Announcer: America's Heartland
is made possible by....

Who grows our economy?

Who ships
nearly 100 billion dollars

of crops and products
to many nations?

Who provides
more than 24 million jobs

here at home?

Who?

America's farm families
brought to you on behalf

of America's farmers
by Monsanto.

....and by the American
Farm Bureau Federation

- the voice of agriculture.

I'm Yolanda Vazquez.

We'll take you
back to school this week

for a lesson on energy.

We're in Medford, New Jersey
where one school district

has discovered
that bio fuels

made from soybeans
can get the kids to school

on time.

I'm Rob Stewart.

We're taking you
to Nebraska

to meet some hard working
farm hands.

But these are
four-legged farm hands :

herding dogs
whose skills make life

a lot easier
for sheep and cattle ranchers.

I'm Jason Shoultz.

Family success
smells pretty sweet

here in Minnesota.

I'll take you
to the area's largest grower

of flowers.

It's all coming up
on America's Heartland .

♪ You can see it in the eyes of
every woman and man ♪

♪ in America's Heartland
living close to the land. ♪

♪ There's a love
for the country ♪

♪ and a pride in the brand ♪

♪ in America's Heartland
living close, ♪

♪ close to the land. ♪

Yolanda: Not a day goes by
that we don't hear something

about fossil fuels
and being more

energy independent.

Research projects
continue to focus

on agriculture's role
in the solution

whether that be
ethanol or bio fuels

made from crops.

Well for one school district
here in New Jersey,

the research
has long been a reality.

Riding to school
in Medford, New Jersey,

these elementary students
are beginning their day

with a real-life demonstration
on energy alternatives.

And if you ask them,
they'll tell you

why their big yellow
school buses are different.

Kids: Bio-diesel!

Bio-diesel!

Yolanda: In the late 90's,
the Medford Township

School District
decided to begin using bio-fuels

in their buses,
a B-20 blend

with 20% of the fuel mix
created with bio diesel

made from soybean oil.

Joe: This is
a farming community.

This community,
Medford Township,

was based
on the agriculture industry.

Yolanda: Joe Biluck
is the Director of Operations

and Technology
for the Medford School District.

He says
with more than 400,000

school buses in the U.S.,
bio diesel provides

an opportunity
to be more energy efficient

and support agriculture.

Joe: We have consumed
about 750,000 gallons

of bio diesel.

We have reduced diesel emissions
by some 120,000 pounds

over the last 12 years.

Our fleet expenses
have been reduced

by some $120,000
over the last 12 years.

So you see
that there are various layers

of benefits
to using bio diesel

and alternative fuels.

Yolanda: But learning
about agriculture's role

in creating energy alternatives
doesn't end with riding the bus.

Energy and the environment
are often the topics

of conversation
in David Khanlian's

fifth grade class.

David: What makes it renewable?

Do you remember Jess?

Jess: Yes,
the fossil fuels

are used from fossils
which are harder to get.

But the bio diesel
is made from plants

and such stuff.

David: How many of you
would say you know something

about bio diesel?

The buses are healthier
because we're putting

healthier fuel in them.

The bio-diesel
is better for them,

and that allows the engines
to run smoother,

to be less strained,
to run longer,

and to last longer.

Olivia: I learned
that they have to,

like,
crush the soybeans

to get the oil out.

And then they turn the oil
into like this orange stuff.

So that is bio diesel.

David: I want to introduce
Mr. Steve McCracken.

Yolanda: As part of the studies,
outside speakers

visit the classrooms.

Steve: The importance of bio
diesel is that we're starting

to use products
that are created here

in America from our farms.

We're able to use and create
more products

and more value
from products that are grown

right here in the United States.

Yolanda: The bio fuel blend
creates another distinction

as the buses roll down the road.

Boy: It smells really good.

It smells like French fries.

Kids: French fries!

Yolanda: But Medford schools
aren't the only place

you'll find bio fuels
made from soybeans.

Locals use it
to power their vehicles

(and) even heat their homes.

Steven: It's important
for our community.

It's important for our children.

It's better for the air.

It's better
for the environment.

And I think
it's a responsible thing to do

for both us and the community.

It's a wonderful way to go.

Yolanda: State and federal
tax breaks

along with incentive programs
have encouraged

the use of bio fuels
in school districts nationwide,

a focus on energy from plants
and not petroleum.

Olivia: When I ride on the bus,
knowing that it's running

on bio diesel fuel,
it feels good

because it's making
the earth better

for everybody.

Kids: Thank you, farmers!

Announcer:
Iowa, Illinois,

Minnesota and Indiana
are some of the top

soybean producing states
in the nation.

In addition to bio diesel,
soybeans are used

to make everything
from soy milk

to furniture polish
(and) even crayons.

In fact,
one acre of soybeans

can produce more
than 80,000 colorful crayons.

Jason: Valentine's Day,
Mother's Day,

get-well,
funerals,

(and) of course
the "Forgive me" flowers!

Yes, flowers are truly
a blooming business

in the United States.

And here in Minnesota
for one family,

success has been growing.

Time to pack the roses!

When you sell
upwards of two million

of these beautifully
colored flowers a year,

you've got to be efficient.

And that's exactly
what Len Busch Roses

in Plymouth, Minnesota
prides itself on.

And it's not just roses
growing under glass.

Patrick: We produce
about 2 million tulips,

couple million roses,
half a million alstroemeria,

(and) half a million lilies.

Gerbers?

Half a million!

Other miscellaneous flowers?

Maybe half a million?

I don't know
what that adds up to.

It's about six,
six to seven

million total stems!

Jason: Don't forget
some 5-hundred-thousand

potted plants!

Hang around long enough,
and you start thinking

that maybe
they should change their name.

There's a lot more
than roses going on

at Len Busch Roses .

The company
sells flowers and plants

to florists and supermarkets
in a 200 mile radius

around the Minneapolis area.

The business was started
back in 1965 by who else?

Len Busch!

Len: My goal?

I had a goal, one thing:

trying to feed my family.

And I was able to do that.

And I was really proud of that.

Then we reached
a fair amount of success.

Jason: Len has retired
from running the business

although he is truly
still over everyone

when he's
in his helicopter

surveying
the 500-thousand square feet

of greenhouses.

Having Len close by
is handy for the latest guy

in charge of Len Busch Roses ,
Len's son Patrick.

Patrick: My dad started
our business,

and he started
in challenging times

with not a lot of support.

And he rose
to be one of the nation's

top rose growers
in the industry.

So that brings with it
the need to do well.

Jason: While respecting
the history of the flower empire

his father built,
Patrick says modern challenges

in the flower industry
help keep him and his team

focused on the future.

Patrick: The market's different.

A lot of things
are different than they were.

And we are making
some good solid headway

right now.

Jason:
Diversification is critical

to their success here.

And keeping costs down
is also important.

Most large-scale
flower producers

are in warmer climates
along the equator.

So heating greenhouses
in Minnesota in the winter

could become very expensive
very quickly.

So Len Busch Roses
uses tree and brush trimmings,

from area landscapers
and tree trimmers,

to heat the facility.

Patrick X.: Our boilers are
capable of burning green wood.

Also as it dries down,
it can handle that as well.

And that gives us
a little more efficiency,

but we can burn wood
which is typically

when it is green.

It's about 50 percent moisture:
half water.

Jason: How much of this
do you go through a year?

Patrick X.: That would be
about 12 to 13 thousand tons.

Or the semi you saw earlier
which is a hundred-yard load?

It's about 500 semi-loads.

Jason: It costs about
a fifth of what it would take

to heat the greenhouses
with natural gas.

It's also
more environmentally friendly.

The company uses
advanced pest-management

practices
to battle tiny bugs

that can do serious damage
to flowers and plants.

So when you've got
a flower like this

that has this white on it,
you can't sell it?

Emily: Correct!

Yep,
we want perfect flowers:

no pests, no damage.

There are a lot of restrictions
on chemical use.

I have to really be careful
that we don't go over

the number of times per year
that we can use

different chemicals.

Also using bio-control
is safer to the plants.

It's less likely
to damage the flowers.

Patrick: It's the size
of the flowers,

the depth of color,
the vase-life,

and the lack
of any kind of damage

that will separate our flowers
from what we compete against.

We typically
have to get anywhere

from 25 percent
to almost double

the market price
in order to be able

to competitively grow
(flowers) up here.

So the quality
has to be that much better.

Jason: Len Busch Roses
is also working to use

their Minnesota-grown origins
as a way to market

their flowers.

They may cost more,
but Patrick says

it's worth it!

Patrick: Most people are not
fully aware

of how long it really takes
to get flowers from overseas

to the U.S.

A typical flower
can be five to seven days.

It's very difficult
to get it here

in less than that time
especially in the upper Midwest.

Jason: (It's) a family business
staying current

with modern trends
and demands,

trying to preserve
a business

that's been growing
for 45 years!

Patrick: You tell people
that you grow flowers,

and they go, "Really?"

They give you
kind of a funny look.

But for those of us
in the industry,

we love it.

Announcer: Here's something
for you love birds.

Legend has it
that roses first grew thorns

when Cupid shot an arrow
into a rose garden.

Some people
like to consume rose petals

on pastries and cakes.

And the seed pods of roses
called rose hips

are a good source of vitamin C.

I'm Rob Stewart.

And still ahead,
we'll take you to Nebraska

where some of the busiest
farm hands are working dogs

tending to herds
of sheep and cattle.

Stay with us!

I'm Stephanie O'Neill.

Still ahead,
we'll take you

to a unique park
in southern California

where city folks
can learn about the protecting

open spaces for recreation
and putting food

on their table.

♪♪

Hi,
I'm Paul Robins.

And here's something
you may not have known

about agriculture.

The artichoke
is perhaps the most

interesting vegetable on earth.

Now I say vegetable ,
but when it comes

to sampling this plant,
you're actually dining

on flowers.

That's because
the thick green scales

of the artichoke
are actually the flower bud

of a member
of the thistle family.

Greek legends
say that the god Zeus

created the artichoke
when he expelled a young woman

from Mount Olympus.

Hurled back to earth,
she transformed

into the artichoke plant.

Greeks and Romans
considered the delicacy

a love potion.

And by the 17th century,
artichokes were a favorite

all across Europe.

French settlers
brought the plant

to the Americas
(by) first raising them

in the Louisiana Territory.

Today California grows
the lion's share

of the artichokes in the U.S.

And a bit of American history:
Martha Washington's cookbook

had a recipe for artichokes.

Virtually fat free,
artichokes are a good source

of vitamin C,
low in sodium,

and low in calories as well.

And Americans are split
on the best condiment

to use when eating
this vegetable.

Some like butter.

Some like mayonnaise
with garlic.

I'll take either one.

Or even better: both!

Rob: Well almost everyone
loves dogs.

We've all heard the saying,
dogs are a man's best friend ,

right?

Well here in the heartland,
that friend

can also serve ranchers well
by being their best hand .

Why you ask?

Well when it comes
to herding sheep and cattle,

a dog can do
a day's work and more !

♪♪

They're hopping,
huffing,

and herding!

John: Lie Down!

LIE DOWN!

I'm John Holman.

And I'm
a Nebraska Stock Dog Trainer.

Rob: Welcome to Clay Center,
Nebraska where John Holman

runs Dog 4 Ewe
Border Collie Training .

Here he's training dogs
to herd sheep and cattle.

Today's classroom
is the pasture,

and it's drooling with dogs!

Meet Mick,

Lee,

Sweet Savvy,

and Pete,
today's new pup of the pack.

But the top dog today is Mick,
just panting

for John's canine commands.

John: Steady Mick.

Walk up,
WALK UP!

Good boy!

Way to me!

Bringing my sheep in!

Rob: What were those commands,
and what do they mean?

John: All right,
I send him out

to the right first,
or what we say counterclockwise

around the sheep.

That's an
away to me.

Rob: Away to me?

John: Clockwise
around the livestock

is a go by .

Rob: Go by!

John: Take time
means to slow down.

Walk up
means to stop.

Usually it means
he's been running

around the stock.

Get into the right position,
and then I say there .

Walk up means
come straight to your livestock

so that they can move
the stock off

in the right direction.

Rob: All across the heartland,
working dogs are used

to move sheep,
cattle and goats

in that right direction .

Those skills come
from training

and a dog's natural instinct.

These collies
are natural herders,

and they're eager
to please their owners.

But they must be taught
to move the sheep

instead of keeping them
penned up.

And so we see Mick here
with the sheep

in front of him,
and Mick is just moving them

from pasture to pasture
like that.

John: Sure, sure.

He has total control
of this livestock.

I tell him where I want them,
and he puts them there.

If I really want
to get specific,

I can tell him how to do it.

But most times I don't have to.

Rob: And they obey him
unbelievably.

John: You know,
I got caught without a dog

this morning.

I was just on my way to work,
and I stopped by here

and tried to do something
without the dog.

It is so frustrating!

They really do put you
in control of your livestock.

Rob: That's why farmers
and ranchers

depend on stock dogs nationwide.

John: Low-stress livestock,
work and handling,

the dogs take the sheep out
to graze or the cattle

from one pasture to another.

You know it all works
into the stewardship

of the land.

Rob: John Holman tells farmers
that dogs moving sheep

and cattle
can save time and money

on the range.

John: Absolutely!

In fact
if you're talking about

mounted cowboys and stuff,
they'll take the place

of two guys on horseback
that know what they're doing.

They can go places
that the horses can't get to:

under brush and into stuff
where maybe the cattle

just plow in to be obnoxious.

They can get in there
and get a hold of the cow

by the heel or by the nose
and bring him out

where he can get control
of him again.

Rob: Talk about a power tool!

John: It's kind of a power trip
when you get good at it.

Rob: The power trip
is exactly why Amy Novak

is here with her dog Honey.

Amy: Lie down!

John: Good job!

That's a good move, Amy!

Step in front like that!

Rob: John usually works
with farmers and ranchers

to train their border collies.

But Amy is here
to get away from her busy

professional life.

Amy: It's a thrill!

It's a rush!

An adrenaline rush!

And until you ever do it,
you don't understand it.

It's a treat.

It's my time away,
my therapy,

to get away and come out
with the stock

and with the dogs
and do something I enjoy

and get away
from my normal,

everyday life.

John: Pete, you ready to go?

C'mon Pete!

Rob: Pete is a farm dog
and just arrived

to learn John's skills
before returning to the ranch

to help his owner's herd.

John: He's got
some pretty good breeding.

I saw his registration papers,
and so I'm kind of excited

to see what he'll do.

Rob: John teaches Pete
using his tone of voice

and body language
to direct where he wants Pete

to send the sheep.

John can tell
if the dog is ready.

John: When I first take
a dog out to stock,

first I want to see
if he's interested

which he's already showing me
a little bit of interest.

I want him to know
that I'm going to be in control

of what we're doing.

I kind of control
the pace of this whole thing.

And I'm gonna...see?

He's eyeballing them already,
dancing around a little,

trying to balance on 'em.

That's all good signs.

He's got concentration,
and we like that.

Rob: John says Pete's a natural.

National and local awards
for his prize dogs

line John's home office.

And the dogs
aren't the only ones

enjoying the competition.

John: I do really love it.

I can hardly
even describe the feeling.

When things work well
and you get the job done

so well,
whether it's a job at home

or a trial at a competition
I go to

and we ace a course,
and we get around it just great,

it is like
a top-of-the-world

kind of feeling
to know that you have

a partner out there
who's ready to go

rain or shine
or blizzards or heat

or whatever.

He's right there
or she's right there

the instant you call them
in the morning,

and they're with you
all day long

if you want them to be.

Announcer:
Great senses of sight,

smell and hearing
help our canine companions

do their jobs
on the farm and off.

It's estimated
that dogs can hear

four times better than humans.

Their night vision
is five times better.

And their sense of smell
is more than 40 times sharper

than our noses.

♪♪

Jason: If you're
making decisions

about dairy these days,
you have lots of choices:

milk, yogurt, ice cream!

Who doesn't like French Vanilla
or Chocolate Chip?

And if you like
variety in your diet,

cheese is probably on your list.

And that gives you
plenty of choices off the shelf.

Cheese is one of
our favorite foods.

Ever wonder how it's made?

Well, milk is curdled
with an enzyme called rennet.

The curds are then drained,
squeezed,

flavored and aged,
sometimes for months.

Cheese is a good source
of Calcium along with Vitamins A

and B-12.

And some varieties of cheese
can even help

reduce tooth decay.

Thanks to pizza,
Mozzarella is the country's