>>America's Heartland
is made possible by....

Farm Credit ,
owned by America's farmers

and ranchers.

Celebrating 95 years of service
to U.S. agriculture

and rural America.

Learn more at farmcredit.com.

The United Soybean Board ,
America's soybean farmers

and their checkoff.

And by the American
Farm Bureau Foundation

for Agriculture
dedicated to building

greater awareness
and understanding of agriculture

through education
and engagement.

>>I'm Rob Stewart.

Growing up on a farm or ranch
can give you a very special

start in life.

We'll take you to Florida
where that lifestyle

is giving urban youths a chance
to overcome obstacles.

>>I'm Dave Lieberman.

And today we're taking you
to New Jersey

where I'm cooking up
a couple dishes

made with farm fresh eggplant!

I think you're in for a treat.

>>Hi, I'm Paul Robins.

Coming up,
a little history

on what some folks call
the fruit of the gods,

a fruit made famous in song
by a holiday partridge!

>>If you live in the city,
have you ever thought about

what life would be like
on the farm?

Hi, I'm Sarah Gardner.

We're taking you
to Kansas this time

to meet some women who traded
their urban lifestyles

for new homes in the country.

And they're going online
to share that experiences

with the world.

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. ♪

>>We all face
challenges in life!

And sometimes
it's how we deal

with those challenges
that can determine

how we find ourselves
in the future.

Well, we found
a very special story in Florida,

a unique ranch
that teaches young students

all about agriculture
and life lessons from the land.

♪ ♪

This may look like
a regular ranch,

but look a little closer
and you'll quickly see

that this ranch
is putting lives back on track!

>>All right,
everybody's got their jobs!

Everybody knows what to do!

>>This is the Florida
Sheriffs Youth Ranch

in Live Oak,
a safe haven for 80 boys

living on a sprawling
3000 acre oasis

of grace,
hard work and 2nd chances.

Founded in 1957
by the Florida

Sheriffs Association,
thousands of lives

have been impacted here.

>>For the sheriffs in the state,
they see those kids

and those families
in their communities

that they know
are not being supervised.

They're failing in school,
they're running the streets,

and they know
that if this kid

doesn't get some help?

A year from now
(5 years from now, whatever)

they're going to be in our jail!

And we're tired of doing that.

We want to get them
before they get to that point

and give them the guidance
and structure they need

to go onto to be healthy,
successful adults.

>>There's a formula here
for changing young lives

into successful adults.

Ranch President Roger Bouchard
calls it the four pillars.

>>The whole idea
was to raise kids

the way you'd want
to raise your own kids!

And so those pillars got set.

It was work,
study,

play and pray.

And we just feel
like everybody's got to work.

Everybody's got to have a job.

So kids work hard.

>>Today that job
is herding cattle.

The boys, lead by farm manager
Jeff Parker,

are moving cows,
changing directions

to get them
into the correct pasture.

It's almost symbolic
of the path being

taken by the youngsters.

>>Teaching the boys
to be a part of something

greater than themselves
is probably the biggest thing

I want to impress upon them.

Regardless of how poor
or how wealthy you are,

there's something
you can do for somebody else

to better themselves.

>>For almost
every youngster here,

the rural experience
is a brand new thing

in their lives.

Nicholas Schultz
is from Detroit.

He's a senior at the
Boys Ranch.

>>What is it
about the rural lifestyle

that attracts you?

>>I love every part about it
from anything

from horses to cows
to just the peace and quiet

out in the country.

>>Under the guidance
of farm manager Jeff Parker,

Nicholas is learning
how to put up

a barbed wire fence.

At home in Detroit,
Nicholas was struggling

in school.

The ranch offered him
a new start,

mentoring,
guidance and hard work

to turn his life around.

>>It's kind of nice
to have a clean slate

and start fresh, isn't it?

>>Yes, sir!

>>What did that do
for you mentally

just to be able
to turn the page, you know?

>>Well, it took a lot of relief
off of my shoulders,

a sigh of relief,
thinking that I have a chance

to do everything over again
and do it for the best.

>>Everybody
deserves a 2nd chance.

>>Yes, sir.

>>Rashad Gardenhire
is a 2011 graduate

of the Boys Ranch.

He's come back today
to encourage

the younger students
to follow their dreams.

>>Did this place
change your life?

>>I would have to say yes.

Yes, for the better,
for the better.

Coming from, okay, the city?

I was in trouble, you know?

Everybody has a story, you know?

I was in trouble
in school a lot,

and home wasn't, you know,
really getting along at home

too much.

So when I came here,
I think I've decided

to make the change for myself.

Like right when I came here?

I got started on a good foot
'cause I knew I needed....

....I know I needed it,
you know?

I knew I needed it
so I was, I was....

....I realized
that this can be

the Rashad that, you know,
people, you know,

would like to be around,
you know,

'cause who likes trouble?

Nobody!

>>The students live in houses
staffed with host parents

on the ranch.

Rashad was a leader
in one of the homes.

His experience
and work here

earned him
a college scholarship.

>>What are you going to do?

>>What am I gonna do?

My plan is to go to....
....it's a debate right now

between 2 colleges.

But I'm leaning
towards Santa Fe

because it has my major.

>>Which is?

>>Nursing!

I am going to be
a pediatric nurse.

I want to work with kids.

>>So you want to help?

>>Yes!

>>And you speak about kids.

I can't help but think
how special it was

that you were over there
giving those new kids here

advice.

>>Yes, I like to
when I'm in the cottage,

you know?

We have 10 boys in the cottage,
and they consider me

as a leader
in the cottage, you know?

So I take upon the role,
and you gotta lead by example!

>>At the ranch's front gate
(for which each youngster

comes into the programs here)
there is a symbol

and a sign for the future.

The symbol?

A gate
representing the portal

to their next chapter in life.

The sign
is found under a giant tree.

It reads every acorn
can be a mighty oak.

Every boy
can be a successful man.

>>That really is
a beautiful statement

for this place.

>>And you know,
we get to see that happen

everyday here.

>>And you know what?

I heard that that statement
and that tree

mean so much to you
that it's going to be

your final resting place?

>>Yep!

>>They'll spread your ashes?

>>Spread my ashes under it!

>>No one can doubt
that this place

means a lot to you.

>>It means a lot,
means a lot.

A great place to be!

>>Florida holds top honors
when it comes

to orange production
in the United States,

most of that citrus crop
going into orange juice.

And as you might expect,
Florida's warm temperatures

make it the perfect environment
for produce production:

lots of those vegetables,
berries and melons

headed for markets
all across the country.

And while it may not be
what you associate with Florida,

the Sunshine State
raises a large number

of horses,
ponies and mules as well.

>>I'm Akiba Howard.

Let's talk about good food
and your well-being.

Proteins are an essential part
of a well-balanced diet.

But if some protein
is good for you,

is more protein better?

♪ ♪

>>You hear a lot about protein.

There are high protein diets
and low protein diets.

Protein shakes
are promoted for losing weight.

But what is protein,
and how does it figure

in the foods we need
to stay healthy?

Without getting too scientific,
protein is the major

structural component
of all cells in your body

especially muscle cells.

When you consume protein foods,
digestion will break down

the proteins
into amino acids

used by the body
for some really

essential stuff.

Most adults need
about 46 to 56 grams

of protein a day.

And the U.S.
Department of Agriculture

says that proteins
should be a significant part

of your diet.

Why?

Well, protein is needed
to preserve lean muscle mass,

tissue repair,
immune functions,

forming blood cells,
and especially

fostering growth functions
for children,

teens and pregnant women.

Where to find protein?

Well, if you're your heading
to the supermarket?

Meats, fish,
poultry, cheese,

eggs, nuts,
milk and beans

can provide you
with adequate amounts

of protein.

And while there is no
consensus on this question,

some studies suggest
that if you're involved

in endurance exercise
or weight training?

Additional protein
may be beneficial.

Remember too,
that some of the same foods

that provide protein
may have higher levels of fat.

And higher levels of fat
could be a factor

in the development
of heart disease.

Most of our
animal proteins

and some
of the vegetable proteins

are considered
complete proteins

with a full range
of amino acids.

And those on certain diets
that avoid animal proteins

may have to include
other protein rich foods

to get the full complement
of amino offerings.

One more word
on additional protein!

Very high protein diets
are not recommended

for most people.

And they can aggravate
existing health conditions.

So as with many things
in your nutritional profile,

a balanced diet is important.

>>I'm Sarah Gardner.

Still ahead,
we'll take you to Kansas

to meet some
formerly urban females

sharing their new
farm wife experiences

and telling the tale online.

♪ ♪

>>Most farmers
have to bring their product

to the consumer.

But here at Lee Turkey Farm
in East Windsor, New Jersey?

The consumer
comes to the product!

Isn't that right, Ronnie?

>>That's correct!

>>This is a u-pick-it farm?

>>U-pick farm, correct!

>>Tell me about how it works.

>>Well, how it works
is people come here

with their families mostly
(it's a family event)

and they want to get
fresh produce

along with the experience
of finding out

that fruits and vegetables
don't just come

from the aisles
in a supermarket.

>>So I know this farm
has been in the family

for awhile.

Has it always been
a u-pick-farm?

>>Well, the farm
has been in the family

since 1868.

I'm the 6th generation!

And no,
it hasn't always been u-pick.

My father and mother
started it in 1964.

And this was
the very first one

to go all together
retail u pick in New Jersey.

>>So Ronnie,
you've got some brussel sprouts

growing here.

That's a late growing crop.

Is that how you keep customers
coming out sort of year round

with different crops
that come at different times?

>>Absolutely!

You could have a billboard
saying you've got

brussel sprouts?

Nobody's coming.

>>Yeah, not everyone loves
brussel sprouts!

>>Right,
but if you have a sign

saying strawberries or peaches
or apples or pumpkins?

They're coming!

And then what you do
is you plant the broccoli

and the brussel sprouts
and the other little vegetables

along the way.

And as they're coming out
to pick?

They see them.

They buy them!

>>Ronnie,
you got a ton

of eggplants here.

>>Many farmers
grow eggplant in New Jersey.

New Jersey
is the number 1 producer

in the United States!

>>Is that because the climate
is so good, you think?

>>That....
....the climate is huge

and just that we have
a very large amount of people

that just like eggplant!

>>How do you like
to pick the eggplant?

What do you look for
when you're picking eggplant?

>>Well, when I'm looking
to pick eggplant?

I'm looking for good dark color!

But eggplant for the most part?

Whether it's big or small,
it's gonna taste the same!

It's kind of like peppers.

>>Ronnie,
this cabbage looks great.

But I know it's been
a tough year in terms of weather

with all the rain.

>>The normal year
here in New Jersey?

We get 46 inches of rain.

In the past 5 weeks,
we've had 24.

>>And how has the cabbage
held up so well?

This variety
seems to hold up pretty good.

It's called stone head.

>>Well, I can make a great dish
out of this.

It looks terrific!

Have you ever had
a cabbage curry before?

>>I haven't.

>>Well, Ronnie told me
that Janet, his wife,

is the cook in the house.

So I'm flattered
to be in your kitchen,

and we get to cook
with all these great ingredients

that we harvested today
from your farm.

What are you going to make?

>>I am going to make moussaka.

>>Well, the first thing
that I'm going to make

is an eggplant caponata!

Maybe you could help me
dice up some of these eggplants

that we harvested in the field.

You don't need to peel them,
and it's really easy!

All you have to do
is take off the tops!

>>All right!

>>So what I'm going to do
is pour a lot of olive oil,

and I'm going to add
plenty of salt

because it's going
to help bring out the water.

So the eggplant is ready here.

So I can basically now just add
the remaining ingredients:

garlic and some onions....

This just gets cooked in
to soften them.

So it's looking
really good already!

And maybe you can help me add
these remaining ingredients.

So just add canned tomatoes!

And I'm going to use
a balsamic vinegar

for the acidity!

It also adds
quite a bit of sweetness.

And then I'm going to add
a little bit of briny flavor

with capers,
1/3 of a cup

of dark brown sugar,
and that's going to make it

nice and sweet!

So why don't you start adding
a little bit of chili flakes

just to give it
a little bit of heat!

And I'm going to add
some freshly ground salt

and add a little bit
of black pepper.

And I'm going to add
a stick of cinnamon

and some golden raisins!

So I'll put this
back up on the heat!

So tell me about your recipe.

>>I am just going
to cube up that and eggplant.

Now I normally?

My recipe calls
for this to be peeled.

I'm going to brown
the turkey and the onions.

And I'm going
to layer that mixture

with the zucchini
and the eggplant.

>>So I'll add a cup
of this diced onion

to the turkey mixture.

And so basically,
you just have to....

>>I'm going to put
a little bit of this

on the bottom.

I am going to get
the red sauce ready

to pour in with the turkey.

It's just a little tomato sauce.

And I'm going to add
a little bit of cooking wine.

It's about a third cup.

>>OK!

>>And then I'm going to add
a teaspoon of basil.

>>So you got dried basil
and dried oregano.

What's the final step here
with the moussaka?

>>So I'm making a white sauce.

>>Well, what we could do
is add the flour first

and then just whisk in the milk!

And then you put it
on the stove

just long enough
until it thickens.

It looks great!

>>I am just going
to put half of this

over that.

And then we'll add
the rest of the eggplant

zucchini!

And then we're just going
to put the cheese sauce on

top of it and bake it.

I'm going to add feta cheese!

And I'm going to add
just a little bit

of parmesan cheese.

And we're just going
to put it over the top of it.

>>So you're going
to slip that in the oven,

and we can get started
on the Thai curry.

What I'm gong to do
is deal with the cabbage here.

And then I'm going
to use some classic

Thai flavors!

We've got ginger,
lemon grass,

tomatoes and limes!

Go ahead and add
the garlic and onions here.

And coconut milk
is really important

in Thai cooking!

And that's sort of
the base of the broth

for this curry.

And I'm going to add
a little bit of water.

And I'm going
to add the cabbage.

And I'm going to throw in
the ginger, the lemon grass,

the red curry paste....

And I'm going to add
the green peppers,

and I'm going to add
some fresh limes!

>>You're adding it
with the rind and everything?

>>Yeah!

The rind has a ton of flavor!

So you don't want
to leave that out.

OK, Janet?

It's almost time to eat!

I'm just going to put
a couple of last minute things

on this curry.

There's 4 things
I want to add!

It already smells great.

Can you smell that?

Yeah, it smells great.

I'm going to add
a little bit of brown sugar

and then fish sauce!

And fish sauce
is one of the most

important seasonings
in Thai cooking.

And then I'm going to add
some of these fresh tomatoes

from your farm.

And then I'm going to add
some fresh basil

and put this back on the heat
for only a couple minutes more.

And then we can serve it
over some jasmine rice

and chow down!

>>OK!

>>Alright Janet,
we'll do a little

dish exchange:
you'll taste mine,

and I'll taste yours!

>>All right, I'm excited.

>>This is delicious!

I could eat this all day!

And the best part about it
is it's right from

the back yard!

>>Yeah!

♪ ♪

>>Hello, I'm Paul Robins.

And here's something
you may not have known

about agriculture.

You know,
a lot of the foods

that we enjoy today
have been around

for a long, long time!

Tomatoes, potatoes,
avocados....

All of them
date back thousands of years!

But not all of them
have the history

of one piece of fruit
that early writers called

the gift of the gods!

And if you like to sing
The 12 Days of Christmas

around the holidays?

You already know
that colorful partridge

was sitting in
a pear tree!

Travel back in time
some 5000 years

and a Chinese writer
was already documenting ways

to improve pear trees
by different methods

of grafting the branches.

In the Odyssey,
the Greek poet Homer,

lauds pears
as a gift of the gods.

Pears were one
of the very first fruits

to be grown commercially
with orchards

springing up everywhere
across Europe

by the 17th century.

Pears were a popular prop
for artists as still life's

in those Renaissance paintings.

If the picture didn't sell,
you could always eat the fruit!

Early colonists
brought pears to America

by 1620.

And orchards
thrived on the east coast

until crop blight
destroyed many of those trees.

Fortunately,
by that time settlers

in Oregon, Washington
and California

had begun their own orchards
which today provide

the majority of the pears
grown in the U.S.

There are hundreds
of varieties of pears

grown around the world!

But Bartlett pears
(which originated in England

in the 1700's)
are the most popular variety

grown in the U.S.

Pears were once known
as butter fruit

because of their juicy,
delicate texture and flavor.

Pears are a good source
of vitamin C and fiber.

And pear trees
can live to be 100 years old!

And while it may seem
that there is no similarity?

Pears are actually
a member of the rose family!

Happily, without thorns!

>>You may have spent some time
visiting a rural community.

But what if
you found yourself

living there
after giving up your life

in the city?

Well, that's been the experience
for a group of women in Kansas

who've begun
sharing their stories

as they make their own
country connection.

♪ ♪

>>For couples Kim
and Adam Baldwin

(who met online)
and Katie and Derek Sawyer

(who met through a friend)
it was matches made in heaven

with marriages in the
heartland!

Two couples,
where each bride-to-be

was trading her previously
urban life

for a future on the farm!

For Katie?

Those plans
involved some advice from Mom.

>>She gave me fair warning
that if you move

to the farm?

Then you become a farm wife!

Life is completely different.

The farm dictates your life.

You don't dictate the farm

>>And what about Kim?

>>You got to know
how this stuff works.

>>The 1st year was definitely
a learning experience!

I'm not gonna lie.

It still is!

>>See if you can
find the switch!

>>I was exposed to agriculture
but nothing like

what I'm experiencing
on a day-to-day basis out here.

>>Lefty loosey, righty tighty.

Right?

>>I'm just concerned
that I might break something.

I think I just broke a nail.

I just broke it in the drill
when I was looking

for that tab do hickey.

>>I often tell people
it's like I went back to school

to learn a new profession.

>>Okay, now you're in the tree!

>>They weren't giving me
any kind of breather time.

I had to learn on the job!

>>She has learned a lot,
and it's really exciting

to see how enthusiastic
she has always been about it!

She's come a long ways!

>>Starting any marriage demands
a period of adjustment,

adjusting your style
to that of your partner!

>>I'm the list maker,
the to-do person.

And I have to accomplish
certain things

by certain points.

And after meeting Adam
and marrying Adam?

I've realized
to just chill out a little bit.

I still have my moments.

>>Well, I think probably
just being a farmer?

You make a list,
and it rains.

And then it's screwed up!

And so you can have the....
....you just need to know

what needs to get done next!

And you just kind of keep
going down your list.

>>But learning new skills
is a two way street!

>>He knows
how to run a sweeper now.

He is learning to load dishes
in the dishwasher.

We're still working on that one!

And landscaping
and pruning, weeding?

That's a fun one!

And watering plants?

You know, we've got
a routine down.

So he's learning
a little domestication!

>>But their move to the farm
has also given Katie and Kim

a chance to share
their experiences

through social media.

Their Farm Wives blog
is a way to reach out

to other women in agriculture
and those in urban areas

who might want to know
more about 21st century

farming.

>>So it was really
just a way for me to keep

my friends and family
up-to-date on, you know,

what was going on
out on the farm!

>>It's my way of doing
what I can to help, you know?

Share the story
of agriculture!

Share the story
of our operation,

but also just become
an advocate for agriculture

because we need
all the advocates we can get!

And there's tons
of misinformation out there!

So I just do my part
to set the record straight

and just enlighten people
on what really happens here.

>>In addition to their
Farm Wives blogging efforts,

Katie and Kim also take part
in a regular meeting

of farm wives
in their community.

>>Basically once a month,
the farm wives who are,

you know, in their 20's
and 30's get together.

Everybody can relate.

You know,
when your husband

is out in the field
at all hours of the night

trying to get the corn planted?

I know that there are
at least, you know,

so many other women
in this county

who are dealing
with the same things!

>>What we really enjoy the most
is actually sitting around

and just talking
about our husbands

and maybe complaining
a bit about the lifestyle

and maybe
some of the harder parts

of living with a farmer.

>>Derek and Adam
may not always agree

with what's said
at the farm wives meetings,

but they admit
that very positive,

personal changes
have come from working

with their wives.

>>Our time together
isn't always plentiful

sometimes.

But when she can come out
and ride on the combine

with us and be involved
with harvest

with the rest of the crew?

That's a lot of priceless time
that really has a lot of meaning

when you look back on it.

>>Their Farm Wives blog
and their connection

with others through social media
has given both women

a new appreciation
of life on the land.

>>We make sure
you love this lifestyle.

It becomes your lifestyle.

It's not just
your husband's job.

It is your....
....it's your job!

It's your lifestyle!

>>There's 1 and 1/2%
to 2% of the U.S. population

are people
involved in agriculture!

And so if I can somehow
connect with people out there

to show them kind of what we do
and what our husbands do?

I think that's a positive
to what we're doing!

>>That's going to do it
for this edition

of America's Heartland.

Thanks for traveling
the country with us

as we introduce you
to interesting people

and places.

We'll see you next time.

>>And remember,
there's much more

on our website
including video

from all of our shows.

Just log onto
americasheartland-dot-org

or follow us 24/7
on some of your

favorite sites as well.

We'll see you next time
right here

on America's Heartland.

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