"America's Heartland is made
possible by..
They make up a small part of our
population.
But have a huge
impact on our lives.
They take business risks that
few others would tolerate
all on our behalf.
They're American farmers who
feed, fuel and clothe the world.
Monsanto would like to recognize
them for all they do,
for the rest of us, because
ultimately our success
and everyone else's depends on
theirs
".and by the American Farm
Bureau Federation - the voice of
agriculture. "
COMING UP. IT'S ENERGY
MADE FROM CORN.
ETHANOL IS FUELING MORE AND MORE
AMERICAN CARS FROM THE RACEWAY
TO THE HIGHWAY. THEN..
WE'LL TAKE YOU ON BOARD TO
SHARE A HARVEST AT SEA..
STONE CRABBING IN
THE GULF OF MEXICO.
AND A DAIRY FARMER WITH A
NEW TWIST ON FLAVORS
FOR HIS MILK.
READY FOR ROOT BEER?
AMERICA'S HEARTLAND IS NEXT.
♪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.
In America's Heartland.♪
Hello and welcome to
America's Heartland.
I'm Paul Ryan.
All you have to do today is pull
up to the gas pump
and check out the prices.
It probably won't take much
to convince you that America's
dependence on foreign
oil is a growing problem.
Most agree, it's not great for
our national security, and it
sure stings the pocketbook.
Lots of folks working on
developing alternative fuels.
but one in particular is gaining
momentum; ethanol,
made from corn.
American corn.
And though not everyone agrees
it's the best solution,
a recent visit to Wyoming
suggested a growing number of
entrepreneurs, automakers,
elected officials, farmers.
and, even race car drivers
are jumping on the ethanol
bandwagon.
Just before driver Bill Percival
pulls up to the starting line in
his dragster, he fills up
his fuel tank with corn!
Not literally, of course, but
Bill's dragster. and a number of
others at this Denver
speedway. run on ethanol,
a gasoline alternative that's
produced by fermenting corn..
"One of the main advantages of
using ethanol
is that it burns so much cooler.
And in this type of racing,
there's lots of times where we
have to go around and around and
around and we don't have time to
cool off the engine.
So by using ethanol, the
engines don't overheat. "
Race cars aren't the only
vehicles using ethanol.
Many farmers have used it for
years to power farm machinery.
And with more stations selling
it, many drivers are trying it
for the first time.
Dozens of models of flexible
fuel vehicles can use E-85,
85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.
E-10 has a 10% ethanol / 90%
gasoline mix -a formula that's
been approved for use by
every major car maker.
"With the new renewable fuel
standards-8 billion
gallons of ethanol by 2012
that's more than doubling what's
being produced today.
So, that's a bright future
for the corn market. "
Dan Schwartzkopf directs
production operations at
Wyoming Ethanol in Torrington
near the Wyoming-Nebraska
border.
The plant brings in dried corn,
grinds it to a powder, then
ferments the mash in
a chemical process
much like distilling whiskey.
When completed, the process
creates ethanol:
a form of alcohol that burns
like gasoline.
In 2005, the industry produced
almost 4 billion gallons of
ethanol - consuming 1.43
million bushels of corn.
I take as much as I can from my
rural growers here in Wyoming
and the balance of that I take
from a radius of about 150
miles: in the Nebraska panhandle
and Southern South Dakota.
Ethanol use and production have
increased dramatically
in the past two years, thanks to
new marketing efforts
along with state and federal
subsidies.
Many consider ethanol to be
beneficial in reducing
carbon monoxide and other
auto emissions.
However, it is not a
fuel without controversy.
Conflicting studies have
addressed everything from
its energy content to its
production costs
versus a gallon of gasoline.
"Not only do we feed the
distiller's grain, but ever
since the ethanol plant came
into production in Torrington,
we use gasohol in
all of our vehicles."
Blake Ochsner and his dad,
George, are ethanol supporters.
They say consumers benefit by
using American products and
easing our dependence
on foreign oil.
There's also a personal benefit:
The corn mash left over from
ethanol production. called
"distiller's grain".
can be used as cattle feed.
We were looking for a good feed
to supplement the straw and this
distiller's grain really worked
in that situation
About one third of all the corn
we take in goes back out
in the form of the distiller's
grain behind me
that goes back to those
feedlots. "
Wyoming Ethanol's Jon Calahan
says "distiller's grain" has
other benefits It's
considerably more nutritious.
When it leaves here, it's
running about a 32-33% protein
where normal corn is
running about 8% protein. "
Currently. ethanol fuel is
easier to find in the Midwest
and Plains states.close to
the corn from which it's made.
That may change with new federal
mandates on air pollution and
energy production.
And to up the profile, Wyoming
Ethanol is promoting the fuel
with a five car
drag racing team.
The cars compete for national
honors
at tracks across the country.
Dan Schwartzkopf says it gives
the fans a chance
to see ethanol in action.
They leave the racetrack, they
stop and fill gas and they see
ethanol on the pump.
They remember the car that ran
really good down the racetrack
on ethanol and say, 'Maybe this
isn't so bad, maybe it'll make
my car run better.' "
For a glimpse of an ethanol
future, some American farmers
are looking at one of their
biggest competitors - Brazil.
Brazil's sugarcane biorefineries
are on the verge of producing
enough ethanol to power
every one
of the country's
30-million cars!
There are other American crops
being turned into widely-used
products.
And no, I'm not talking about
alternative fuel.
although this is a liquid
product that's fueled good times
at many a weekend barbeque or
football game!
Beer lovers today are blessed
with more choices
than ever before.
And we (I) found out how fans
of the foamy beverage can make
their own pilgrimage to one
of the Heartland's oldest and
largest breweries. located
in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Take a tour of this museum and
you'll see race cars, old time
delivery trucks-even
streamlined jet planes.
But the real attraction at the
Anheuser Busch visitor center
is beer. lots and lots of beer!
Well, we've come a
long way since 1852. "
The tour guide will
tell you that St. Louis
was once home to dozens of
breweries. most of them started
by German immigrants
in the 1800's.
But Anheuser Busch is the only
one of those historic breweries
still in operation.
Today, visitors who tour the
brewery can see how modern
methods convert American farm
products into beers
that are sold in the U.S. and
around the world.
And this is the brew kettle.
This is where hops are added
to the wort
as the beer's being produced.
The hops are the
spice to the beer.
Dan Driscoll is the brew
master at Busch's
St. Louis brewery.
He'll oversee the production of
more then 40 thousand barrels
of beer a day.
That's more than one
point two million gallons.
We're responsible for the raw
ingredients that go into making
the beer so the water that's
used to brew the beer, the malt,
the barley malt that you use,
the rice, the hops.
all that is tasted. "
Brewing beer is big business
for American agriculture.
Making the beer requires huge
quantities of barley,
hops and other farm products.
North Dakota, Montana and South
Dakota FARMS grow substantial
amounts of malting
barley for beer makers.
Montana farmer Buck O'Brien says
it's an important part
of his income.
What we raise is malting barley.
We have contracted with
Anheuser Busch
for a certain amount per year
each year.
It has to meet rigid
specifications because they're
pretty picky about what
they use for malting.
Anheuser Busch is the biggest
maltster in the country.
They malt 40-50% of the
malt that's made in the U.S.
America's farm states produce
almost six million pounds of
barley for brewing
beer each year.
Rice is another key ingredient
used to flavor and lighten
beers.
Busch and other brewers use
about 16%
of America's rice crop.
This is the core ingredients,
barley converted into malt and
hops are the core
ingredients in beer. "
Steve Malin is the man
in charge of acquiring raw
materials for Anheuser Busch.
He says the "right" raw
materials are critical
to making good beer.
We knew we had to start at
production agriculture to have
those materials that we wanted
in the form that we wanted it.so
we kept backing up and
getting closer to the grower.
The St. Louis brew house dates
back to the 1890's
and is still used today.
There are richly tiled walls;
colorful portraits.
even chandeliers interwoven with
reproductions of the hops
used in the brewing process.
"It's the beer with the
wonderful flavor..P.O.C. means
pleasure on call" America once
had dozens of large breweries.
Today, a smaller number of
major manufacturers turn out the
lion's share of
the beer we drink.
But there's also a growing
industry in boutique brewing.
small brew masters turning out a
greater variety of beers.
And no matter what size the
brewery. whether its micro
or the size of this one, the
proof is in the tasting.
And you take the tour.
You get to taste. "
The tasting rooms at Busch offer
not only
their best selling brands,
but some of the company's
specialty and
seasonal beers as well.
Busch and others are seeing an
increase in beer drinking in
Asia. particularly China.
Dan Driscoll says no matter
where you're drinking beer.
quality is paramount.
It's up to the brew master to
blend and mix those ingredients
together year after year to
ensure the Bud that was brewed
today is the same as the Bud
that was brewed last year
and the year before. "
Anheuser Busch creates one other
product from its beer making.
"Spent grain". cereal grains
used in the manufacturing.
are recovered and sold
as animal feed.
The company says it produces
enough "spent grain" to feed 4%
of the cattle in
the United States
Anheuser Busch brews about
117-million barrels of beer
each year. That's equal to a
little over 40-billion
12-ounce bottles. almost enough
to quench the average
American adult's thirst
for 23 and a half gallons
of beer per year!
Still to come on America's
Heartland.
From boondocks to Broadway.
the back roads of the Heartland
hit the big time with their own
national television network.
And how a trip "back to the
future" rejuvenated this
dairyman. and his farm.
We love telling stories about
folks who live off the land.
There is another group of
hard-working folks in the
heartland who make their
living. on the water!
They supply our seafood.
Everything from the ubiquitous
kinds, like tuna, to specialty
crops such as the kind our Jason
Shoultz discovered in Florida.
They're called stone crabs. and
Jason says those who hunt them
have to be almost as
hard-shelled
as the crustaceans themselves!
Hours before the sun comes up,
stone crabber Kit Johnson is
navigating the murky waters
of Florida's everglades.
Guided only by navigational
markers
that appear in the darkness.
RADIO: SOUTHEAST WIND
1 0 TO 15 KNOTS.
and the radio's weather
forecast.
Meanwhile, his three-man crew
prepares bait
for the crab traps.
For generations, the sunrise
over the Gulf of Mexico has
brought the daily uncertainty
that is part of life for
fishermen.
Each year during stone crab
season from May through October,
stone crabbers venture
out. hoping for the best.
"Born and raised in it.
What else is there to say? " á
"It's the only
damn thing I know. "
With only water on the
horizon, Johnson steers his boat
along rows of hundreds of
buoys. attached to crab traps
on the sea floor.
One by one, his crew uses hooks
to pluck buoys from the water.
and wenches to pull up the
traps.
"With two men using two wenches
at the back of the boat they can
pull upwards of 1000 traps a
day from the waters of the gulf"
It's hard work.
that doesn't stop
for lunch breaks or bad weather.
Johnson has 11-thousand
traps in these waters.
"We work from 4 o clock
in the morning,
till a lot of times at dark. We
get home at dark.
Seven days a week
for seven months. "
Kit Johnson is one of
around 20 stone crabbers from
Everglades City, Florida.
they bring in nearly 4-hundred
thousand pounds
of stone crab each year.
For crabbers the bigger
the claw the more money.
Unlike other crabs even after
they are caught these critters
go back into the water with
a little less of themselves.
"See how it pops off like that,
he'll grow those claws
right back"
If the claws are more than
two and a quarter inches long,
they come off.
Fishermen say the crabs
can survive without claws.
And the stone crab can
regenerate its claws
in about a year.
"But we'll have 3-4 hundred
pounds at the end of the day. "
Boats loaded with crab claws
start arriving at the dock in
the late afternoon.
To stay fresh, the claws
are immediately boiled..
and put into a cooler overnight.
Then. in the blink of an eye.
every claw gets weighed and
sorted by size.
and packed in ice
to be shipped to restaurants.
"They are hard to beat. "
Folks here like to call this
the stone crab capital
of the world.
At City Seafood, they'll happily
serve up a plate of crab claws.
The preferred way -- cooked,
cracked, and served chilled.
"Just peel the shell
right off.."
Owner Richard Wahrenbergen
gladly shares his strategy
for enjoying his fresh crab.
The only part eaten is the
rich meat found in the claws.
It's pretty simple: Peel back
the shell, dip the claw in honey
mustard sauce and enjoy!
"I've never had a person say
they didn't like stone crabs.
Which I think is pretty good. "
Yeah, that's not
bad "Not bad at all.
" Well, it's not going to start
today, I can tell you that. "
That's great. Ha. "
Wahrenbergen catches
his own crabs.
so he's able to keep costs
down at this modest
waterside market.
A plate of that could go for 50
dollars at a Miami restaurant
costs about 20 bucks here.
The demand for stone crab
outpaces the supply
trapped in these blue waters.
And folks will pay top
dollar for the rare delicacy.
"it's good money when it's good.
It's bad when it's bad. "
Stone-crabbers face similar
challenges found throughout
agriculture. rising fuel prices,
labor costs and weather.
In 2005 hurricane Wilma picked
up traps from the seafloor and
blew them all over the gulf.
"Each one of those traps costs
on the average of 20-22 dollars
a piece. I've lost several
thousand. "
Kit Johnson fears hurricane
losses and tough economic times
will force some fishermen
to give up crabbing.
But Johnson looks forward to
brighter days.behind the wheel
of his boat.
"I'll be right here.
Be right here.
I'll make it. "
Fans of the Stone Crab are picky
about how they cook and eat
them. but the crabs themselves
are pretty picky
about where they live.
90-percent of the
world's Stone Crab catch comes
from the warm waters
surrounding Florida.
There are a thousand
stories in the Heartland.
And of course thousands
of ways to tell them.
Now, we'd like to think
we do a pretty good job.
But we're not alone.
In fact, there's an entire
television channel devoted to
the American rural life.
Our Pat McConahay visited their
Tennessee headquarters and
discovered a loyal following.
and not just the folks
down on the farm!
♪"Who'll buy my wheat?
Who'll buy my corn? ."♪
From country kooners
to colorful cowboys.
The RFD TV television network
is bringing rural America
to viewers throughout the
country.
"WE'RE NOT AN AG CHANNEL, WE'RE
NOT AN EQUINE CHANNEL,
WE'RE NOT A RURAL LIFESTYLE
CHANNEL.
WE'RE NOT A TRADITIONAL
MUSIC CHANNEL.
WE'RE ALL OF THOSE
ROLLED INTO ONE
PATRICK GOTTSCH IS THE CREATIVE
FORCE BEHIND
THIS FIRST OF ITS KIND NETWORK,
LAUNCHED IN 2000 FROM STUDIOS IN
NASHVILLE.
THE NETWORK ACQUIRES
PROGRAMS FROM
A VARIETY OF SOURCES, UPLINKS
THEM VIA SATELLITE, AND CARRIES
THEM INTO MILLIONS OF AMERICAN
HOMES ON DOZENS OF CABLE SYSTEMS
AND SATELLITE NETWORKS.
"I watch it religiously now,
maily the tractor
and calendar show or the
"tractorcades"
There's no other channel where
you can watch specials
on old tractors and there's no
other show on television
that can give that to you. "
GOTTSCH SAYS HIS MISSION IS TO
OFFER PROGRAMS
YOU WON'T SEE ON ANY OTHER
CHANNEL.
TO BE A 24-HOUR, SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK NETWORK THAT FOCUSED ON THE
GOOD NEWS IN RURAL AMERICA AND
ALL THE DIFFERENT INTERESTS,
FARM BUREAU, FFA, HIGH SCHOOL
RODEO,
THE NATIONAL CATTLEMEN
ASSOCIATION.
GOTTSCH SAYS IT ISN'T JUST
COUNTRY FOLKS WHO FIND THE
PROGRAMS APPEALING EVEN IF
ONE LIVES IN THE CITY NOW THEY
PROBABLY GREW UP GOING TO
GRANDMA AND GRANDPA'S FARM OR
M0M AND DAD HAD A FARM OR THEY
MOVED OFF THE FARM INTO THE CITY
AND AN AWFUL LOT OF FOLKS IN
THE CITY SEEM TO HAVE A GOAL TO
EVENTUALLY GET BACK TO RURAL
AMERICA
And that's pretty much the story
of Gottsch's own life.
He left farming for a varied
career that included
Director of Sales for the first
satellite-delivered
video cattle auction.
Which eventually spawned the
idea for RFD TV -
and the reconnection with his
rural roots
GROWING UP IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA
WE USED TO HAVE AN EARLY MORNING
AG REPORT.
IT USED TO HAVE A
NOON MARKET REPORT.
EVERY FRIDAY THERE USED TO BE A
FARM FAMILY OF THE WEEK HONORED.
AND EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY
LOOKED FORWARD TO THAT
SO PATRICK, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
ROOM-MASTER CONTROL.
THIS IS WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS.
ALL THE UPLINKING
TAKES PLACE OVER HERE.
PROGRAMS ARE INGESTED
AND RUN OFF A COMPUTER.
OVER HERE ALL THE DOWNLINK
controls FOR THE DISHES OUTSIDE.
"It's RFD TV live.." While
producers around the nation
contribute most of RFD-TV's
programming, the network creates
a few of its own studio
productions,
including the popular
"RFD TV Live. "
It's hosted by Max Armstrong,
an agricultural broadcaster from
Chicago
EVERY MONTH WE DO SHOWS THAT
ADDRESS DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
WE DO SHOWS FOR THE
FFA ORGANIZATION.
WE DO SHOWS RELATED TO
FARM SAFETY, FOR EXAMPLE.
THESE SHOWS ALLOW THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE
TO CALL IN
Armstrong sees some great
opportunities ahead for RFD TV
"The rural population
continues to gain.
We've seen that.
The department of agriculture
and census bureau figures show
that there are more people
moving out into rural areas.
Patrick Gottsch certainly has
big plans for his niche network,
including rural news shows
and program exchanges with a
Brazilian agricultural network.
Opening a new window for the
Heartland's hard-working
farm communities.
to look in on their colleagues
in the global community
Even if all of rural America's
2-point-1 million farm families
watched RFD-TV, they would
still have plenty of company.
The network reaches more than
90-million cable and satellite
subscribers in all 50 states.
Now I'm sure you've gathered
from watching our show
that farming is tough and the
business of farming
can be even harder.
Every year, plenty of farmers
give it up; it's certain that
plenty more think about it.
So take the case of
one Missouri dairyman.
On the verge of selling out, he
remembered the good old days -
the days of small-town
quality and personal service.
So he re-invented his dairy -
changed his way of life - and
revitalized his business.
"THESE TWO HERE ARE TWINS"
Not too many years ago Leroy And
Barbara Shatto
of Osborn Missouri were
seriously thinking
about selling these little guys
and the rest of the dairy herd
that had been in Barbara's
family for 100 years.
IT USED TO BE EVERY DAY I WALK
ACROSS THE ROAD I WONDER
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?
Do you know you're WORKING
YOURSELF TO DEATH FOR NOTHING.
Milk prices declined while the
overhead to produce it grew
and Shatto considered
shutting down-
not easy for a man who's
milked cows twice
a day for 30 years.
But after some research he
came up with a way to turn his
failing farm into
a dream business.
WELL WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
WANTIN FARM-FRESH MILK FROM THE
FARM
THAT THEY CAN EVEN GO OUT AND
SEE WHERE THIS MILK COMES FROM.
IN 2003 SHATTO STOPPED
SELLING HIS MILK TO A COOP.
HE OPENED A PLANT TO PROCESS IT
HIMSELF-
CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLE MAN.
HE TOOK HIS IDEA A STEP FURTHER
BY CREATING A NICHE
PACKAGING THE MILK THE
OLD-FASHIONED WAY
IN GLASS BOTTLES.
I THINK EVERYTHING
TASTES BETTER IN GLASS.
I MEAN EVEN WATER
TASTES BETTER IN GLASS.
SO IT MAKES OUR
MILK TASTE BETTER.
THE GLASS MAKES OUR MILK
STAY COLDER
Shatto now sells his milk to
more than 50 grocery stores in
the Kansas City area and
northern Missouri.
John Jackson, Dairy Manager
for this Hy-Vee market says the
product has really caught on.
WELL IF YOU GO BACK FAR ENOUGH,
MILK USED TO BE DELIVERED TO
THEIR DOORS IN WIRE HANGERS IN
THE GLASS JARS
AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY
PEOPLE GOT IT.
THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PART OF
THE INITIAL ATTRACTION TO IT
WAS HEY, THIS IS JUST LIKE A
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Jackson says customers tell him
they also like the rich,
fresh flavor.
Speaking of flavors, Shatto not
only comes in whole and low-fat
white. but chocolate and even
more unusual flavors
like root beer?
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY
GOING TO TRY ROOT BEER MILK.
BUT HERE it GOES!
NOT BAD!
TASTES LIKE ROOTBEER FLOAT.
I W0ULDN'T MIND BEING KNOWN AS
THE DAIRY FARMER
WHO MADE MILK FUN.
CUZ WE'VE GOT PEOPLE DRINKING
MILK THAT NEVER WOULD DRINK MILK
BEFORE SEE HOW COLD THAT IS?
FEEL THAT.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD WITH SOME
COOKIES, WOULDN'T IT
SHATTO ALSO ENJOYS PROMOTING HIS
DAIRY BY TAKING VISITORS
ON TOURS OF THE REVITALIZED
FAMILY FARM.
ON THIS DAY 80 STUDENTS FROM
GRAIN VALLEY ELEMENTARY NOT ONLY
HAD THE CHANCE TO
SEE HOW MILK IS MADE.
JUST SQUEEZE AND PULL
DOWN-
BUT WHERE IT COMES FROM.
I LIKE WHEN WE GOT TO MILK THE
COWS. THEIR UDDER FELT WEIRD
The Stattos also opened a
country store at their dairy
where customers can
buy milk right there.
THERE YOU GO MAM.
THANK YOU.
Christie Smith has been buying
Shatto milk since the beginning
"Love the flavors.
Our favorites are
the strawberries and the
chocolates. "
Those are words Shatto
never gets tired of hearing.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET UP IN THE
MORNING AND GET OVER AND SEE MY
EMAILS BECAUSE WE always HAVE
THESE NICE PEOPLE EMAILING US
ABOUT HOW THEY LIKE OUR MILK.
Shatto says the changes he's
made have brought pride back
into what he does and hope that
perhaps his dairy will go on for
another 100 years.
Well Old Paint I want to thank
you for your help today.
And certainly want to thank you
for watching and hope you will
join us again next time when
we discover more great farms,
families, and their fascinating
stories in America's Heartland.
I'm Paul Ryan.
We'll see you next time
To learn more about this edition
of America's Heartland, or to
give us your feedback, visit
americasheartland - dot - org.
To order a copy of this
broadcast, visit us online or
call 1-888-814-3923.
The cost is 14.95 plus shipping.
♪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.♪
"America's Heartland is made
possible by....
They make up a small part of our
population.
But have a huge
impact on our lives.
They take business risks that
few others would tolerate
all on our behalf.
They're American farmers who
feed, fuel and clothe the world.
Monsanto would like to recognize
them for all they do,
for the rest of us, because
ultimately our success
and everyone else's depends on
theirs
.and by the American Farm
Bureau Federation -
the voice of agriculture.