America's Heartland

A 200-year-old Tennessee farm that's home to a very famous pig, an Oregon tulip farm that draws a quarter million visitors, California avocado farmers delivering heart-healthy recipes, and some fast facts about fiber in your diet.

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.

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.

Saddle up with the city folk and celebrate great American cowboys and ranches on a cattle drive in Utah. Meet a young Colorado woman who works with environmentalists to protect our land. Want to be cowboy? First, see what it's like moving ten thousand cattle to range.

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.

Washington farmers deliver a big, 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.

Bluegrass musician Rodney Dillard makes a move back to his family farm. Singer-Songwriter Jewel shows off her music and her Texas ranch. Michael Martin Murphey's lifelong effort supporting all of those who make their living in agriculture. A Mississippi farmer celebrates Blues music as part of his farm's rural roots.

A Washington farm family ties environmental well-being to their winter wheat crop. Hydroponic farming helps produce ingredients for some tasty recipes. 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.

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.

The Wild Horse Sanctuary in northern California is saving wild mustangs. The Padlock Cattle Ranch welcomes visitors who are a far from the landscape of their urban homes. Customers come to pick the fruit at Michigan's Westview Orchards. Kansas is home to some unusual agritourism attractions. Shearer Hill Farm plays host to visitors who sample country cooking and unique vacation opportunities.

You'll meet an Illinois farm family whose soybeans are an essential ingredient for products in your home. Travel to Texas where a little goat wrangling serves up some delicious cheese. And we'll take you to Connecticut where these farmers have wrapped up the market in cigar tobacco.

Don't miss the chance to meet Miss America 2011, who travels to Iowa to visit a very special farm. Then, learn how an Indiana man changed careers from telecommunications to tilling soil, and discover how the food on your table may be improved in the future.\

Encounter a dairy farmer who says that his work as a veterinarian has a direct influence in delivering better milk to your breakfast table. Then, travel to Texas for a peachy dessert and visit the last family farm in an historic New England town.

Travel with some Illinois farmers, whose work takes them from the back-40 and into outer space. Find out whether your favorite wine comes from vines protected by owls and farmers in Michigan are taking part in a new program that promotes sustainability and addresses water and soil quality issues.

Learn about an Iowa crop that may exceed your expectations of corn and soybeans: wine. Then, a Tennessee couple explains their technique for producing rare cheese, and experience how one family in California goes the extra mile to stay on the land.

Traverse the golden plains and purple mountains majesty as this special edition takes you to our favorite heartland destinations. It's the scenic wonders that draw travelers back, and you'll uncover people, places, and scenery to check off your list.

Unravel the secrets behind new research that shows Washington State farmers how to grow more wheat with less water. Then, tempt your taste buds with apples in New Jersey and gain knowledge about turkeys you may not have previously had.

Learn lessons as you go back to class at a summer farm school in New England. Then, accompany Jason Shoultz to unravel a mystery of meat, and join California nuns in the tasty tradition of making olive oil.

On this special edition of America's Heartland, we celebrate Americans who work together to make a difference. Meet individuals whose personal stories have inspired others to continue traditions of working the land, despite hardships and disabilities.

Acquaint yourself with youth participating in a Florida farm program that helps them face troubling life experiences. Then, find ideas for serving a colorful vegetable, and Kansas women introduce their farms and families through the internet.

Examine the smartphone's potential for farming as Illinois folks explain how technology could benefit crops in third-world nations. Then, explore the story of how soybeans became a prevalent part of our diet and travel to California to harvest a glowing white crop of salt.

Find out where California rice farmers have found a market for Japanese-style sake. Then, discover how Cleopatra and pickles connect to beauty and how an Indiana man breathes life into historic windmills.