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

CropLife America.
And it's member companies

and associations in the
crop protection industry

including:

The American Farm Bureau
Foundation for Agriculture.

More information at:
agfoundation.org.

Sacramento's proud to be
America's Farm to Fork capital

Visit:
FarmtoFork.com

Hi, I'm Jason Shoultz.

Coming up, we'll introduce you
to a Florida man

who uses his photographer's eye
to capture the beauty

of his ranch.

I'm Akiba Howard.

When you're talking citrus,
California is king

when it comes to navel oranges.

Coming up,
we'll visit groves

and find out exactly
how this sweet treat

makes its way from the trees
to your table.

Hi, I'm Yolanda Vazquez.

Specialty cheeses
continue to grow in popularity

in this country.

They're a favorite
amongst consumers

looking for something different
in their diets.

And for one
Tennessee farm family,

that interest has sparked
a whole new career.

It's 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. ♪

Across the United States
you will find

sprawling cattle ranches
where the environment

has been preserved
and wildlife is flourishing.

And that's the case
for Adam's Ranch

in Central Florida
where the owner Bud Adams

has found an interesting way
to preserve

his family's legacy.

It's sun up and saddle up
on this early spring morning.

The cowboys of Adams Ranch
are ready for another roundup.

Mornin'!

How are ya?

Pretty good!

These are Florida cowboys.

No vast open plains
of the American West here.

This range is dotted
with palm trees,

swampy ponds
and thickets of grasses

and trees.

And here
at Adam's Ranch

near Ft. Pierce,
the wildlife

and the 50-thousand acres
of preserved landscape

make for a picture-perfect
scene,

a scene not lost
on the ranch's owner Bud Adams.

Visit the ranch,
and you'll likely find him

with a camera in his hand.

I'm out here
checking on the cattle

to see that they have water,
grass and mineral.

Invariably you see a lot
of interesting things.

I was given
an Argus 35 mm camera in 1936,

I think.

A few years ago....

That's a long time!

Over the decades,
Bud's captured

hundreds of images
of life on the ranch.

Well, I started working here
at ten years old.

So this is the 72nd year
I've worked here.

Back in those days,
we had cross-state

cattle drives.

And we would have a bed roll,
and sleep on the ground.

It was a hard life,
but it was a good life.

His father bought this land
in 1937.

10 years later
they had 16-hundred

head of cattle.

Now it's 10-thousand.

And throughout the years,
Bud Adams has been there

to create a visual record
first on film,

now with his digital camera.

Bud's photos
have ended up in books

and various publications.

Although you are
a photographer

and you are pretty good
at it,

you see yourself
as a cattle rancher,

right?

That's what I do.

I raise cattle.

I'm a cattle man.

That's your passion.

Oh yeah.

That passion carries
onto the next generation

of Adams family.

Bud's sons manage various areas
of the ranching operation.

And these boys,
they start when they are 10

or 11 years old.

Now they are in their mid 20's.

Why, they are as good
as anybody.

You said these boys .

I think I might have seen
a girl out there too!

Yes, Yes.

We are equal opportunity.

Bud points out
that the beautiful ecology here

is no accident.

It's a balance of nature
that has been managed

by his family for decades.

I'm sure you've had
developers

knocking
on your door here

to put some homes here.

That is a tremendous problem.

With higher land values
and a growing population,

it will be very difficult
to pass this onto

the next generation.

What Bud captures
through his lens

are more than pretty pictures.

He's documenting a way of life
and a heritage that has roots

deeper than the palm trees
that grow on this sandy soil.

We understand
that this is

a holistic enterprise.

We have to consider
the grass, the trees,

the cattle, the wildlife,
the water, and our climate.

The important part of this
is your animal agricultures

provides a sustainable program.

Florida ranchers raise more
than 400 thousand head of cattle

each year.

But the Sunshine state
was once home

to more exotic animals.

Ten thousand years ago
Sabre toothed cats,

Giant Armadillos,
and the American camel

called Florida home.

We've taken you
to any number of farms

and ranches
here on America's Heartland .

But this stop
is just a little different.

That's because the work here
is being done

by inmates
at an Ohio

correctional facility.

This is a new experience
for Robert Crawford,

an inmate at the Mansfield
correctional institution.

Robert is learning new skills
on the Mansi beef farm.

I didn't grow up on a farm.

I grew up
in a little rural area.

But I never worked on a farm
or ever been on the farm.

Get over there.

The farm's been here
since 1886.

The main purpose
is to supply food

for the 30 other
prison facilities.

But also it's an opportunity
to teach the inmates

how to do a good job,
how to show up to work on time.

That's what we try and do.

The farm program here
is one of ten

such correctional operations
in the buckeye state.

In all, the facilities will farm
close to 11 thousand acres.

We usually run about
300-plus animals

on the feed lot.

And we farm about 1500 acres.

The Mansfield facility
grows corn, soybeans,

wheat and hay.

They also grow vegetables
for area hunger programs.

Like any other farm,
the day starts early here.

The inmates are up
and out tending to

the livestock.

Try to run them out to the field
so they can find

a new place to graze,
and now everybody's looking

for the calves.

Some 50 inmates
will work the pens and fields

each day
supervised by five

staff members.

They'll come out
around 7:30 in the morning.

If it's in the spring
like now, calving time,

they'll come down to the barn
to check for newborn calves.

And move the cows
and the newborns

to the nursery barn
to get tagged.

Yep, she says that's my baby!

They don't mind
the shots too much.

We've also got
to tattoo them and tag 'em,

give them
an electronic

identification monitor
in their ear.

What is it that you enjoy
about being part

of this program?

I've always liked animals
and being outside.

I've always been
an outside person,

and I was when I was little.

I was raised
for a year on a farm,

and it brings back memories.

Come on youngster.

They'll find a niche out here
whether it's working

with the cattle
or working in the garden,

or operating tractors
and equipment.

It's a great opportunity
for guys to get used

to getting up in the morning
and doing a hard days work.

So when they get out of prison,
we'll stay in tune

with being able to work
and have good work ethics.

We try to teach the inmates
to give back to society,

the community,
and this is an opportunity

that they can do something
to give back.

I definitely respect
the farmers

especially the beef guys.

I respect
what they do every day,

because it's a sun up
to sun down job,

that's for sure.

Correctional farms are popular
in a number of states.

Many date back
to the early 20th century.

Some other countries
like Great Britain

operated prison farms
in the 1800's.

I'm Akiba Howard.

If your diet is rich
in fruits and vegetables,

then you've already got
these bright sweet treats

in your kitchen,
from tree to table,

bringing California citrus
to market.

I'm Yolanda Vazquez.

Still ahead, if you head like
farmstead cheeses,

you'll want to meet
a Tennessee Farm couple

for whom cheese sparked
a whole new career.

When you're in
the produce section,

do you like to pick up
a cucumber to slice up

for your salad?

They are pretty tasty.

But listen to this:
more than half of all cucumbers

grown in the U.S.
actually end up right here

as pickles.

You got your dill,
sweet, sour,

half-sour, kosher,

German, lots of choices.

And in fact,
any food can be pickled,

but have you ever thought about
what makes a pickle a pickle.

The average American consumes
about 9 pounds of pickles

every year.

Most grocery stores
have whole rows

of pickle choices.

The cukes for all those pickles
are grown

in more than a dozen states.

But Michigan, North Carolina,
and Texas farmers

have carved out a niche
for themselves

growing smaller,
thinner skinned cucumbers

that more easily
absorb pickling brine

and end up in all those jars.

All those cukes
heading for the jar

first get a bath.

And then get soaked
in a pickling brine.

There are various types
of brine:

salt or vinegar,

sugar and spices.

Each brine gives the cucumbers
different textures and flavors.

Pickle packing production lines
use various techniques

to make pickles.

Fresh packed
is where the cucumbers

are quickly cooked,
cooled, packed

and sealed.

These crisp pickles
can have a shelf life

of a year to 18 months.

Refrigerated pickles
are processed

entirely under refrigeration.

Their shelf life
is shorter, about 8 months.

And processed pickles fully cure
for one to three months

in big tanks
before being put in containers.

These sharply flavored pickles
have a suggested shelf life

of up to 24 months.

Well, whether you like
your pickles

on top of your burger,
off the shelf,

or straight out of the jar,
here's some tasty news:

the average dill
actually only has

15 calories
of fat-free goodness.

And they're a rich source
of vitamin A, C and iron.

So think about that
the next time you crunch

into one of these
or take a jar of pickles

off the shelf .

Oranges are a popular pick
amongst nutrition savvy

consumers.

They're high in vitamin C
and a very good source

of anti oxidants.

Now Florida and California
are the big players

in the orange game:

Florida for their juice oranges
and California for these guys,

the navel oranges
that you peel and eat.

And it's that
peel and eat popularity

that's been very important
to one California farm family

for nearly a century.

Doesn't show
any frost damage on the leaves.

For Lee Bailey
and his brother Harvey,

citrus has been the centerpiece
of family life

since their grandfather
settled here on the east side

of California's
San Joaquin Valley back in 1913.

They had hopes.

Grandfather was able
to drill a well

and plant some trees.

I'm third generation.

My sons
are the fourth generation.

Today the Bailey brothers
own or manage

more than 25-hundred acres
and 125-thousand citrus trees.

From picking to packing,
everyone in the family

gets involved.

Their granddad started the farm,
but it was Lee and Harvey's dad

who really grew the business.

He worked the fields
'til he was in his 80's.

And he liked to see things done,
liked to see things done right,

and I think he'd be proud of us.

The Bailey brothers
grow both Valencia

and navel oranges:
Valencia's mostly for juice,

navels
for the fresh fruit market.

California navels make up
some 80 percent

of that peel and eat market,
shipped across the country

and overseas.

Here's a piece of navel
that's ripe and mature.

Mmm!

Human hands and machines here
turn out more

than 60 Million pounds
of citrus each year.

This machine scans
each orange electronically

and sorts it by size.

Too small?

Slight blemishes?

It's destined
for the juice factory.

Consumers these days
have come to expect

a product that's near perfect
in appearance and flavor.

What we're looking at here
is a couple of first grade

fruit.

This fruit is going to Korea.

You'll notice
there's no blemishes.

There is a nice bin
of good fruit.

Besides oranges,
the Baileys grow other citrus

including lemons.

But lemons
are even more sensitive

to frost than oranges.

That means the Baileys
are sometimes up all night

with wind machines and sprayers
that keep the fruit

from freezing.

I don't think
the general public

realizes how much work
that has to be done:

the processing and growing
and getting the transportation

to get the product
to the market.

Like any
agricultural enterprise,

there are elements
of uncertainty.

A citrus greening disease
now seen in Florida groves

has made its first
ominous appearance

in California.

Cold weather and labor shortages
can affect an entire season.

And California water issues,
shortages and drought

impact agriculture
across the Golden State.

You gotta have the water.

If you want crops,
you gotta have water.

And if you want food,
you gotta have water.

And without water,
we aren't going to be farming.

Still, the Baileys,
their wives and children,

will tell you
it's a pretty good life.

Working the land
is part of this family's legacy,

looking ahead to the next crop
and the next generation.

I feel proud
that my grandfather

established this,

and my dad and my
brothers and I (also.)

It's been a family tradition.

It's nice just to be out
doin' a job

and gettin' that job done.

So hopefully,
we can continue on.

Navel orange trees
came to California

from Brazil in the late 1800's.

Because they're seedless,
every new navel orange tree

starts as a graft
from an existing tree.

Hello, I'm Paul Robins.

And here's something
you may not have known

about agriculture.

Do you like popcorn?

Do you like sweet corn?

This?

Or maybe
those colorful ears of corn

that you decorate your home
with in the fall,

around Thanksgiving?

Maybe just the little tiny
ears on the salad bar?

Corn is king
when it comes to agriculture

in America.

But in terms of plants as food,
well, corn actually

came fairly late to the party.

That's because while corn
is a common sight on farms

around the world today,
it was a brand new discovery

some 7000 years ago.

People living in central Mexico
took a wild grass plant

called Teosinte
and started cultivating it.

From there,
Corn, by now it was

called Maize ,
was on the move.

It spread north
to the American southwest

and south as far as Peru.

And when Columbus
showed up in 1492,

he discovered the New World,
and he discovered corn.

But not all corn is the same.

Flint corn
is that colorful stuff

you see around Thanksgiving.

Dent corn,
also called field corn ,

is used for livestock feed,
various foods,

and industrial products
including ethanol.

Sweet corn gets its name
from its high sugar content,

and its kernels
are little softer

so you can nibble it
off the cob.

And popcorn
has a starchy center

and a hard shell.

Heat it up,
and the moisture inside

pops the shell
and cooks the starchy stuff

into those white puffy kernels.

It's great with butter.

And here's a fact for you!

Some 60 years ago,
popcorn became

the first food
ever successfully micro-waved.

Yeah, scientists were working
on the microwave oven.

They tried some popcorn.

It popped,
and a whole new appliance

was born.

Since then no question,
popcorn has become

one of the most popular
snack foods in the world.

Americans alone eat more
than 18 Billion quarts

every year.

Sometimes life takes
an interesting

and unexpected turn.

It certainly did
for the couple

you're about to meet.

That's because
an unusual birthday gift

took these folks
down a Tennessee country road.

♪ Sometimes this old farm
seems like a long lost ♪

♪ friend.... ♪

Jim Tanner had no idea
how prescient

the words to this song would be
until he and his wife Gayle....

....there we go, there we go....

....packed up everything
they owned including nearly

a dozen goats
and moved from the hustle

and bustle
of northern California

to the quiet solitude
of middle Tennessee.

Goats have been a part
of Gayle's life

after receiving one
as a birthday present

in her 20's.

We knew the lifestyle
we had with the goats.

And such was going to be
more and more limited.

So it was time to go.

It also came at a time
when the Tanners

were getting serious
about breeding goats

and creating
an agricultural business.

So they chose this remote spot
with more than 100 acres

of pastures, woods,
and a babbling brook

to build Bonnie Blue Farm .

We owned property
4 years before we moved here.

So during those 4 years,
we would come back periodically

and work on this and that
and the other thing.

And it was kind of like
our vacation.

Typically we came back
at Christmas time.

So when the retired couple
arrived for good in 1999,

they first built this barn
to house their goats.

They then added Saanen
and Nubian goats to the herd,

the Saanens
for their higher

milk production,

the Nubians
for higher butterfat content.

And with the larger herd
in place,

Gayle saw an opportunity.

If you're going to have
more goats,

then you have to have something
to do with the milk.

And that's where this
modern-day milking parlor

comes into play.

They had the milk.

So why not make
farmstead cheese?

Gayle hand milks
some of the goats.

That liquid is placed
in a small container

which is later used
to feed the baby goats

called kids.

The rest of the milk
is collected by automatic pumps

to cool for 72 hours.

When it's time to make cheese,
Jim transfers the milk

out of the tank
and into

stainless steel containers
that end up

in the Tanner's Cheese Studio .

The cheese studio machinery
pasteurizes more than 40 gallons

of goat milk at a time.

Oh, you're going
to hog it all!

In the meantime,
the Tanners handle the care

and feeding of their herd.

Gayle often walks around
with her yellow wagon in tow.

Are you guys ready?

She puts out alfalfa hay,
fills up feed bowls with grain,

bottle feeds the kids,
checks on the bucks

across the creek,
and with whatever time

is left over,
tends to the chickens.

A friend came and visited
who really wanted

to get away
from her desk job,

to be a farmer.

She says
maybe you just trade in

one set of stresses for another.

But one role
that doesn't stress her out

is that of cheese maker
extraordinaire .

She's become pretty good
at whipping up batches

of now award winning
goat's milk,

feta, and raw milk cheeses.

This is what we look for:
the magic clean break

as we call it.

Using her cheese knife,
Gayle separates the curd

from the liquidy substance
known as whey.

It begins to take on
a cottage cheese look.

It's time consuming,
and patience

is a cheese maker's best friend.

With the whey removed,
the curds will drain overnight.

These tubs
will eventually be packaged

as Feta Cheese.

Bonnie Blue Farm
turns out more than

a half dozen products.

They've become a favorite
at area farmers markets.

But Jim's marketing efforts
have also produced

a demand in Memphis
and other parts of Tennessee.

Where I go to demonstrate
the cheese to a chef,

I'm thinking
of two or three of them,

and they say
this is the best feta

I've ever had.

Yeah, we've got
to have this on our menu.

And those are direct quotes.

Gayle says the good feedback
is a result of the work

and care they put
into their farm,

their milk, and their cheese.

The Tanners
are always adding

onto their property
most of the time,

in an effort to create
a better product.

And this right here
is their latest project.

It's called a cheese cave.

It's still in the process
of being built.

But they had to blast a hole
in the side of this hill

to construct it.

Custom-sized rocks
are still being laid.

And the 3 walk-in coolers
have yet to be finished.

Fresh air will be pumped in
keeping the temperature

at a cool 55 degrees:
a perfect place to age

Bonnie Blue's hard cheeses.

The environment cheeses age in
will make them better.

They're pretty good already.

But having that
will set them apart.

The Tanners joke
if the cave doesn't work out,

they'll simply live in it.

They're fine
with a modest,

rural Tennessee lifestyle,
one they can share

with their good natured goats.

That's why our trees
are trimmed up so nice.

And that's going
to do it for this time.

Thanks for traveling
the country with us

on this edition
of America's Heartland .

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Jason Shoultz,
and be sure to check out

americasheartland.org.
for more story information

and video streaming.

We'll see you next time.

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