AMERICA'S HEARTLAND Season 13
#1301: Reporter Sarah Gardner takes you to North Dakota where scientists are developing new kinds of sunflower seed snacks. Reporter Akiba Howard profiles research on “building a better tomato.” Jason Shoultz reveals how entire lines of seed stock are protected at the National Seed Bank. Reporter Stephanie O’Neill discovers how researchers in California and Pennsylvania work to improve soil for better crops.
#1302: 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.
#1303: Rob Stewart visits a California forester transforming hardwoods into heirloom furniture. Kristen Simoes travels to Montana where the Spring Creek Ranch diversifies their cattle operation with world class fly fishing. Sharon Profis hauls in a culinary catch with a shrimp and scallop bake. Jason Shoultz joins one farm family sharing their love of old time travel with horse and buggy outings.
#1304: 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.
#1305: 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.
#1306: Reporter Sarah Gardner takes us to New Mexico where urban gardening finds a growing fan base in Albuquerque. Yolanda Vazquez discovers a 300 year old farm in the heart of New York City. Jason Shoultz visits a New England farm family working to avoid the crush of urbanization in historic Lexington, Massachusetts. A California woman finds success by farming mushrooms in the heart of Sacramento.
#1307: 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.
#1308: Bring in a colorful harvest of irises with a California farm family. Visit the farm that has been one of the country's top corn producers every year since 2000. Sample a unique vintage of wine from Wyoming and join some New Mexico residents bringing the produce from an Albuquerque urban farm.
#1309: 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 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.
#1310: It’s all about cotton! Rob Stewart takes viewers to a Louisiana cotton harvest. You’ll learn how cotton fibers are transformed into denim jeans. And you’ll discover why cotton seed is a favorite with dairy farmers.
#1311: 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.
#1312: Rob Stewart takes us to the ranch of William Randolph Hearst. One of the most famous locations in America is home to a special grassfed cattle operation. Kristen Simoes travels down South to meet an Alabama woman rancher working to improve the environment. Jason Shoultz heads for the World Cattle Auctioneering Contest. An Arkansas ranch raises big buffalo.
#1313: Hitch up the team for an Arizona draft horse vacation. Log on to the blog of a Virginia farm family that champions agriculture. Test your agriculture knowledge - just what is “gluten free”? Join a Kentucky sheep roundup for one-of-a- kind wool creations.
#1314: Jason Shoultz visits a California rice farm where a focus on preserving wildlife is important to the farm’s future. Sarah Gardner heads for New England where city folks are a critical element in preserving one family’s farming heritage. Rob Stewart looks at the challenges faced by North Carolina goat ranchers in creating award winning cheese. John Lobertini travels to Utah where one family found success in matching ranching with recreation.
#1315: Travel to Louisiana to discover the secret of the world’s most famous hot sauce. Reporter Sarah Gardner travels back in time to learn more about George Washington….the farmer. Ohio’s Malabar farm has a distinguished past as a historic farm and the location for the Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall wedding. Reporter Rob Stewart takes you to Vermont where one man is working to save historic American barns.
#1316: 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.
#1317: Foodies celebrate artisanal wines and beers. Now a California man is serving up some very different kinds of beverages with artisanal Vodka! Kentucky is world famous for its bourbon and one farmer's corn is critical to the flavor of this special drink. Vacationers to Hawaii love to bring home Kona coffee. Reporter Sarah Gardner discovers what makes one coffee brand so unique. And while Nebraska is known as the “Cornhusker State”, one Nebraska farmer is staking his future on wine.
#1318: Reporter Jason Shoultz meets a Virginia farmer improving his profit margin by helping reduce pollution on his farm. A Louisiana family improves soil for their sugarcane farming operation. Sharon Profis is in the kitchen with a grilled peach recipe that delivers unusual flavor to a spicy meat topping. The State of Michigan works with farmers to improve the environment for city and rural residents.
#1319: Rob Stewart finds out how climate change is affecting American agriculture. Sarah Gardner travels to Washington State where farmers learn to do more with less water. Jason Shoultz takes to the fields as Georgia farmers use new technology to stretch scare water supplies. And Jason joins researchers in Florida working to create drought resistant lawns.
1320: From BLTs to breakfast, bacon is a staple on the menu for most Americans. With new recipes incorporating bacon into all kinds of dishes the popularity of bacon knows no bounds. Jason Shoultz visits a bacon festival in Colorado, a Chicago pub serving up beer and bacon pairings, a state fair bacon-booth and a bacon-themed food truck hitting the streets of Sacramento, California.
#1321: 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.
#1322: Sarah Gardner visits a farming program helping Armed Services veterans transition from combat to life on the land. Jason Shoultz travels to Minnesota where immigrant members of the Hmong community are starting out in farming. Sharon Profis heads to the kitchen for a unique recipe on deep fried avocado egg rolls. Rob Stewart heads to an outdoor classroom in Massachusetts teaching students about farming.