America's Heartland

Haul in a harvest of bright red Washington cherries. Discover how a deadly citrus disease threatens Florida orange juice producers. Examine the research in helping honeybee colonies survive. Travel to California’s Ojai Valley to taste one-of-a-kind tangerines.

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.

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.

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, meet an Arkansas farmer raising special rice for Japanese diners, and a California rice grower saving wild duck eggs.

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 teachers young folks about agriculture.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Head for some good eating at the National Cornbread Festival in Tennessee. Meet a Wisconsin teenager whose future lies in dairy farming, but whose hobby is demolition derby driving at rural county fairs. Chef Sharon Vaknin serves up tasty dishes using barley, and a small Iowa city pulls out all the stops for its annual town festival.

Sheep have been a mainstay of agriculture for thousands of years. We head for Arizona’s badlands on an unusual sheep drive. 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.

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.

A direct to consumer sales program brings 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.

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 ocean.And a special kind of oyster farming in Maryland’s is helping clean up pollution in Chesapeake Bay.

A dad returns to the farm after a long career away from the land. Parents are giving their young children the skills to one day take over their Nebraska wheat farming operations. See how American wheat is benefitting food choices for both people and animals in Africa. Visit an Idaho farm where the focus is all about barley to create distinctive beers.

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. Meet some young people handling farming chores on a daily basis right in the heart of Philadelphia’s inner city. And a young Florida couple teaching others about organic farming with some hands on lessons at their produce farm.

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.

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 multi-family affair at the 7 Brides Brewery in Oregon.

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.

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.

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.

New Mexico ranchers helping farmers in Third World nations. Travel to Sacramento where farmers and consumers get together to enjoy the bounty of the Golden State. City residents in Boston join with Massachusetts farmers on a gleaners program that delivers fresh produce to those facing hunger in New England. Spicy Sweet Potato and Beef Stew Recipe.