its cotton into jeans right on location. It’s a
fascinating story of “vertical integration,” Heartland-style. America’s largest lake is vast and
beautiful… deep, cold, and frightening in bad weather. Lake Superior presents a superior
challenge to fishermen who brave its reaches to net its famous trout and lake herring. Paul Ryan
introduces a fascinating loner who braves the lake’s western reaches year-round in an open boat
to bring in herring, and follows his product through processing, smoking, and preparation at
Duluth, Minnesota’s best-known seafood restaurant.
Pat McConahay visits the Heartland’s leading mushroom-producing state, Pennsylvania, where
this major crop is produced year-round – and in the dark. Truffles – expensive fungi that are
found on the world’s most refined menus, yet are a difficult and dirty “crop” to find and harvest.
Jason Shoultz goes truffling with an eccentric North Carolinian who’s hoping his truffles make
him as rich as their fans. Out west, New Mexico growers celebrates their “hottest” time of year
with the chile harvest. Paul Ryan shows how the hot numbers are grown and picked – and how
they’re celebrated at the state’s well-known Chile Festival.
#119
Farming was once considered mainly the province of men, but history reveals many instances of
successful farms owned by women. Paul Ryan meets one Virginia woman who's not only raising
crops and cattle, she's turned her farm into a tourist attraction. She's created a unique program
that lets milk lovers "rent" their personal dairy cow. They’re among American agriculture’s
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future leaders – 50,000 blue-jacketed FFA members who gather annually in a meeting that looks
like a political convention with banners, giant video monitors, and musical performers. Jason
Shoultz is in Lexington, Kentucky to find out why the organization formerly known as “Future
Farmers of America” is seeking to expand its base.
In Georgia, African American farmer Melvin Bishop found success raising hogs – but wanted to
do more. Pat McConahay reports on how he became devoted to helping other African Americans
learn the business, start their own farms, and duplicate his success. Over the years, kiwi fruit
have been showing up in more produce departments across the Heartland. What are they? Where
do they come from? What are they used for? Jason Shoultz gets all the answers at a farm that’s
betting its future on the kiwi. It’s hard to imagine a picnic, a burger, or a deli sandwich without a
pickle or two in the picture. Paul Ryan visits an Indiana plant that’s one of the Heartland’s
biggest operations for turning juicy young cucumbers into pickles for all tastes.
#120
What if it turned out that the best answer to tired, toxic soil wasn’t the Superfund – but plants?
Paul Ryan visits a research center in Virginia where a company named Edenspace is exploring
"phytoremediation" – developing plants that actually removetoxins from polluted soil. Some
already exist in nature; others are being created through careful breeding. The work could have
enormous implications for many Heartland farmers. They’re sweet, peelable, and they came
from Asia. Nevertheless, mandarin oranges are a well-established product of the southernmost
areas of the Heartland. Dawn Smith visits a California grove to discover what it takes to grow
mandarins sweet enough to satisfy their avid fans. Most of us are aware that the shrimp we order
at our local restaurant are farmed – but in New Mexico? Paul Ryan heads to the arid southwest to
witness the October “harvest” at a successful – and remarkable – desert shrimp farm. We’ve all
seen news video of stacks of grain sacks being delivered to people overseas (and in America) in
times of crisis. But if the crisis is dire, what can they do with it? Pat McConahay visits Texas to
get the story of a small company developing and producing dehydrated foods that are “ready-toeat” for people worldwidewide who most need them. Finally, the Maple Leaf Duck Farm is one
of the country’s most successful producers of the popular poultry in the Heartland’s leading
duck-producing state. Paul Ryan closes with a trip to Indiana to learn how ducks are farmed –
and how Indiana almost cornered the market.
Season II
#201
Episode 201 begins with a visit to the Sims cattle ranch, a 21-thousand acre spread outside
Laramie, Wyoming. Paul learns how the family gets through the sometimes-unforgiving
Wyoming winter, and how they are finding new ways to generate revenue. Jason Shoultz travels
to Florida to learn how grapefruit growers are banding together to address a basketful of new
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challenges: recent storms decimated many of their groves, they’re battling a tough kind of fruit
disease, and fewer people are consuming grapefruit than in years past. Then, Jason heads to
another, more unusual farm in the Sunshine State: these folks are among the nation’s largest
producers of tropical fish for pet stores. They, too, are battling declining interest in their product,
but remain hopeful about their future. One product that shows no sign of waning in popularity is
watermelon. Paul discovers that some of the juiciest watermelons are found, surprisingly, in our
desert southwest. Finally, Paul’s back in Wyoming to meet a very different kind of rancher. He’s
raising yaks, and swears they’re just as tasty as beef. Paul learns more about these high-altitude
critters and bravely puts yak steaks to a taste test.
#202
In Episode 202, we meet renowned country singer Willie Nelson, who’s emerged as one of the
nation’s most visible proponents of soybean bio-diesel fuel. In fact, he’s loaned his name to a
bio-diesel manufacturer. We learn more from soybean farmers, fuel makers, truck drivers, and
Willie himself. Much of that new fuel may end up powering farm equipment, and Pat
McConahay travels to Kentucky for one of the Heartland’s biggest machinery shows. She
discovers that farm gear is growing more sophisticated than most people imagine, but here, it
still provides a lighter side: a raucous “tractor pull” – part drag race, part tug-of-war! From new
and futuristic farm machinery, Jason travels back to the past as he meets a California man whose
passion is restoring classic farm equipment. He’s managed to turn his own personal tragedy into
an opportunity to honor America’s Ag history. Before tractors and trucks, there were mules. As
Pat learns at a gathering of mule breeders in Tennessee, the supposedly-stubborn critters may be
mostly gone from the farm scene, but there are still many folks in the Heartland who have great
affection for them. Finally, we conclude episode 202 with an unusual profile of some unique
young women. These Texas high school student defied the odds – and a few stereotypes –as they
set out to become one of the nation’s top tractor mechanics and restorers.
#203
Each year, dozens of children are killed or injured in accidents on farms and ranches throughout
the Heartland. Jason Shoultz profiles an Iowa woman who transformed her own sorrow into
action following such a loss – and created a nationwide movement to make farms safer for kids.
Then, Pat McConahay visits a Tennessee corn farmer who’s busy planting this year’s crop. In his
own words, he shares the challenges, concerns, and his hopes at the start of another planting
season. In Indiana, the harvest is year-round, and the crop is unique. This is a state known for its
hardwood forests, and Paul learns how farmers are making money with a sustainable and soughtafter product. Paul then meets a craftsman who’s using much of Indiana’s renowned hardwood to
make his own popular products. We learn some of the secrets of cabinet-making the oldfashioned way. Finally, Jason seeks and finds another unusual Florida product: alligators. It’s
both a real farm and a tourist attraction, and Jason risks life and limb to get close and personal
with one of their biggest crop “samples”!
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#204
Coming back from disaster is the challenge facing farmers, fishermen and timber land owners in
Louisiana and Mississippi who felt the wrath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Jason Shoultz
discovers farm families who are facing the future determined to begin again and triumph over
Mother Nature. Ranchers from all across the west head for Denver and The National Western
Stock Show. America’s Heartland host Paul Ryan finds out that it’s a lot more than just ridin’,
ropin’ and rodeo. Pat McConahay finds a Kentucky farm family who traded their tobacco crop
for fields filled with tomatoes. It’s a success story that earned them the nickname, “The Salsa
Sisters.” Buffalo once roamed the plains by the tens of thousands. But Paul Ryan says a good
place to find them today…is Denver! And then a big roundup in Louisiana. When this rancher
brings in the herd….it’s bugs. Millions and millions of bugs.
#205
Americans are fueling up with energy from the cornfield. Jason Shoultz discovers that ethanol is
making a difference in how people drive…from the highway to the race track. Jason takes us to
an ethanol plant in Wyoming to find farmers who are making an increasing dent in America’s
dependence on foreign oil. Then the brew that’s big business for farmers in the heartland. Paul
Ryan shows you how beer makers in St. Louis transform barley, rice and hops into some of
America’s most famous beverages. America’s Stone crabs are a delicacy enjoyed all around the
world. But there’s hard work and dedication needed to harvest this bounty of the sea. Jason
Shoultz heads into the Gulf of Mexico for a roundup of some tasty crustaceans. Pat McConahay
travels to Tennessee and a visit to RFD Television. It’s a network geared to the needs and
interests of farmers and ranchers all across the country. And then the story of a Missouri dairy
farmer with a fresh approach to marketing milk. It’s back to bottles…just like the old days. And
are you ready for root beer milk?
#206
Paul Ryan takes us to Illinois to see how activity on the Chicago Board of Trade determines the
price you pay for food on your table. It’s a loud and busy place where…daily…traders affect the
future of agriculture. Then Jason Shoultz visits a very special spot in Iowa where moviemakers
from Hollywood transformed two family farms into a “Field of Dreams.” We’ll show you how
modern windmills are generating energy for consumers… and cash for farmers and ranchers…all
across the country. Jason Shoultz heads for some very special Texas towns that are using a new
approach to agriculture to save their cities. And Pat McConahay introduces us to some “farmers
in training.” These young folks are harvesting much more than good grades in their school
gardens.
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#207
American agriculture has long depended on the hard work of those who plant and harvest our
nation’s crops. Paul Ryan looks at a unique program that helped feed America during the darkest
days of World War Two as Mexican farm workers were invited north to work as braceros. Jason
Shoultz rides the range in Texas with the descendents of early Spanish settlers who opened the
Lone Star State to cattle ranching and farming. He discovers some rich traditions as these
“Spanish Ranchers” work the land as their ancestors did. Then Pat McConahay travels to the
“Peach State” of Georgia to see how farmers grow and harvest this sweet tasting delight. She
also takes us to “Peach County” where they celebrate the peach in an annual festival that draws
visitors…and peach fans…from all across the country. And meet a California farmer for whom
the peach is more than just a fruit. Mas Masumoto is an orchard owner and author who celebrates
the land in a very special way.
#208
The story of agriculture in America and those who work the land has often been told in song.
Jason Shoultz takes us to California to discover the farms, fields and honky tonks that form the
roots of one branch of American country music.Then America’s gulf coast is home to a hard
working group of men and women who harvest the sea for shrimp. But damage from hurricanes
and competition from foreign fisheries are challenging a way of life as old as the country itself.
And…the buzz on bees! They may be tiny, but they play a “big” role in American agriculture.
Jennifer Quinonez says honeybees are under attack by a new predator and their survival affects
many of the foods you eat every day. And Pat McConahay takes you to Tennessee where they’re
harvesting a very different kind of crop in the waters of Birdsong Creek…small and precious
freshwater pearls.
#209
Preserving the land has become increasingly important as urbanization takes lace all across the
country. We’ll see how farmers, ranchers and preservationists are working together to protect
precious farm land and save a bit of history as well as a way of life. Then Pat McConahay
explores the dramatic growth in farmers markets in towns and cities from Maine to California.
“Fresh from the Farm” is welcome news for folks who want a taste of the bounty of the
heartland. We’ll sample some of the best at farmers markets in Georgia and California. And a
farm family whose dream of ranching in “harmony with the land” has become a reality. And
their brand’s become world class beef.
#210
America’s heartland has long depended on the Mississippi River to get the harvest to market and
provide irrigation for farms and crops that line this vital American artery. Paul Ryan takes us
down the Mississippi to meet the farmers who depend on the river for the success of their
farming efforts. Pat McConahay travels back in time to explore the rich agricultural past of one
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Missouri town and discovers that Hannibal’s history has more to offer than just Tom Sawyer and
Huck Finn. We’ll see how the river provides rich opportunities to explore nature for those who
want to wander its banks. And Jason Shoultz follows the Mississippi to its mouth to see how the
Port of South Louisiana plays a vital role for farmers and ranchers who depend on the river to get
their goods to markets all around the world.
#211
Farming can be a rewarding and satisfying profession, but for some, it can also be somewhat
isolating and lonely. That’s why an Ohio entrepreneur created a “farmers only” website designed
to help ag folks find their heartthrob in the heartland. Pat McConahay meets this Internet Cupid
and discovers some of his success stories. It’s the apex of aquaculture in the Big Apple. The
Fulton Fish Market’s been providing the freshest seafood to New Yorkers for more than a
century. It’s moved to a new, more modern location. Jason Shoultz discovers how shoppers and
restaurateurs find the “catch of the day.” Across America, more of us are seeking out speciality
products, whether fish, fowl or farm crop. We found one Florida farm family that’s been
observing America’s growing ethnic diversity, and they’re finding success growing dozens of
herbs and vegetables rarely found anywhere else in the U.S. Most people think of it as an
expensive Russian import. Jennifer Quinonez says now some American farmers hope you’ll try
their caviar raised right here in the heartland. We visit the California farm where the ancient
sturgeon is raised, and a gourmet San Francisco restaurant where diners are introduced to many
varieties of domestic caviar. Finally, we continue the specialty foods theme with visits to two
places in Ohio and Pennsylvania where savvy entrepreneurs are tapping into Americans’
growing love for gourmet foods. Both offer very different products, but share the same
enthusiasm for new products, smart marketing and free samples for visitors.
#212
One of the great truths about American agriculture is that it’s more than a job, it’s a lifestyle.
Throughout the heartland, we’ve found distinct farm communities united by a common heritage,
religion or shared love of the land. Pat McConahay begins our focus on ag communities with a
visit to a small island off South Carolina’s coast. That’s where descendants of African slaves are
working to stay on the land and preserve their unique past. Then, Jason Shoultz takes us to the
famous Amana Colonies in Iowa. Jason says it’s a place where farmers still combine their work
with a deep faith…but now add tourism to the mix. We also found some colonies in New York
City, but they’re not what you think! These are bee colonies, and the people who raise them
share the same spirit of entrepreneurship with their brethren in the Midwest. They’re also finding
great success – and a few challenges – selling their products in the farmers’ markets of
Manhattan. Like any business, farmers have to be both creative thinkers and savvy
businesspeople. That often means finding new products and niche markets. Pat meets a
Tennessee farm family that’s finding success by using those very same skills to sell their
livestock products directly to consumers. Gardening is one of America’s biggest hobbies, and all
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those flowers and potted plants make up a six-billion dollar segment of the ag industry. Pat says
for U.S. growers, one of the biggest challenges is discovering and developing the ‘next big thing’
in garden plants …and then bringing it to your local nursery.
#213
Fresh produce isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of New York City, but
Jason Shoultz discovers there's an amazing number of farmers’ markets throughout its five
boroughs, offering fresh goods straight from nearby farms. It’s become a lifeline between urban
dwellers and the farm. Whether you call them pioneers or entrepreneurs, there are plenty of folks
in the heartland willing to try new things – and others who hope to revive the success of those
who’ve gone before. We found one South Carolina farmer who’s growing rice – something that
hasn’t been done commercially in the state for more than a century. Unlike the fledgling crop in
South Carolina, Arkansas is the top rice-producing state in the nation. And that’s where Pat
McConahay found the biggest rice producer in the world. It’s a great example of efficient
production and marketing success. When red ink and waning fortunes threaten the family farm,
most will try almost anything to stay in business. Take the case of a Connecticut farm family
who may have found the secret to saving their 240-year old farm…in an ice cream recipe.
Finally, Pat travels to Ohio to discover a herd of perhaps one of the prettiest critters you’ll ever
meet. But are alpacas really a lucrative livestock business? Some people are ‘betting the farm’
that will be the case.
#214
Agriculture is the art of improvisation; from the smallest farmer’s workshop to the high-tech,
high-stakes world of global commerce. A dramatic example is found in Ohio, where Pat
McConahay learned that a major car company is getting into farming to provide products for its
automobiles. There are a lot of places in the Heartland where the catchphrase is “buy local.”
Good advice for keeping dollars flowing through your own community. But how do you also
help your local farmers? Farmers' markets are one way -- but across the heartland, other ideas are
taking root...and even some local and state governments are lending a hand. It's a truth shared by
both farmers and food fans, grocers and gourmets: if you want to promote a product, put on a
festival! Paul Ryan found one remarkable success story in northern California. It's where, nearly
thirty years ago, garlic growers got together with local lovers of the aromatic herb. The result -- a
world famous food fair that's now considered a model of successful marketing. If those of us
who enjoy tea at our breakfast table tried to buy “locally-grown,” they’d be sorely disappointed.
That is, unless they happened to live in the Charleston, South Carolina area. That’s where our
country’s only tea plantation is. It’s the crown jewel in one family’s thriving business. Finally,
there’s another beverage we’re seeing more of these days that may not quite have the refinement
of a cup of tea… but it’s trying. Paul says it’s apple cider – hard apple cider. One couple in
Oregon decided it’s time to update hat old blue-collar refreshment and compete with some of
those highbrow bubbly spirits coming from France.
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#215
Host Paul Ryan takes us to Washington State for a wheat harvest. As farmers bring in the grain,
they reflect on the forces that affect their lives. Jason Shoultz joins a Tractorcade rumbling
across Iowa, one of many events honoring America's tractor history. Pat McConahay meets a
South Carolina farmer preserving heirloom breeds of pigs. Plus, stories about a Washington
shellfish entrepreneur, and a look at the country’s best state fairs.
#216
Paul travels to Alaska to discover some surprising agriculture in our 49th state. See how an
historic experiment in farming brought settlers north to open up a rich farming valley. Paul meets
the top producers of incredibly large vegetables grown in Alaska’s nearly 24-hours of summer
daylight, and visits the Alaska State Fair where many of them break world records. We also meet
commercial salmon fishermen on the Kenai River, and watch native Alaskans transform musk
oxen fur into unique clothing.
#217
In a special tribute to the American Cowboy, Paul Ryan shows how city folks test their riding
and roping skills at a cowboy college. Tonight’s stories include the role that cowboy poetry
played in the story of the old west, and two western artists who use paint and brush to capture
our colorful past. Plus, Paul visits the desert home of the West’s most famous writer, Zane Grey.
#218
Jason Shoultz shows us how America’s farmers are using “high tech” to bring in the harvest.
Learn how a California farmer grows dates in the harsh climate of Death Valley. A program in
Wisconsin helps farmers overcome disabilities and stay on the land. A Utah entrepreneur helps
farmers create artistic -- and popular -- corn mazes. And, how an Oregon farm family grows and
harvests healthy hazelnuts.
#219
A Tennessee farmer's hard work pays off with a bountiful harvest. Jason says his hopes and
dreams are tempered with the realities of weather and a changing commodities market. A Utah
tomato grower uses the earth's natural steam energy to raise his crop, and how consumers are
making U-Pick farms increasingly popular. Plus, a Connecticut town rallies to save an historic
family farm, and a farmer out west discovers a rich harvest in dinosaur bones.
#220
America’s Heartland takes a look at the old question, “Which came first, the chicken or the
egg?” Chicken is one of the most popular menu items around the globe. The average American
consumes more than 60 pounds of chicken a year. With American farmers producing 8.5 billion
birds a year for the world’s dinner tables, Jason Shoultz travels to Alabama to visit three
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successful poultry growers. Then Paul Ryan visits one of the largest egg producers in the nation.
The Hickman Family Farms near Phoenix produces 1.3 million eggs each day! Paul looks at the
process that gets the egg from hen to store. Pat McConahay travels to Wisconsin. It may be
“America’s Dairy land” but Wisconsin is also a major player in the production of cranberries.
More than 280 million pounds of berries are produced each year on more than 100 thousand
acres spread across 18 Wisconsin counties. California farmers grow close to a billion pounds of
almonds each year. The Golden State provides the majority of almonds eaten around the world
and almost all of the almonds consumed in the United States. Now, with new health claims and
new products to market, California farmers are working hard to keep up with demand. And in
Washington State we discover how one farm family has found a successful niche in raising more
than 350 varieties of Dahlias. Today almost 6% of all internet sales transactions involve flowers
and floriculture has become a 20 billion dollar industry in the United
Season III
#301
We begin the third season of America’s Heartland focusing on an ongoing challenge for
American farmers and ranchers: staying in business and ensuring it continues on to the next
generation. We visit two Nevada cattle ranches with different futures: one rancher is selling his
spread while the other is coming up with new and innovative ways to save his family enterprise.
We then visit a Delaware family who’s selling their farm, but ensuring their late parents’ love of
education is fully honored. Next, we meet a Kansas family who’s getting ready to pass their farm
on to their children. Finally, we spend time with an immigrant family who achieved their
American dream by starting a palm tree business in the California desert.
#302
Our program begins as host Paul Ryan spends time with a Colorado ranching family who’s kept
their cattle business strong for many years. Now, most of the newest generation has moved on,
and its future is in the hands of one hard-working son and his fiancé. Then, Jason Shoultz heads
to his home state of Iowa in time to ride along as a father and son harvest their bountiful corn
crop. We find out how Michigan researchers are looking for new ways to develop bio-fuels from
all kinds of agricultural products. We visit a Florida widow who’s taken a family tragedy and
turned it into a successful farm selling specialty products. And, we meet a family who brought
their love of olive oil over from Italy to build a successful business in California.
#303
Just how much do American farmers feed the world? Paul Ryan begins this episode with some
astounding facts about our nation’s agricultural abundance. Jason finds one place where our
nation’s bounty is fully evident: the huge, high quality food buffets of Las Vegas. He then
continues on to a nearby pig farm where an innovative “green” farmer is recycling all those
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leftovers into nutritious swine feed. Paul finds another entrepreneur in Alaska who’s using a
little-used salmon species to make tasty dog treats. And Pat McConahay visits a North Dakota
sculptor who’s creating immense metal “ag art” to attract visitors to his once-bustling farm town.
#304
Harvest time in the Heartland means there’s a huge demand for skilled workers to run the
massive combines that gather the crop. Jason visits a special school in Kansas where migrant
harvesters come from all over the world to learn the tricks of the trade. We join with scientists,
beekeepers, and farmers to try to discover why bee colonies seem to be disappearing, and learn
just how essential they are to American agriculture. A Florida citrus grower shows how his tasty
crop goes from grove to glass. And, we discover a Delaware grower who’s turning to the sun to
power his poultry house.
#305
Surprising though it may seem, May and June can be harvest time in the Heartland. That’s when
some wheat farmers harvest their winter crop. We meet one Oklahoma farmer who shows us
how it’s done and why timing is crucial. Then, we visit a giant grain mill and elevator in North
Dakota to see how a harvest goes from field to flour. We visit an upscale Washington, D.C.
restaurant where all the ingredients are coming fresh from the farm, then head to a landmark
Florida fresh fruit and vegetable stand with a most unusual name: Robert is Here! Finally, a
surprising New Mexico crop, peanuts, is turned into a specialty product by a nearby
entrepreneur.
#306
One of the many dangers facing American growers is the introduction of dangerous pests from
outside the U.S. In Florida, Jason discovers a highly-trained “beagle brigade” that’s protecting
farmers and consumers from unwelcome plants, bugs and other problems. Then, we meet a
Navajo tribe in New Mexico that’s turned their ancient farming practices into a lucrative
worldwide business. We visit a California citrus grower to find out how farmers must respond
when bad weather threatens their crops. Finally, we head to Illinois to learn more about the
nation’s oldest site for agricultural research.
#307
Pat McConahay makes a winter trip to a Michigan dairy farm where the cold weather work goes
around the clock. Host Paul Ryan finds Alaska’s freshest produce at “You Pick” farms. We’ll
take you to the “Garden State” where this harvest comes from cold waters off the Atlantic coast.
And the Heartland’s best ingredients go into sweet and creamy chocolate.
#308
Host Paul Ryan takes us to Monticello where Jefferson’s historic home plays a role in modern
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American agriculture. Jason Shoultz meets an agricultural scientist whose work has saved the
lives of millions of people. You’ll meet a New Mexico farm family with a “passion for plants” of
the native variety. And heritage and hope as two Virginia families decide on the future of their
family farms.
#309
A global demand for seafood brings Maryland crabbers to Chesapeake Bay to harvest Blue
Crabs. Paul Ryan reports on elk and buffalo ranching in Colorado’s high country. Pat
McConahay looks “Jersey Fresh," a new program to support farmers in the Garden State. And
Washington State recognizes the braceros who helped harvest the heartland during World War II.
#310
Jason Shoultz reports on crop dusters in Mississippi who take to the sky to help farmers improve
their harvest. Pat McConahay meets a Michigan farm family that grows crops under glass. A
California cattle ranch takes a different approach to “round up” customers. And Paul Ryan
reports on an Illinois farm that raises corn and cows in downtown Chicago.
#311
Paul Ryan reports on a huge Indiana dairy farm milking 32,000 cows a day. Pat McConahay
meets Ohio farmers converting their fields to vineyards. Jason Shoultz meets farmers in
Mississippi harvesting acres and acres of catfish. And farmers in New Jersey get help from the
state to protect their land from urban expansion.
#312
Paul Ryan visits an Indiana farmer tailoring his soybean crop for new markets and new
challenges overseas. Agriculture teams up with the auto industry in Ohio as American soybeans
make an unusual journey to Asia. Jason Shoultz sees how abandoned grain elevators in New
York have become tourist attractions. And fish farmers in West Virginia harvest a cold water
catch usually found in the frozen north.
#313
Pat McConahay visits North Dakota where a special kind of wheat plays a major role in the
state’s economy. Pasta producers in North Dakota look to farmers for new products and new
markets. Farmers from all across the heartland gather in Utah for the national Farm Bureau
convention. Call it an “agricultural education”: students attend a “farm school” in New York
state.
#314
Jason Shoultz takes you to Montana where traveling harvesters cross the plains to bring in the
wheat harvest of the Heartland. Paul Ryan travels to Oklahoma as farmers there look back on the
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trials and opportunities that emerged from America’s Dustbowl. Pat McConahay finds a West
Virginia company that carves out a niche in “down home cookin’” with products from the farm.
And farm families in Mississippi celebrate their heritage in music that comes from the
Mississippi delta.
#315
Jason Shoultz takes to the highways of Mississippi with law enforcement officials as new threats
to agriculture prompt new tools to track down thieves. Pat McConahay finds some vocal farmers
in North Dakota who make their case for a crop that’s illegal to grow! Jason meets a Montana
farmer taking on a new role: arguing for agriculture in the United States senate. And Pat takes a
look at a program where New Jersey farmers rise to the challenge of feeding the hungry.
#316
Jason Shoultz shows us how water from the Hoover Dam makes possible more than a billion
dollars in produce crops. Host Paul Ryan visits growers in Yuma, Arizona in what’s been called,
“America’s Winter Salad Bowl.” Reporter Jim Finnerty investigates how farm research in
Illinois could turn grass into gas. And Eric Alvarez discovers how some very special truck
drivers in California rush tomatoes from field to factory and onto your table.
#317
On this special edition, we spend the day with a North Dakota farm family to discover the
rewards and challenges of life in the Heartland. Host Paul Ryan introduces us to Don and Sarah
Nordby who...along with their two sons and a daughter...share the realities of rural life from
“Dawn to Dusk”.
#318
Host Paul Ryan tells us about a unique program in North Dakota where volunteer farmers get
together to help other farmers in need when it’s time to bring in the crops. Then, Pat McConahay
visits a North Dakota farm with, perhaps, the most colorful crop around! Health conscious
Americans create a big demand for sunflowers. Sorghum is a grain used for animal feed and
sweeteners. Pat travels to Ohio where sorghum is finding new fans on a family farm that harvests
the grain in a traditional way. And breeding better cattle! Jason Shoultz is on the road to a
Nebraska farm family. They help ranchers improve their stock.
#319
Tilling the soil, working the ranch and striking out as entrepreneurs! Paul Ryan hosts an
“America’s Heartland” exploring how women are taking on greater roles in American
agriculture. Pat McConahay travels to New England to meet a woman agronomist in Vermont.
Raised on a farm, today she helps her fellow farmers improve yields in the field. Reporter
Jennifer Iida heads for Northern California where a woman farmer raises traditional grains on a
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small farm whose focus is raising crops in harmony with nature. And Paul Ryan finds a woman
and her husband coaxing vines from the soil in one unlikely spot. These farm families in Moab,
Utah are leaving cattle behind for cabernet.
#320
It’s “Once a Year Wonders” in the world of agriculture. Jason Shoultz visits an Oregon grower
who harvests everything just before Christmas. This Christmas tree grower supplies trees to
customers all across the western United States. Still in the spirit of the season, Pat McConahay
travels to Ferndale, California where farmers take their tractors out of the field for a one of a
kind tractor parade. Then Jason Shoultz heads to Iowa where pumpkins are a big and colorful
business from October through holiday pies at Thanksgiving. Pat visits a farmer who specializes
in Easter Lilies. The bulbs are grown in Oregon and shipped across the United States to flower
just in time for spring. And America’s Heartland host Paul Ryan travels to southern California to
visit the biggest poinsettia grower in the country. Business is booming when his plants are
blooming.
#321
This week we look at how technology is changing agriculture in America’s Heartland. Reporter
Jason Shoultz examines how the internet has dramatically altered the way that farmers, ranchers
and growers get and exchange information. Reporter Jim Finnerty travels to the University of
Illinois in Urbana, Illinois where automation engineers are doing cutting edge research on robotic
weeders and tractors that drive themselves. Pat McConahay is in Illinois and California where
two of the largest agricultural expositions in the country display inventions that let farmers work
smarter not harder. And Jason heads to Iowa where scientists are researching the starches that
come from a single kernel of corn. It could have dramatic ramifications for our food and health.
#322
Jason Shoultz visits the “World Food Prize” conference in Des Moines, Iowa where farmers
gather to honor American producers working to end world hunger.
Pat McConahay is in Vermont where the Cabot Farm dairy farmers produce some of the best
cheese in America. They like to say, “Cheddar is Better!” Reporter Yolanda Vazquez travels to
Michigan to see how farmers there bring in a sweet harvest of sugarbeets. And Jason visits Iowa
and Kansas where Heartland farmers are targeting a new source of income by opening their
fields to hunters.
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Season IV
#401
Host Paul Ryan finds that “pleasant smells” sell at a California Lavender farm. Texas cotton
farmers face some challenges from nature in getting in the crop. Reporter Sarah Gardner visits
West Virginia where farmers harvest hardwoods on their land. Reporter Jason Shoultz meets a
Minnesota artist who captures rural life on canvas.
Shortened description:
California lavender farm, Texas cotton planting, timber harvests in West Virginia. Minnesota
cow artist.
#402
Host Paul Ryan visits a California walnut grower turning shells into power for the farm. Reporter
Jason Shoultz visits a Minnesota plant that generates electricity from poultry litter. Reporter
Hena Cuevas takes us to a North Carolina using soybeans to make furniture foam from soybeans.
Reporter Ron Hyde meets two California dairymen who have a new approach to selling cheese.
Shortened description:
Electricity from poultry litter. Soybeans become sofa foam. New California cheese varieties.
Walnut shells become energy.
#403
Host Paul Ryan learns about vet programs to treat horses at the University of California, Davis.
Reporter Yolanda Vazquez meets a Massachusetts veterinarian to examine the shortage of large
animal vets in the United States. Roswell, New Mexico is known for UFO sightings, but it adds
“Sheep Capital of America” to its fame. And Reporter Jason Shoultz finds that Florida farmers
benefit from bees and a special kind of honey.
Shortened description:
Veterinary animal research. Saving the family farm vet. Roswell, New Mexico sheep capital of
U.S. Tupelo honey in Florida.
#404
Host Paul Ryan visits a California racetrack that uses solar panels to generate power to keep the
horses cool. Reporter Jim Finnerty finds that Texas farmers make big profits harvesting wind
power. Reporter Sarah Gardner says a new demand for rice is a boon for California rice growers.
Reporter Hena Cuevas visits a North Carolina greenhouse where automation makes it easier to
get the plants from the field to your patio.
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Shortened description:
Solar panels keep horses cool. Texas ranchers harvest wind power. California rice growing
family. Greenhouse automation in North Carolina.
#405
Host Paul Ryan travels to Brunswick, Missouri to see how agri-tourism helps on farm family. A
young Arizona ranch family welcomes new income from tourists and tree harvests. Reporter
Yolanda Vazquez explores how “buying local” has benefitted Rhode Island dairy farmers.
Reporter Jason Shoultz sees how heartland hops and barley help a Minnesota brewery turn out
distinctive lines of beer.
Shortened description:
Missouri agri-tourism. Arizona cattle ranchers diversify to save the ranch. “Buying local”
provides new options for Rhode Island dairy farmers. Minnesota brewery turns crops into beer.
#406
Host Paul Ryan visits a St. Louis area farm family whose farmers market changed their lives.
Reporter Yolanda Vazquez finds a young teen who gets a start in farming with the help of his
entire town. Reporter Jason Shoultz sees how Midwest dairy farmers work together to create
sweet creamery butter. A New Mexico photo shoot gives new details to the “face” of American
Agriculture.
Shortened description:
A popular St. Louis farm market. A young teen gets help from a New England town in getting a
start in farming. Midwest dairy farmers create creamy butter. A photographer captures the “face”
of agriculture.
#407
Host Paul Ryan takes us to a one of a kind horseradish festival in Collinsville, Illinois. Reporter
Jason Shoultz goes on a “hard shell” harvest for oysters in Florida Reporter Jim Finnerty sees
how a growing appetite for wine is changing farmland in Texas. Reporter Sarah Gardner visits a
major lemon supplier in southern California.
Shortened description:
A horseradish festival in Illinois. A special oyster harvest in Florida. Texas winemakers. Crops
and composting at a lemon grove in California.
#408
Host Paul Ryan visits a Missouri farm family who’s diversified their farm business to improve
profits. An Illinois farmer find a challenge from nature as spring rains deliver too much water.
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Reporter Sarah Gardner visits California growers rebounding from wildfire and travels south to
investigate the devastation of drought. Reporter Jason Shoultz sees how one weather firm tailors
its forecasts for agriculture.
Shortened description:
Family farm diversifies to stay profitable. Challenges from nature faced by farmers in the
Midwest with drought in the South and wildfires in California. Agricultural weather forecasting.
#409
Host Paul Ryan learns about the history of agriculture at the National Agriculture Center & Hall
of Fame in Kansas. Reporter Sarah Gardner looks at higher food prices creating new demands
for wheat growers in Nebraska. Reporter Yolanda Vazquez travels to Kentucky where students
use old world skills for modern horseshoeing needs. Reporter Jason Shoultz visits two Kansas
farm communities that lay claim to famous art and the “Garden of Eden.”
Shortened description:
The National Ag Center Hall of Fame. Wheat harvest in Nebraska. Horseshoeing school in
Kentucky. The “Garden of Eden” in rural Kansas.
#410
Host Paul Ryan takes us to the Kansas City Farmers Market, a historic market that brings food
direct from the farm to consumers. We visit with a young Illinois couple starting a farm career
thanks to a growing demand for goats. Reporter Jason Shoultz travels to Wisconsin where cheese
makers are finding new demand for unusual flavors. Reporter Sarah Gardner takes us to Vermont
where one farmer brings local food from the field to his very unusual diner.
Shortened description:
Kansas City Farmers Market. Illinois couple begins their farm career with goats. New cheese
flavors in Wisconsin. The “Farmer’s Diner” in Vermont.
#411
Host Paul Ryan visits the Henry A Wallace Country Life Center in Orient, Iowa. Wallace was an
innovator who furthered the goals of agriculture in America. Reporter Sarah Gardner looks at
farming practices that improve America’s air quality by capturing Carbon Dioxide and placing it
in the soil. Reporter Jason Shoultz visits an organic farm in Florida working hard to support
community agriculture. Reporter Yolanda Vazquez travels to Kentucky where a new research
project is assessing how goats can be used to eradicate a noxious weed found all across the
South.
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Shortened description:
The Country Life Center in Iowa. Farmers join the fight against global warming. Community
supported agriculture in Florida. Kentucky goats aid in the fight against noxious weeds.
#412
Host Paul Ryan travels onboard the aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan. Many of the
crewmembers on board come from farms and ranches in the heartland. In addition, the Reagan is
home to 6000 armed service personnel who sample the bounty of the heartland in 18 thousand
meals each day.
Shortened description:
Entire show onboard the USS Ronald Reagan. Food from the Heartland goes to feed our service
men and women. Navy crew members spend time at home on the farm.
#413
Host Paul Ryan visits the Reading Terminal in Philadelphia where farm produce and locally
produced goods make their way to consumers in the city. Then Paul heads for Clarence, Missouri
to visit a high tech hog farm... Reporter Sarah Gardner tells the story of Bob Evans, a farmer
turned entrepreneur whose country sausage created a restaurant chain and made him a household
name. Then reporter Jason Shoultz travels to Chaska, Minnesota which is home to a unique
pickle packing operation.
Shortened description:
The Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. High tech hog farm in Missouri. An Ohio farmer
creates successful restaurant chain. Pickle packing in Minnesota.
#414
Host Paul Ryan learns about farming in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Reporter Sarah Gardner
visits an Oregon farm whose specialized seeds are used by farmers and growers across the
country. Reporter Jason Shoultz travels to Wisconsin where a growing market for exotic poultry
is spelling success for a pheasant farming operation. Reporter Akiba Howard has the story of
draft horses taking to the field for farm work in Texas.
Shortened description:
Farming in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. An Oregon seed company supplies farmers. Exotic
poultry on a pheasant farm. Draft horse enthusiasts in Texas.
#415
Host Paul Ryan learns about cheese making at a one of a kind sheep dairy in New Jersey.
Reporter Jason Shoultz goes on a watery harvest for clams off the Gulf Coast of Florida.
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Reporter Ron Hyde finds out how citrus research is developing flavorful new varieties at a
growing operation in Central California. Reporter Yolanda Vazquez travels to Rhode Island
where sheep ranchers have found a way to market their wool to local consumers.
Shortened description:
A sheep milk dairy in New Jersey. Harvesting clams off the Florida Coast. California research
creates new types of citrus. Special Rhode Island wool blankets.
#416
Host Paul Ryan discovers urban farming on the rooftops and in the gardens of New York City.
Reporter Sarah Gardner meets an Oregon rancher whose been successful in breeding his own
stock and in competing on the national rodeo circuit. Reporter Hena Cuevas finds out that many
urban dwellers are searching for their on piece of the Heartland and becoming “RuralPolitans.”
Reporter Jason Shoultz travels to Long Island where multigenerational families are working
farms that date back centuries.
Shortened description:
Rooftop gardening in New York City. An Oregon rancher and rodeo rider. City folks begin
farming in the suburbs and farming on Long Island.
#417
Reporter Paul Ryan visits a Nebraska farm family that travels to China to see where their crops
ultimately end up. Reporter Jason Shoultz makes the trip to Taiwan and mainland China to
examine American grain heading for overseas markets and how American corn is being used to
make plastics.
Shortened description:
Reporter Jason Shoultz reports from China on American Exports feeding the world and how
American corn crops get converted to plastics in Taiwan.
#418
Host Paul Ryan learns about farm machinery at the Central Washington Farm Expo. Then Paul
visits with a New Mexico family for whom the ranching lifestyle is important in a changing
agricultural landscape and whose farm dates back more than a century. Reporter Jason Shoultz
travels to New York City where urban dwellers are supporting local farmers providing “fresh
from the farm” produce. Reporter Sarah Gardner meets an Oregon family that’s bringing
consumers right to the fields to insure their produce is “fresh.”
Shortened description:
Central Washington Farm Expo. New Mexico Ranching family. New York City urban farming
successes. Successful “U-pick” farms in the Northwest.
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#419
Host Paul Ryan learns about fresh seafood at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Reporter Jason
Shoultz learns about efforts to protect the fisheries in Long Island Sound. Reporter Yolanda
Vazquez meets a Kentucky family who left the city behind to start a mushroom farming
operation. Reporter Jim Finnerty heads for the Lone Star State. Texas is America’s #1 cotton
producer and research there is looking to improve how the fiber is used in clothing
Shortened description:
Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Efforts to protect fisheries on the Atlantic coast. Mushroom farming
in Kentucky. Cotton research in Texas.
#420
Host Paul Ryan travels to Colorado to learn about livestock. Reporter Sarah Gardner is in
Oregon where a seafood company uses a unique approach to insuring that the catch is fresh.
Jason Shoultz travels to Wisconsin. It may be “America’s Dairyland” but lots of consumers are
also enjoying Wisconsin wine! Reporter Rob Stewart heads for Washington where apple growers
look to provide consumers with the “pick of the crop.”
Shortened description:
Colorado cattle ranchers. The freshest catch from Pacific fisheries. America’s “Dairyland”
produces wine. Washington State apples.
#421
Host Paul Ryan visits the Colorado State Fair to check out a growing interest in agriculture from
city folks.
Shortened description:
Livestock and farming in Colorado.
#422
Host Paul Ryan learns about a unique farming and food operation in Louisiana.
Shortened description:
A unique farming and food operation in Louisiana.
Season V
#501
In the season five debut, we visit the Adams Ranch in Florida, where 82-year-old Bud Adams is
celebrated for his wildlife photographs as well as his prime cattle. Reporter Sarah Gardner visits
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a farming operation in Ohio, where state prison inmates bring crops and cattle to market.
California’s Central Valley is home to a citrus operation where a family’s been growing citrus
for four generations. A Tennessee farm family’s hobby of raising goats turns into an awardwinning cheese operation.
Short: Wildlife photographer is celebrated for prime cattle, Ohio farm works with inmates to
bring crops and cattle to market, a four-generation citrus operation, and award-winning goat
cheese.
#502
In New England, a family sugaring operation turns sap from thousands of trees into awardwinning maple syrup. A huge sheep drive in Arizona’s backcountry is one of the last of its kind
in the nation. Learn why an Oregon grain mill is the pride of one family who’s been running it
for 150 years. We visit a historic Ohio farm that once hosted the wedding and honeymoon of
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
Short: Award-winning maple syrup, an Arizona sheep drive, a 150-year-old grain mill in Oregon,
and an Ohio farm where Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall honeymooned.
#503
A Tennessee family finds that a “boutique” milk operation keeps the family farm alive. Jason
Shoultz meets a Florida couple who has discovered success in orchid farming. We visit a young
Arizona couple who decides to leave the city behind and start a pecan farm. An award-winning
Arkansas wheat farm delivers grain for the bread on your table.
Short: A boutique milk operation, orchid farming in Florida, a pecan farm, and a Arkansas wheat
farm.
#504
Citrus growers in Florida face devastation due to a spreading plant disease called “citrus
greening.” We round up some Texas longhorns – not in the Lone Star State – but in Ohio. We
visit a school in Massachusetts, where families go to learn how to farm. An Arkansas couple
finds success with one of the largest sweet potato operations in the South.
Short: Plant disease causing citrus devastation in Florida, a Texas-style longhorn round up in
Ohio, a Massachusetts school teaches families to farm, and a sweet potato operation.
#505
We visit a Colorado cattle ranch and discover a woman traded her Ivy League education for a
saddle. In Arkansas a farm family mixes farming and music as they produce specialty rice for
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overseas markets. A Wyoming woman’s livestock operation spawns a unique interest in art from
wool. There’s a very unusual ranching operation in Utah that not only has horses and cattle, but
zebra! Reporter Paul Robins takes a look at the interesting history behind bananas!
Short: A Colorado woman trades her Ivy League education for a saddle, specialty rice, a unique
connection between livestock and art, a zebra ranch, and the history of bananas.
#506
Wyoming's Padlock Ranch spans half a million acres. It’s a working ranch that welcomes
tourists who want to know more about agriculture. An award-winning Tennessee farm family
battles Mother Nature to harvest their crop. Rural Oregon youngsters discover there are lots they
don’t know about agriculture. We show you how salt is harvested from an underground mine in
Utah. Reporter Paul Robins finds that “Jethro Tull” is the man who mechanized agriculture.
Short: The Padlock Ranch in Wyoming, Tennessee farmers battle Mother Nature, youth learn
about agriculture in Oregon, a Utah salt mine, and the man who mechanized agriculture.
#507
A rural Colorado community rallies to save the town’s grocery store. In an Arkansas community
they harvest millions in fish that are hundreds of miles from the ocean. A Tennessee couple
decides their future lies in raising large Clydesdale horses. We meet a Wyoming family who
gave up city life to go back to ranching. Reporter Paul Robins shares the colorful history of
potato chips.
Short: Colorado town saves grocery store, an Arkansas fish harvest, Clydesdale horses, giving up
the city for the ranch, the history of potato chips.
#508
A Utah ranching family works to protect the land for recreational visitors. We introduce you to a
young Nebraska farmer teaches his youngsters to have respect for the land. Travel to Arkansas to
discover a poultry operation working to develop a “better bird.” A New England company brings
the past to life in restoring historic barns. Reporter Paul Robins trumpets the contributions of
cows to consumers.
Short: Protecting the land for visitors in Utah, a Nebraska teacher, poultry operation develops a
better bird, restoring historic barns, cows contribute to consumers.
#509
Reporter Rob Stewart visits Pennsylvania’s Burpee Seed Company to see how crops get their
start from the ground up. Reporter Jason Shoultz finds out how some states are handling an old
problem in new ways: dealing with cattle rustlers! Reporter Sarah Gardner visits an Ohio family
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farm where generations pull together to get their corn crop planted. Reporter Akiba Howard
finds a rural community in Nebraska where residents say you can find the best in their “wurst”.
Short: The Burpee Seed Company in Pennsylvania, cattle rustlers, an Ohio corn farm, the best
“wurst” in Nebraska.
#510
Reporter Sarah Gardner visits the Texas ranch of singer/songwriter “Jewel” and her rodeo-riding
husband Ty Murray. Reporter Yolanda Vazquez takes us to a Delaware dairy farm that
discovered a “niche” market to improve their sales. Reporter Rob Stewart learns from one
Montana farm family that the sweet life comes from raising sugar beets. Reporter John Lobertini
sees how heartland grain makes its way into special breads for the table.
Short: A visit to the Texas ranch of singer Jewel and husband Ty Murray, a Delaware dairy farm
discovers a niche market, Montana sugar beets, and heartland grain.
#511
Reporters Jason Shoultz and Sarah Gardner uncover all things “Texas” as they meet with
baseball legend and rancher Nolan Ryan, find out how feral pigs are adversely affecting farm
operations in the Lone Star State, and discover some unique farming operations facing
challenges found nowhere else in the country.
Short: An “all things Texas” edition features baseball legend and rancher Nolan Ryan, how feral
pigs are affecting farm operations, and a story about unique farming challenges in the Lone Star
State.
#512
Reporter Jason Shoultz finds some farmers doing it “old school” and going back to draft horses
to handle their field work. Reporter Yolanda Vazquez takes us to a Virginia farm where specialty
produce meets consumer needs. Reporter Rob Stewart visits an inner-city high school where the
focus is all about farming. Reporter John Lobertini takes us to a Kansas farm where the family
uses agri-entertainment to teach city folk about farming.
Short: Farmers return to using draft horses in the field, a specialty produce in Virginia, inner-city
students focus on farming, and agri-entertainment in Kansas teaches city folk about farming.
#513
Rob Stewart visits an inner city high school where the focus is all about farming. Yolanda
Vazquez discovers a Maryland shrimp farming operation. In Oregon meet a man helping farmers
use draft horses for planting instead of tractors. We head to Nebraska to learn about one farmer
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whose agricultural efforts feed the soul as well as the body.
#514
This episode looks at how heartland food products figure in our vacation plans. We set sail on a
Carnival cruise where food is as much of an attraction as the scenery. Experience a flight kitchen
where millions of meals are prepared to enjoy bon appétit at 35 thousand feet. Then jump aboard
Amtrak, from Los Angeles to Seattle, and discover heartland products by rail.
#515
An Ohio State University professor addresses animal welfare for consumers and farmers. African
American vintners in California expand their offerings to new wine markets. In Delaware we
visit a produce farm that can't keep up with customer demand. Urban farming has taken off in the
Kansas City area.
#516
This very special show marks the 100th episode of America's Heartland. We begin in Kansas to
see how a ranching family markets an unusual brand of cattle. Akiba Howard heads for a
Colorado harvest and discovers how the potato makes its way from farm to table. A Florida
family has been very successful practicing sustainable farming. In California learn about how
rescued Mustang horses give city kids a connection to the country.
#517
John Lobertini discovers that harvesting lobsters from the waters off the coast of Maine requires
some special talents. One family's 19th century Pennsylvania farm has been recognized for its
agricultural efforts. Jason Shoultz joins some Iowa farm families as they celebrate their heritage
and reflect on challenges they face working the land. A Texas woman gives feral cats at new
home in rural areas.
#518
Long: In this special episode of America’s Heartland, discover how American grain products are
improving living conditions in Egypt and Morocco. Reporter Jason Shoultz journeys across the
Atlantic and discovers that American grain products are helping ease hunger in areas with
developing agricultural infrastructure. On dairy farms and grain operations, help from U.S. grain
farmers is making a difference in people’s lives.
Short: Reporters travel to Egypt and Morocco to see how American grain products are helping
ease hunger overseas.
#519
Long: Akiba Howard meets artist Michael Martin Murphey. His America’s Heartland title song
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reflects his concern about the challenges facing American farmers. Jason Shoultz discovers how
research in Georgia may remediate the challenges of water shortages. Rob Stewart takes you to
Alabama to see how research at the world’s oldest cotton research plot helps farmers. John
Lobertini visits a young Missouri couple who left city life behind to start a new life in making
wine.
Short: Michael Martin Murphey infuses farming activism into his songs, research in Georgia and
Alabama solve farming problems, and a couple focuses on viticulture after abandoning city life.
#520
Long: Akiba Howard heads for a harvest of potatoes in Colorado and discovers how they make
their way from farm to table. John Lobertini shares how urban gardens in Kansas City work to
help consumers eat better and learn about agriculture. An Alabama farm family overcomes
devastating challenges to become an award-winning operation. Jason Shoultz finds a Florida
family where sustainable farming practices have been very successful.
Short: Harvesting potatoes in Colorado, urban gardens in Kansas City, a resilient and awardwinning Alabama farm family, and a sustainable farm in Florida.
#521
Long: In this special edition of America’s Heartland, Jason Shoultz shares with us how soybeans
have changed the face of American agriculture and changed the way we live. Soybeans are used
in hundreds of products from car parts to floor waxes. Jason meets the farmers who grow this
valuable commodity and sees how it touches the lives of consumers across the country.
Short: Explore the many uses of soybeans and meet the farmers who grow this valuable
commodity.
#522
Long: Reporter Sarah Gardner heads for Michigan were a multi-generational farm family works
around the clock to put produce on the table. John Lobertini finds a harvest of sea vegetables in
the cold waters off Maine’s Atlantic coast. Yolanda Vazquez meets a Maryland farm family
whose community supported agriculture involves consumers helping to work the land. An
Alabama chef educates consumers on where food comes from.
Short: A hard-working Michigan farm family, a Maine sea harvest, and an Alabama chef
educates consumers on the sources of their food.
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Season VI
#601
A Virginia cattle rancher takes new environmental directions to protect rural waterways.
Rice Farmers in Louisiana answer the call for humanitarian aid at home and abroad.
California citrus growers develop new markets for a unique kind of fruit.
Surprising facts about the connection between cotton and cash.
Farmers on the Big Island of Hawaii find success in growing Kona coffee beans just like fine
wine grapes.
#602
Georgia farmers discover that peanuts provide a budget boon to recession weary consumers.
Farm stay vacations provide a new cash crop for Vermont farmers offering “rural resorts.”
Off the Shelf...your complete primer on lettuce.
It’s just dirt, but soil research in California and Pennsylvania is critical to protecting America’s
farmland.
Kernels on that ear of corn deliver much more than just good eating for consumers.
A North Carolina grower finds new opportunities in using “sea oats” to save the state’s beaches.
#603
A Kentucky corn farmer battles a debilitating disease to keep his operation going.
A woman rancher in California saddles up to promote American beef to consumers.
Hawaii’s palm trees provide a new and unusual crop....and it’s not cocoanuts.
Everything you ever wanted to know about beets including their unusual connection to pizza.
Louisiana farmers raise sugarcane that becomes an historic New Orleans beverage.
#604
Tabasco is the best known hot sauce in the world! The secret to its spicy success.
North Carolina farmers take a high tech approach to raising new crops and finding new markets
via the internet.
Think you know everything about pasta? Discover the story behind that spaghetti you take off
the shelf.
Farmers in the Southeast discover a new harvest in catfish as well as corn.
University researchers and California farmers team up to build a better tomato.
#605
Getting kids to eat better! A “Farm to School” program connects producers and pupils.
Fish farmers in Hawaii use computers and ancient ocean water to bring in a harvest of abalone.
Everything you ever wanted to know about antioxidants in some “Fast Facts about Food.”
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California growers try some new techniques to deliver ripe, red strawberries.
Consumers harvest some knowledge about the ancient spice....ginger.
Louisiana farmers go back to school to learn how to stay safe on all-terrain vehicles.
#606
A young Kentucky farmer overcomes blindness to become an award winning cattleman.
It’s probably your favorite fabric! California cotton growers bring in a soft and snowy harvest.
Orange juice for breakfast? That’s just one kind of citrus that consumers pull off the shelf.
North Carolina farmers find new ways to harvest energy savings and benefit the environment.
The history of onions includes a promise of eternal life.
Two Nebraska women develop a unique website encouraging others to “get back to the land.”
#607
South Dakota farmers find that computers are just as critical as combines in bringing in the
winter wheat crop.
Nationally known Chef Dave Lieberman cooks up an unusual meal after meeting two young goat
farmers in Illinois.
Olive or Canola? Some fast facts about nutrition in the oils you use.
Call it the Superbowl of ag equipment! The biggest and best in farm equipment and inventions at
the Ag Expo.
If you like potatoes on your dinner plate, you may want to thank Thomas Jefferson.
A unique ranch in Kentucky provides a retirement home for some equine superstars.
#608
Why does my school bus smell like French fries? These buses are powered by soybean oil.
It’s probably the prettiest crop on earth. A Minnesota farm family brings in large crops of roses.
Discovering the difference when it comes to reaching for cheese on the supermarket shelf.
They’re man’s best friend and essential labor on farms and ranches. Working dogs!
The strange story behind the history of artichokes.
A southern California city opens a new park to give urban residents a taste of rural life
#609
First Lady Michelle Obama gives Jason Shoultz a personal tour of the White House garden.
Nationally known Chef Dave Lieberman serves up unique vegetable dishes using a heritage corn
flour.
Powdered milk in ancient China? We’ll harvest some knowledge about dairy cows.
And choosing the right foods to help you beat stress in your daily life.
#610
A special program helps farmers with disabilities get back on the job.
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A farm in New York City? It’s a one of a kind farm dating back to 1697.
Confused about whether canned or fresh is better? Some fast facts about food.
A new program in Minnesota promotes agriculture by teaching folks how to farm.
Looking for something different for dinner, consumers find that rice is nice.
Farm families in North Dakota work to preserve historic rural churches.
#611
In this special episode, Reporter Jason Shoultz heads out on a one of a kind cattle drive to help a
Utah ranching family move their herd of cattle to summer pasture. And it’s not a job for city
slickers!
#612
A New York family keeps an apple orchard tradition alive (Yolanda Vazquez).
Chef Dave Lieberman discovers unusual produce in Utah’s high country.
Researchers in Louisiana find new ways to protect essential honeybee populations (Rob Stewart)
A California ranch family works to educate the public on our western heritage (Akiba Howard).
#613
An Idaho farm develops new varieties of potatoes (Rob Stewart).
An Illinois veterinarian focuses on helping horses...in the city (Akiba Howard).
North Dakota farmers work with researchers to develop consumer choices from bean crops
(Sarah Gardner).
A Wisconsin farmer mixes dairy with a career in demolition derby driving (Jason Shoultz).
#614
Wisconsin dairy farmers develop new cheese choices for consumers (Jason Shoultz).
North Carolina hog farmers work with educators to meet environmental changes for hog waste
(Sarah Gardner).
Looking to buy a larger home, a New York family finds themselves in the produce business
(Yolanda Vazquez).
Nebraska may be known for corn, but these Nebraska farmers are focused on vines and wines
(Rob Stewart).
#615
Idaho farmers use high tech produce tracking to protect food safety (Rob Stewart).
A Minnesota man keeps home dairy delivery alive (Jason Shoultz).
Chef Dave Lieberman visits Trappist monks raising unique mushroom varieties.
Oklahoma farm families turn to one of a kind shelters to protect them from rural storms (Akiba
Howard).
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#616
Oklahoma farmers find new success with sesame seeds (Akiba Howard).
She’s all about promoting dairy. You’ll meet South Dakota’s Dairy Princess (Sarah Gardner).
An Idaho family finds success in raising award winning sheep (Rob Stewart).
Kentucky farmers answer the call for specific corn products to make Kentucky bourbon (Jason
Shoultz)
#617
It’s all about cotton on this special episode of America’s Heartland.
Cotton-It’s more than just a fabric. Think cattle feed. And for one spot in Texas it’s also cotton,
chicken and catfish.
#618
Researchers in Oklahoma protect source material for farming at the National Seed Bank (Jason
Shoultz).
Chef Dave Lieberman cooks up special dishes with a unique variety of South Carolina rice.
Idaho farm family members work together to get in a crop of barley destined for brewing beer
(Rob Stewart).
North Dakota researchers work with farmers to create a better sunflower seed for snack foods
(Sarah Gardner).
#619
It’s no small farm. An Idaho dairy milks twenty thousand cows a day! (Rob Stewart)
Chef Dave Lieberman explores the culinary history of African American “Gulla Grub.”
An award winning North Carolina farmer keeps a family farming tradition alive (Sarah Gardner).
It’s a city where American farm crops create great American Beer. Milwaukee (Jason Shoultz).
#620
Oklahoma farm communities face health challenges with rescues by rural air evacuations (Akiba
Howard).
An Idaho farm woman finds a future raising elk (Rob Stewart).
A Nebraska farm family discovers that dietary concerns are creating demand for their sorghum
crop (Sarah Gardner).
A Minnesota farmer takes an educational approach to save the environment. It’s “Sewer man”
(Jason Shoultz).
#621
It’s a crop that many people know little about. On this special episode we’ll related the sweet
story of American sugar beets as we follow the harvest from field to table.
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#622
American farmers respond to calls for changes in getting eggs from the farm to your table.
Oklahoma farmers take an unusual path to get their crops to market.
Farmers in Hawaii educate visitors and locals about agriculture and eating well.
A Wisconsin farmer carves a niche for himself with unique woodworking skills.
Season VII
#701
A 200 year old Tennessee farm is home to a very famous pig.
An Oregon tulip farm draws a quarter million visitors.
California avocado farmers deliver heart healthy recipes.
And some fast facts about fiber in your diet.
#702
An Oregon dairy’s community outreach delivers more than milk.
A sheep shearing class in Tennessee is definitely “Hands On.”
A cookbook author encourages consumers to support farmers.
“Ask a Farmer “explains why horses are measured in “hands.”
#703
A rural community celebrates its crops with “Art on a Silo.”
A California vineyard combines grapes and olive oil for fine dining.
The National Cornbread Festival delivers plenty to eat.
Learn about the colorful history of carrots.
#704
Saddle Up and celebrate cowboys and American ranches.
City folks join a Utah Cattle drive.
A Colorado woman works with environmentalists to protect the land.
A California ranch keeps 120 year old traditions alive.
Moving ten thousand head of cattle on the range in ….Florida.
#705
California farmers and environmentalist work to save waterfowl.
A Florida woman rancher is honored for promoting agriculture.
A sweet harvest from the trees at a Texas pecan farm.
Getting your kids to eat healthier foods.
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#706
Washington farmers deliver a big…and sweet…cherry harvest.
Harvesting these Georgia watermelons is a BIG deal.
Are those baby carrots really “baby” carrots?
A Michigan farmer saves energy and the environment growing under glass.
#707
Singer-Songwriter Jewel shows off her music and her Texas ranch.
A Mississippi farmer celebrates Blues music as part of his farm’s rural roots.
And North Carolina farmers show their stuff when it comes to bluegrass music
#708
A Washington farm family ties environmental well-being to their winter wheat crop.
Find out how the right farm fresh foods can help you battle stress.
A Michigan farm family finds success in raising sweet smelling…and tasting…mint.
#709
Picking and packing sweet Georgia peaches.
An Oregon brewery goes to the source for the right kinds of hops.
A rural Tennessee community celebrates the heritage music of the mountain dulcimer.
#710
City folks head to the farm to get a taste of heartland life.
Helping youngsters understand where their food is coming from.
Foreign visitors take turns bringing in the harvest on a Missouri farm vacation.
#711
Eleven Illinois farm families work together to deliver soybean products to consumers
Chef Dave Lieberman travels to Texas where a little “goat wrangling” serves up delicious
cheese.
Reporter Jason Shoultz outlines some hidden benefits to a diet including oats.
Connecticut farmers raise a special kind of tobacco for overseas markets.
#712
Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan visits an Iowa farm in support of agriculture.
An Indiana man trades a city life in telecommunications for a new career in farming.
Some sweet facts about the benefits of honey in your diet.
Idaho farmers devised a new “crop cam” to improve future harvests.
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#713
A Washington dairy farmer says his veterinary work delivers better milk to your table.
Chef Dave Lieberman serves up some unusual dishes that include peaches.
Think all carbohydrates are bad for your diet? Some fast facts about food say no.
A New England farm family keeps the last farm alive in an historic town.
#714
Illinois farmers combine cattle raising with high tech aeronautics.
Your favorite wine may come from a vineyard where owls help protect the crops.
Michigan farmers undertake an aggressive plan to protect the environment.
Like hot peppers? Some surprising facts about their role in your diet.
#715
An Iowa farm family adds fine wines to the products made on their farm.
A young Tennessee couple finds success with artisanal cheeses.
Sun dried tomatoes save the farm for a California family.
#716
You’ve seen cattle roundups, but these ranchers are on a sheep drive across Arizona.
Colorado farmers pull together to save a community grocery store.
A declining sugar cane market prompts Hawaiian farmers to grow unusual produce.
Rural communities work to protect North Dakota’s historic churches.
#717
Research in Washington State shows farmers how to grow more wheat with less water.
Chef Dave Lieberman heads for a New Jersey apple orchard and some sweet pork dishes.
A young man leaves LA’s city lights behind to help out on the family’s Kansas farm.
We harvest some knowledge that you didn’t know about turkeys.
#718
A Massachusetts “farm school” teaches city kids all about agriculture.
Jason Shoultz heads for the supermarket to unravel a mystery about meat.
We ask a farmer…just how big is an acre?
Nuns at a California convent serve up a tasty tradition in making a unique olive oil.
#719
A young blind teenager wins national honors for cattle raising.
A New England town rallies around a young man to save a family farm.
Oklahoma air rescue personnel come to the aid of injured farmers.
Meet the Nobel Prize winner who started the “Green Revolution.”
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#720
A Florida ranch helps troubled youth turn their lives around.
Chef Dave Lieberman crafts some spicy dishes with eggplant and cabbage.
Kansas farm wives use the internet to battle misconceptions about agriculture.
The history of pears reveals a past involving the “fruit of the gods.”
#721
Farm researchers in Illinois use smart phones to battle world hunger.
One California firm brings in a glowing white crop of….salt.
Rural residents and city folks turn to farm stores for one-of-a-kind merchandise.
Discover how soybeans impact your daily diet.
#722
California rice farmers find a new market in grain for sake.
A Kansas ranch helps young people with disabilities.
Discover the beauty connection between Cleopatra and pickles.
An Indiana man brings new life to historic windmills.
Season VIII
#801
Bring in the colorful harvest on a Florida blueberry farm. Pass the salt and learn about the history
of popcorn. Cook up some unique asparagus recipes with Sharon Vaknin and climb to new
heights at a New Orleans rooftop farm.
#802
Saddle up for a California cattle roundup. Haul in the “heads” at an Arizona lettuce farm. Take
our quiz to learn more about “crop rotation”. Join Nevada sheep ranchers in preventing open
range grass fires and sample Kentucky’s unique bourbon soy sauce.
#803
Head south for an H2O harvest of crawfish in Louisiana. Sample some exotic recipes made with
Belgian endive. Join the search as “working dogs” look for dangerous plant pests and celebrate a
special anniversary as an Ohio farm family marks two hundred years of working their land.
#804
Head for the school room to see how Wisconsin’s “Farm to Fork” program benefits students.
Explore the science behind Arizona’s plan to turn algae into livestock feed. Join the trek to
California’s asparagus fields…just in time for the harvest. Serve yourself to a helping of history
on sweet potatoes.
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#805
Take to the waters of Chesapeake Bay for a harvest of oysters. Open a carton of milk from an
Ohio heritage dairy. Test your kitchen skills on some unusual beef recipes and sample the
artwork created by farmer artists in California.
#806
Hitch up the team for an Arizona draft horse vacation. Log on to the blog of a Virginia farm
family that champions agriculture. Test you agriculture knowledge - just what is “gluten free”?
Join a Kentucky sheep roundup for one of a kind wool creations.
#807
Travel back in time to Kentucky land that’s been farmed by the same family for more than 200
years. Examine the science behind the effort to develop America’s best looking lawns. Take you
pick of some great apricot recipes and join Louisiana trackers on the hunt for feral hogs
destroying farmland.
#808
Bring in a colorful harvest of irises with a California farm family. Learn what to look for when
you reach for orange juice on the supermarket shelf. Sample a unique vintage of wine
from…Wyoming and join some New Mexico residents bringing the produce from an
Albuquerque urban farm.
#809- This number skipped.
#810
Ready to choose up sides on the “Great Dairy Debate”? Wisconsin may be “America’s
Dairyland,” but California cows have made their mark in the battle over milk production, cheese
making and all things dairy. Visit the farms involved in making America’s dairy production the
envy of the world and sample some results at the World Cheese Championships.
#811
Saddle up to see how Florida ranchers are saving a historic breed of cattle. Make your choices of
popular produce at Alabama’s oldest farmers market. Test a new recipe for sweet and spicy corn
fritters and discover how a farm school in New Mexico is helping residents in one economically
disadvantaged community.
#812
Take to the range in Wyoming where goats are essential to a cattle ranching operation. Haul in a
sweet harvest of sugarcane in Louisiana. Travel back in time to find out about George
Washington, the farmer and discover why Bok Choy should be a vegetable on your dinner table.
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#813
Choose the fast talking winners at America’s cattle auctioneer championships. Bring in a sweet
harvest of Alabama watermelons. Discover why grains are playing a growing role in your diet
and cook up some unusual recipes using bright red tomatoes.
#814
The two top states for dairy production in the U.S. are California and Wisconsin. Both churn out
more cheese, milk and butter than most countries around the world. And the battle for supremacy
continues between the states. Which makes the better cheese? Which produces more milk? In
this special episode we look at the similarities and differences in dairy farming in the states. We
also explore how artisan cheese making has reinvigorated some dairy producers in both states.
#815
See how a bad drought meant good news for a Wyoming farmer hauling in a harvest of high
protein wheat. A Wisconsin dairy divides its herd to meet customer demands for traditional and
organic milk products. And we take you from farm to fork to spice up some recipes for green
beans.
#816
Saddle up for a rodeo riding school in Montana. Visit a California farm community pulling
together to save pollinating honeybees. An Arkansas rancher rounds up a large and growing herd
of buffalo.
#817
Take in a tart harvest of cranberries from a historic New England farm. Answer the question:
Which is best, canned, frozen or fresh? One woman finds success with an exotic mushroom farm
in the heart of one California city.
#818
Meet some classy cowgirls working to change the impression of women in rural communities.
Ride along with one woman rancher hanging tough with the cowboys on her New Mexico ranch.
Photographers highlight the western look at a ranching fashion shoot.
#819
Find out why some strange hen houses are key to improving poultry production for one New
Mexico farmer. Haul in a catch of unusual fish recipes. Take to the field to see how California
rice farmers are providing picture perfect opportunities for bird watchers.
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#820
Travel to Montana for a one of a kind sheep roundup. Head for the orchard and apple harvest
time at one historic New England farm. Discover how one farmer’s soybeans are destined for
products in your home.
#821
Fans of antique tractors gather to see them action once again. Discover how gluten free affects
your diet and your health. Sharon Vaknin serves up some very special walnut recipes. Harvest
some very hot chiles at one Arizona farm. Find out why sweet means different things when it
comes to sugar.
#822
Meet a Montana family finding success by combining farming and fishing. Haul in the harvest
with an Arkansas family with a passion for exceptional produce. Meet a Wyoming family
working hard to preserve a ranch that's been in their family for generations. Take to the ocean for
a New England program that delivers seafood direct to consumers.
Season IX
#901
Reporter Jason Shoultz takes you to the country where farmers are raising the fruits and
vegetables making their way to your dinner table. New production techniques are making it
possible to provide consumers with better quality at a lower price. But new threats from insects
in Florida are impacting citrus production. At the same time, pollinating honeybee colonies are in
decline in many parts of the country.
#902
Reporter Sarah Gardner saddles up for a heartland outing devoted to horses. Travel to California
where a unique program is dedicated to saving wild mustangs. Go on a Texas cattle drive with
singer/songwriter Jewel. Meet an Illinois veterinarian helping horses near the Midwest’s largest
city and visit a retirement home from racehorses in Kentucky.
#903
Reporter Jason Shoultz examines how consumer demands are changing production techniques on
farms and ranches across the country. A California poultry producer makes changes to impact
animal welfare. An Idaho produce company lets consumers track their produce right back to the
field. Wheat farmers find support from bakers in Kansas City and a San Francisco airline kitchen
meets dining demands with the help of California produce farmers.
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#904
Reporter Sarah Gardner says if you’re eating more rice in your meals these days, you’re not
alone. Thanks to consumers with more adventurous tastes and changes in America’s ethnic
makeup, rice consumption has grown dramatically. Rice farmers in Louisiana bring in a double
harvest in their rice fields: rice and bright red crawfish. Meet an Arkansas farmer raising special
rice for Japanese diners. And a California rice grower gets some help from school children in
saving wild duck eggs.
#905
Rob Stewart takes you coast to coast to meet some farm and ranch families with some special
talents when it comes to being creative. A Tennessee craftsman builds historic dulcimers that
harken back to America’s past. A Wisconsin dairy farmer does double duty as a woodcarver. A
Wyoming woman uses sheep’s wool for one of a kind art projects and a Kansas farm family
creates a country attraction that teaches young folks about agriculture.
#906
Reporter Jason Shoultz checks out how your garden grows with a look at how large nurseries
develop floral and vegetable plants for your back yard. Travel to North Carolina where one
nursery uses robotic workers to plant and pack new flowers. Examine the research going into
creating new plant varieties at the world famous Burpee Seed Company. Head for the Atlantic
Coast to find out how “sea oats” are helping one state to save its shoreline.
#907
Reporter Rob Stewart shares some unusual crops with you on this episode. Ever wonder where
those sesame seeds come from that end up on your fast food hamburger bun? Meet an Oklahoma
farmer developing new ways to meet a growing sesame seed demand worldwide. You may not
be familiar with the term, Pulse Crops, but you’ve enjoyed the beans and peas that make up this
segment of farm crops. Now researchers in North Dakota are developing new uses for this
important group of legumes. A group of California nuns is turning out unique olive oil and take
part in a bright white harvest of sea salt direct from the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
#908
Reporter Jason Shoultz takes a trip back in time to share some historic moments in American
agriculture. You’ll meet an Indiana farmer saving historic windmills. Join a Florida cattle drive
with a bovine breed dating back to the 1500’s. Test your taste buds on a savory pasta mushroom
recipe and discover how North Dakota Farmers work to save historic rural churches.
#909
Reporter Sarah Gardner shares a unique look at American agriculture as depicted by artists who
share a view of the nation’s rural landscapes in colorful and dramatic ways. You’ll meet a
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Minnesota artist who created a career in painting cows. Travel to Nebraska where art students
expand their horizons on a one of a kind art farm. California artists and farmers share space to
capture Golden State images and we’ll take you to Colorado where one artist uses grain silos to
create a huge canvass that celebrates rural living.
#910
Rob Stewart is taking us cross country this time for a visit to some of the fairs and festivals that
celebrate our rural lifestyle. You’ll head for some good eating at the National Cornbread Festival
in Tennessee. You’ll meet a Wisconsin teenager whose future lies in dairy farming, but whose
hobby is demolition derby driving at rural county fairs. Country cooking is on the menu as Chef
Sharon Vaknin serves up tasty dishes using barley and a small Iowa city pulls out all the stops
for its annual town festival.
#911
Reporter Sarah Gardner says that sheep have been a mainstay of agriculture for thousands of
years. Used for food and fabric, sheep are an important agricultural commodity in many parts of
the world. We head for Arizona’s badlands on an unusual sheep drive. Meet an Idaho family
raising award winning sheep. Sarah tests her wool wrangling abilities at a Tennessee sheep
shearing school and we’ll travel to Nevada where wooly white animals help prevent wildfires.
#912
Rob Stewart says dairy foods are an important part of the daily diets for many people: milk in
their morning cereal, yogurt for lunch, even cheese and crackers as a party appetizer. Rob shows
us how Idaho dairy farmers work to protect rivers and streams. Meet a Tennessee couple making
award winning goat cheese. We’ll run down the steps in making Cottage Cheese in “Off the
Shelf”, discover a flavorful dairy dish for your next party in “Farm to Fork” and go door to door
for home delivery with a Minnesota milkman.
#913
Jason Shoultz discovers how a direct to consumer sales program has brought success to a
California organic Farm. A Nebraska farm family cashes in on a growing demand for gluten free
flour made from sorghum. Stefanie Cruz explains just what gluten is and how it affects those
with digestive disorders. And school children in Virginia help farmers succeed with a farm to
school program that brings local products into the lunchroom.
#914
Reporter John Lobertini takes us to the rocky coast of Maine where lobster fishermen are facing
new challenges as they harvest crustaceans from the Atlantic Ocean. Sarah Gardner discovers
how Arkansas farmers are finding fish farming to be profitable-hundreds of miles from the
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ocean. And a special kind of oyster farming in Maryland’s is helping clean up pollution in
Chesapeake Bay.
#915
Reporter Rob Stewart says that it’s usually sons and daughters that follow in the footsteps of
their farming parents. At this Indiana farm, however, it’s dad who’s returned to the farm after a
long career away from the land. Akiba Howard visits a Nebraska wheat farm where the parents
are giving their young children the skills to one day take over their farming operations. Jason
Shoultz travels to Africa to see how American wheat is benefitting food choices for both people
and animals. And we visit an Idaho farm where the focus is all about barley to create distinctive
beers.
#916
Reporter Rob Stewart meets a group of young people just starting out in farming. They’ve gone
back to school to learn all about agriculture at the California Farm Academy. Then, we meet
some young people handling farming chores on a daily basis. Not on a farm, however, this is
right in the heart of Philadelphia’s inner city. And Jason Shoultz meets a young Florida couple
teaching others about organic farming with some hands on lessons at their produce farm.
#917
Reporter Sarah Gardner rounds up some Texas Longhorn cattle. These cows, however, aren’t in
the Lone Star State. A Kansas Ranching family changes the color of their cattle to improve the
brand. Law Enforcement officials in California work to stop modern day cattle rustlers. Rob
Stewart travels to Idaho to meet a cattle ranching family that’s added Elk ranching to their
rangeland.
#918
It’s all about wine. Rob Stewart does some research on how lab work off the farm is improving
the vintage for one California winemaker. African American vintners tap into new markets.
Jason Shoultz gives you some background on wine and grapes. And making beer is a multifamily affair at the 7 Brides Brewery in Oregon.
#919
Akiba Howard finds two Nebraska women using the internet to help promote rural living in
Nebraska. Sarah Gardner discovers that technology is making it possible for North Carolina
farmers to better reach consumers. Two Kansas farm wives connect with city folks and rural
residents with blogs on their new lives on the farm. And smartphone apps make it possible to
improve crop yields for farmers in third world nations.
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#920
Rob Stewart finds a number of city folks who relish vacations on the farm…even helping to
bring in the crops. Urban gardening programs in Kansas City help youngster to eat healthier.
And a historic farm in the heart of Boston benefits consumers looking for fresh produce and
youngsters who enjoy a rural vacation in the heart of the city.
#921
Visit a working dog training school in Nebraska where dogs learn how to handle sheep and cattle
roundups. A Texas program takes feral cats and provides them to farmers and ranchers to help
battle rodent problems. U.S. Customs agents use specially trained dogs to discover unwelcome
pests coming in from shipments overseas. Barn owls help to keep down pest populations in
California vineyards.
#922
Rob Stewart introduces us to New Mexico ranchers who work in helping farmers in Third World
nations has taken him to Africa and Eastern Europe. One California City claims that title of Farm
to Table capital in America. Travel to Sacramento where farmers and consumers get together to
enjoy the bounty of the Golden State. And city residents in Boston join with Massachusetts
farmers on a gleaners program that delivers fresh produce to those facing hunger in New
England.
Season X
#1001
Sample new varieties of sunflower snacks. Check out the research to “build a better tomato.” See
how the National Seed Bank protects America’s crops. Dig into the story of how science is
improving our soils.
#1002
Discover the dirt on farming without soil. Climb to the heights for a look at a supermarket
rooftop garden. Scientists bring in a colorful crop of algae. And haul in a watery harvest of
seaweed.
#1003
Uncover the secret of Louisiana’s most famous hot sauce. Visit the Ohio farm where Hollywood
came to stay. Connect with the past in renovating century old barns. Uncover the farming “roots”
of America’s first president.
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#1004
Travel to Colorado where potato farmers race to bring in the harvest. Discover new varieties of
spuds making their way to you dinner table. Savor the sweet flavor of famous sweet potatoes
from Arkansas.
#1005
Meet a California man taking a “spirited” approach to making artisanal vodka. Visit a Kentucky
farm where the crop is all about bourbon. Discover a famous winery in the heart of corn country.
Travel back in time to sample coffee in the islands of Hawaii.
#1006
Bring your basket to pick fresh peaches at a famous Delaware orchard. Meet the Alabama chef
supporting home grown farming. Take your pick of tropical produce at a Hawaiian farmers
market.
#1007
Meet some city folks in Albuquerque trying out urban farming. Discover a centuries old farm in
the heart of New York. Haul in the harvest with a New England farm family holding back their
suburban neighbors. Move into the dark for a California mushroom harvest.
#1008
Travel to South Carolina where one family has been harvesting sweet peaches for almost a
century. Take to the fields for a crop of bright red cranberries. Tap into some sweet Vermont
maple syrup. Take your pick of tasty California strawberries.
#1009
Travel to Michigan where new farm technology improves water quality. Meet a Louisiana
sugarcane farmer working to save soil for the future.
#1010
Sample the tasty flavors of bacon! Meet the farmers, chefs and food critics for whom bacon is
the perfect meat for the meal.
#1011
Meet an Alabama farmer who credits a serious accident for his success. Set sail off the coast of
New England for a harvest of seafood. Discover how Florida officials battle bugs and bacteria to
make our food safer. Take to the woods to face a challenge from feral hogs.
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#1012
Head to class with high school students learning to be farmers. Jump aboard a New Jersey school
bus powered by soybeans. Meet a Minnesota farmer with an environmental message for third
grade students.
#1013
It’s all about cotton! Come along for a Louisiana cotton harvest. Learn how cotton fibers are
transformed into denim jeans. Find out why cotton seed is a favorite with dairy farmers.
#1014
Find out how climate change is affecting American agriculture. Travel to Washington State
where farmers learn to do more with less water. Take to the fields as Georgia farmers use new
technology to stretch scare water supplies. Join researchers in Florida working to create drought
resistant lawns.
#1015
Visit an Illinois heritage farm dedicated to teaching city folks about agriculture. Meet a South
Carolina woman creating a one of a kind botanical garden. Bring in the harvest at an urban farm
in Oakland, California. Ring the dinner bell for beef and beans at a chuck wagon cookout in
Arizona.
#1016
Join American veterans starting new lives as farmers. Meet new Hmong immigrants taking
agriculture classes in Minnesota. Bring in the livestock on a farm school in Massachusetts.
#1017
Saddle up for a modern day cattle drive. Join the California ranchers moving their herd to find
better pasture for their livestock. It’s a long dusty road on a hard driving day.
#1018
Join a cattle roundup at the world famous Hearst Castle in California. Set sail with fishermen
hauling in the catch off the North Carolina coast. Raise a glass of award winning wine
from….Wyoming!
#1019
Sweet and special sugar beets. Join North Dakota farmers as they harvest sugar beets around the
clock. Discover how the pink and white beets are transformed into sugar for soft drinks and
desserts.
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#1020
Meet an Illinois chef raising vegetables on the roof of his restaurant. Georgia farmers haul in a
harvest of sweet juicy peaches. A California family makes the move to the country to raise
colorful irises.
#1021
Meet a California forester transforming old growth timber into spectacular furniture. Reel in a
catch of wild salmon at a Montana cattle ranch. Find out how a Utah farm family improved their
profits by entertaining city folks.
#1022
Join a Kentucky woman whose spinning classes preserve an American tradition. Meet a
Wyoming rancher using goats to solve his weed problems. Travel to South Carolina where
unusual livestock improves the profit margin for one woman farmer.
Season XI
#1101
California rice farmer sells direct to consumers. A Virginia farm sets national record(s) for corn
harvests. Farm to fork turkey burgers. Wisconsin’s “Farm to School” program celebrates local
crops as students learn to eat healthier.
#1102
New Mexico poultry farmers use yurts to raise “free range” birds. Montana sheep ranchers move
thousands of sheep to winter pasture. Louisiana’s Loyd Hall Plantation celebrates two centuries
of farming. An Illinois farm mixes agriculture and aerospace parts production.
#1103
Arizona farmers raise record crops in America’s “Winter Salad Bowl.” Farmers donate crops to
Florida food programs. Farm to fork cauliflower frittata. Montana farmers develop new crops to
meet gluten free demands.
#1104
A California farmer helps you raise exotic mushrooms at home. A New Mexico program for
beginning farmers. Native American tribes bring in a wild rice harvest in Minnesota. Mississippi
rural life is celebrated in blues music.
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#1105
An Ohio farm family sells to markets overseas. A young Virginian returns to his farming roots.
Farm to fork carrot soup. The “Big Apple” means produce success for a New York farm family.
#1106
Arkansas soybeans make their way into dozens of products. Georgia farmers haul in a harvest of
peanuts. Equine fans celebrate Tennessee “Mule Days.” It’s a field of spiny plants for Arizona
cactus farmers.
#1107
A California farmer finds success with sweet potato vodka. Iowa farmers turn their corn fields
into vineyards. Farm to Fork Candied Orange Salad. Wisconsin’s “Sassy Cows Creamery”
creates specialty dairy products.
#1108
A Florida farm family delivers early season blueberries. Government research works to save our
declining honeybee population. Pennsylvania’s “Barn Saver” keeps rural history alive - one
board at a time. Tulip farming in Oregon.
#1109
The growing popularity of “farm stay” vacations. Wisconsin farmers turn cattle waste into
electricity. Farm to fork Mushroom Pasta. Award winning Florida woman rancher mixes cattle
and conservation.
#1110
Saddle up for a special Utah cattle drive. Three days on horseback bring city slickers and ranch
hands together to move a cattle herd to summer pasture.
#1111
A Colorado program helps veterans become farmers. A traveling school program encourages
careers in agriculture. Students learn blacksmithing schools in Kentucky.
#1112
Sustainable farm practices save water and energy at California wineries. A South Dakota family
uses new technologies to bring their winter wheat to consumers. Efforts in Kansas to save
historic prairie grass regions. Riding California’s high country with wild Mustangs.
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#1113
Country music star Rodney Dillard returns to his farming roots. Cowboy musician Michael
Martin Murphey saddles up for a concert honoring farmers and ranchers. California farmers
recreate an old time harvest.
#1114
A successful Florida woman rancher’s work centers on cattle and conservation. Beginning
farmers in Oregon take an “old school” approach in working their land with draft horses. A palm
tree harvest at a California date ranch. It’s a farm to beer connection in Milwaukee.
#1115
A New England family works to make a 300 year old farm successful. An Illinois farm family
sees soybeans as critical to America’s overseas trade. A holiday drive jump starts a flower farm
career for a California family.
#1116
It’s milk bottling, race cars and baseball at a special Oregon Dairy. Traveling cows teach
California students about agriculture. Maple sugar making at a historic New England farm
community. Beekeepers harvest special “Tupelo Honey.”
#1117
Learning new skills at sheep shearing school. California cattle ranchers work to save historic
grasslands. Heavy lifting at a Georgia watermelon harvest.
#1118
It’s all about olive oil! New techniques in raising a centuries old farm product. Olive oil
producers compete for the best in show. Consumers learn about cooking correctly.
#1119
Bringing buffalo back to Illinois grasslands. A California man’s hobby becomes a successful
winemaking operation. Farm to fork rice main dish meals. A Minnesota company transforms
farm fresh cucumbers into old time pickle favorites.
#1120
A Florida ranch helps troubled youths find a better future. California farmers rush to deliver
fresh seasonal asparagus. Iowa’s historic Amana Colonies continue a farming tradition.
Discover how farm fresh sausage kicked off the Bob Evans Restaurants story.
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