1 00:00:01,031 --> 00:00:06,831 America's Heartland is made possible by.... 2 00:00:06,831 --> 00:00:09,831 They make up a small part of our population, 3 00:00:09,831 --> 00:00:12,598 but have a huge impact on our lives. 4 00:00:12,598 --> 00:00:15,898 They take business risks that few others would tolerate 5 00:00:15,898 --> 00:00:17,998 all on our behalf. 6 00:00:17,998 --> 00:00:23,298 They're American farmers who feed, fuel and clothe the world. 7 00:00:23,298 --> 00:00:26,831 Monsanto would like to recognize them for all they do 8 00:00:26,831 --> 00:00:28,598 for the rest of us, 9 00:00:28,598 --> 00:00:32,231 because ultimately our success and everyone else's 10 00:00:32,231 --> 00:00:34,831 depends on theirs. 11 00:00:34,831 --> 00:00:37,931 ....and by the American Farm Bureau Federation 12 00:00:37,931 --> 00:00:41,898 - the voice of agriculture. 13 00:00:41,898 --> 00:00:42,798 Coming up.... 14 00:00:42,798 --> 00:00:45,064 Protecting our ability to produce: 15 00:00:45,064 --> 00:00:49,364 farmers help  farmers in a unique program to bring in the crops. 16 00:00:49,364 --> 00:00:52,231 Then health conscious American's create a big demand 17 00:00:52,231 --> 00:00:56,031 for sunflowers, golden harvest in the heartland. 18 00:00:56,031 --> 00:00:58,898 Sorghum is one of the world's oldest grains. 19 00:00:58,898 --> 00:01:02,698 It's finding new fans on a farm in Ohio. 20 00:01:02,698 --> 00:01:04,431 And breeding better cattle: 21 00:01:04,431 --> 00:01:07,698 A Nebraska farm family seizes the opportunity to help ranchers 22 00:01:07,698 --> 00:01:09,298 improve their stock. 23 00:01:09,298 --> 00:01:14,298 America's Heartland is next. 24 00:01:14,298 --> 00:01:20,631 ♪ You can see it in the eyes of   every woman and man ♪ 25 00:01:20,631 --> 00:01:26,664 ♪ in America's Heartland   living close to the land. ♪ 26 00:01:26,664 --> 00:01:32,731 ♪ There's a love for the country   and a pride in the brand ♪ 27 00:01:32,731 --> 00:01:43,064 ♪ in America's Heartland living   close, close to the land. ♪ 28 00:01:43,064 --> 00:01:51,764 ♪ In America's Heartland. ♪ 29 00:01:51,764 --> 00:01:53,698 Hello and welcome to   America's Heartland . 30 00:01:53,698 --> 00:01:55,264 I'm Paul Ryan. 31 00:01:55,264 --> 00:01:58,331 We like to think of it as a distinctly American value: 32 00:01:58,331 --> 00:02:01,498 the willingness to go all-out to help family, friends, 33 00:02:01,498 --> 00:02:05,198 neighbors, and yes, even  strangers in need. 34 00:02:05,198 --> 00:02:07,698 Out here in the heartland where the crops are grown; 35 00:02:07,698 --> 00:02:10,931 livestock tended, the challenges are plenty. 36 00:02:10,931 --> 00:02:14,131 Folks can find themselves in need of a helping hand. 37 00:02:14,131 --> 00:02:15,831 When things start going wrong on the family farm, 38 00:02:15,831 --> 00:02:18,531 the need may be greater than friend or neighbor 39 00:02:18,531 --> 00:02:19,798 or family member can offer. 40 00:02:19,798 --> 00:02:22,164 In one state a group of farmers, tired of watching 41 00:02:22,164 --> 00:02:25,931 their colleagues fall on hard times, have banded together 42 00:02:25,931 --> 00:02:32,698 to help them save their farms and their livelihood. 43 00:02:32,698 --> 00:02:36,064 Well, I was having chest pains, and I was short of breath. 44 00:02:36,064 --> 00:02:38,398 And I went to my local doctor, and he scheduled me 45 00:02:38,398 --> 00:02:42,331 for a stress test in Camden, North Dakota, my local hospital. 46 00:02:42,331 --> 00:02:44,298 And I flunked it. 47 00:02:44,298 --> 00:02:47,331 And flunking meant that farmer Ron Tschepen was headed 48 00:02:47,331 --> 00:02:51,598 straight to the operating room for quadruple bypass surgery. 49 00:02:51,598 --> 00:02:54,031 That was bad enough, but even worse 50 00:02:54,031 --> 00:02:57,531 it laid him low at a critical time when his wheat crop 51 00:02:57,531 --> 00:02:59,031 was coming in. 52 00:02:59,031 --> 00:03:01,031 Ron needed help. 53 00:03:01,031 --> 00:03:04,764 Hi there, Ron. How are you? 54 00:03:04,764 --> 00:03:06,698 Feeling a lot better. 55 00:03:06,698 --> 00:03:10,431 Help arrived just in time in the form of retired farmer 56 00:03:10,431 --> 00:03:14,764 named Gene Spichke and a handful of other folks. 57 00:03:14,764 --> 00:03:16,164 You came all the way from South Dakota? 58 00:03:16,164 --> 00:03:20,231 Good man! 59 00:03:20,231 --> 00:03:22,564 They spent days in the cabs of combines 60 00:03:22,564 --> 00:03:28,231 harvesting Ron's wheat crop. 61 00:03:28,231 --> 00:03:30,798 Who are these   angels in the heartland ? 62 00:03:30,798 --> 00:03:35,231 They're volunteers, members of  Farm Rescue , an organization 63 00:03:35,231 --> 00:03:42,231 made up of farmers helping farmers. 64 00:03:42,231 --> 00:03:45,764 Farm Rescue was founded in 2006 by Bill Gross, 65 00:03:45,764 --> 00:03:48,664 a North Dakota Farm boy who, once grown up, 66 00:03:48,664 --> 00:03:51,831 took to the sky as a pilot for UPS. 67 00:03:51,831 --> 00:03:54,464 Still, he's kept one foot on the ground. 68 00:03:54,464 --> 00:03:58,198 His roots in agriculture run deep, and he knows how sickness 69 00:03:58,198 --> 00:04:00,998 or accidents or tornados can wipe out 70 00:04:00,998 --> 00:04:03,298 hard-working farm families. 71 00:04:03,298 --> 00:04:06,731 He wanted to help out, and Farm Rescue was born. 72 00:04:06,731 --> 00:04:10,531 A farmer has had to have a major illness, 73 00:04:10,531 --> 00:04:13,231 injury or natural disaster occur to them. 74 00:04:13,231 --> 00:04:17,998 And Farm Rescue is just to help a farmer through a tough time 75 00:04:17,998 --> 00:04:20,531 so they can continue their operation. 76 00:04:20,531 --> 00:04:22,998 The volunteers at Farm Rescue make it very clear 77 00:04:22,998 --> 00:04:26,664 that they are here to lend a hand to farmers in need; 78 00:04:26,664 --> 00:04:28,031 not give them a handout. 79 00:04:28,031 --> 00:04:31,831 So there's a strict application process that requires applicants 80 00:04:31,831 --> 00:04:35,364 to divulge a lot of information, including financial, 81 00:04:35,364 --> 00:04:37,631 before they can be selected. 82 00:04:37,631 --> 00:04:40,364 Farm Rescue wants to make sure that the farmer is not 83 00:04:40,364 --> 00:04:43,264 financially capable of  hiring people to come in 84 00:04:43,264 --> 00:04:44,631 to do the work. 85 00:04:44,631 --> 00:04:47,764 So far, the organization has helped more than thirty farmers 86 00:04:47,764 --> 00:04:51,098 plant and harvest crops across several Midwestern states 87 00:04:51,098 --> 00:04:53,131 and Montana. 88 00:04:53,131 --> 00:04:55,964 Since the mission is to aid people truly in need 89 00:04:55,964 --> 00:04:58,931 and spread the help around, this is intended 90 00:04:58,931 --> 00:05:01,398 as a one-time fix. 91 00:05:01,398 --> 00:05:04,398 A farmer can only apply once every three years. 92 00:05:04,398 --> 00:05:06,898 So it is meant to be a one-time only to help them through 93 00:05:06,898 --> 00:05:14,498 a tough time so they can continue their operation. 94 00:05:14,498 --> 00:05:17,764 Farm Rescue depends on donations to keep going. 95 00:05:17,764 --> 00:05:20,764 The money buys fuel and parts for all its combines, 96 00:05:20,764 --> 00:05:24,964 harvesters and tractors which have also been donated. 97 00:05:24,964 --> 00:05:28,231 Because of liability, Farm Rescue rarely uses 98 00:05:28,231 --> 00:05:32,231 the farmer's equipment. 99 00:05:32,231 --> 00:05:34,498 It's hard to figure out who benefits more: 100 00:05:34,498 --> 00:05:39,531 the farmers on the receiving end or the Farm Rescue volunteers. 101 00:05:39,531 --> 00:05:43,064 Thank God for all the work they've been doin' for me, 102 00:05:43,064 --> 00:05:45,864 took a load off of me, so I don't have to worry so much, 103 00:05:45,864 --> 00:05:47,364 ya know. 104 00:05:47,364 --> 00:05:48,798 He can relax a little bit. 105 00:05:48,798 --> 00:05:49,898 He's resting. 106 00:05:49,898 --> 00:05:51,298 He's just doing walking like he's supposed to. 107 00:05:51,298 --> 00:05:54,298 Otherwise he'd be up pacing. 108 00:05:54,298 --> 00:05:58,231 Well, back when I farmed and farms were a lot closer 109 00:05:58,231 --> 00:06:00,964 together, there were a lot more farmers than there are now. 110 00:06:00,964 --> 00:06:03,631 If a farmer got sick or whatever happened to him, got hurt, 111 00:06:03,631 --> 00:06:07,531 the neighbors would get together, put the crop in, 112 00:06:07,531 --> 00:06:08,631 or take it off. 113 00:06:08,631 --> 00:06:10,664 Now farms are few and far between. 114 00:06:10,664 --> 00:06:16,664 Those days are gone. 115 00:06:16,664 --> 00:06:20,064 As long as I'm able, I'll keep helping. 116 00:06:20,064 --> 00:06:22,031 This is great. 117 00:06:22,031 --> 00:06:31,498 We can help people that really need it. 118 00:06:31,498 --> 00:06:34,731 Jamestown, North Dakota, home to  Farm Rescue , is also home 119 00:06:34,731 --> 00:06:37,098 to the National Buffalo Museum. 120 00:06:37,098 --> 00:06:40,764 The museum and the city's huge buffalo statue draw nearly 121 00:06:40,764 --> 00:06:43,698 one hundred thousand visitors a year. 122 00:06:43,698 --> 00:06:45,598 It's hard to miss the buffalo. 123 00:06:45,598 --> 00:06:52,364 The cement sculpture is 26 feet tall and 46 feet long! 124 00:06:52,364 --> 00:06:54,231 Long ago, somewhere on the prairie, 125 00:06:54,231 --> 00:06:57,064 some of our forefathers happened upon a weed that produced 126 00:06:57,064 --> 00:07:00,231 a flower of remarkable size and color. 127 00:07:00,231 --> 00:07:02,764 Just the sight of one could brighten the eye, 128 00:07:02,764 --> 00:07:06,764 but farmers soon discovered there was food, oil and  profit 129 00:07:06,764 --> 00:07:09,298 in the humble sunflower. 130 00:07:09,298 --> 00:07:11,564 Today the sunflower business is as sophisticated 131 00:07:11,564 --> 00:07:13,698 as that of any crop in the heartland. 132 00:07:13,698 --> 00:07:15,998 And when planted across hundred-acre spreads, 133 00:07:15,998 --> 00:07:18,131 it may be the best  looking crop! 134 00:07:18,131 --> 00:07:25,198 Here's Pat McConahay. 135 00:07:25,198 --> 00:07:31,331 It's a blanket of yellow and green as far as the eye can see. 136 00:07:31,331 --> 00:07:34,364 This is a typical scene in much of North Dakota during 137 00:07:34,364 --> 00:07:36,464 the month of August. 138 00:07:36,464 --> 00:07:39,031 You have about 20 to 25 days of the flowers blossoming 139 00:07:39,031 --> 00:07:40,398 in the state. 140 00:07:40,398 --> 00:07:44,964 It's just a sight to behold to have 160 acres 141 00:07:44,964 --> 00:07:46,598 of sunflowers blossoming. 142 00:07:46,598 --> 00:07:51,531 And driving by and seeing that.... 143 00:07:51,531 --> 00:07:54,131 Mike Clemens and his family started growing sunflowers 144 00:07:54,131 --> 00:07:55,864 in the mid 70's. 145 00:07:55,864 --> 00:07:59,631 At that time, the oil and the seeds became hot commodities. 146 00:07:59,631 --> 00:08:02,398 And farmers developed a growing interest in it 147 00:08:02,398 --> 00:08:04,731 as a good rotation crop. 148 00:08:04,731 --> 00:08:07,564 The profitability of it was really the start 149 00:08:07,564 --> 00:08:09,798 of the sunflower industry in our state. 150 00:08:09,798 --> 00:08:13,264 Farmers could see where it could really add to their bottom line. 151 00:08:13,264 --> 00:08:15,731 It was a crop that really helped the producers get through 152 00:08:15,731 --> 00:08:17,698 the tough time of the 80's there . 153 00:08:17,698 --> 00:08:20,631 During that decade, North Dakota suffered dry weather 154 00:08:20,631 --> 00:08:23,264 that damaged other crops like wheat. 155 00:08:23,264 --> 00:08:25,831 Farmers discovered that sunflowers could tap into 156 00:08:25,831 --> 00:08:29,631 moisture deep in the ground and grow quite well in the state. 157 00:08:29,631 --> 00:08:33,731 In 2006, North Dakota was number one out of seven 158 00:08:33,731 --> 00:08:36,898 sunflower producing states in the country with nearly 159 00:08:36,898 --> 00:08:39,464 a million acres of blooms. 160 00:08:39,464 --> 00:08:42,098 Mike, I've always thought sunflowers are such 161 00:08:42,098 --> 00:08:43,864 happy plants. 162 00:08:43,864 --> 00:08:45,298 They really are. 163 00:08:45,298 --> 00:08:46,698 If you look at 'em, they're all blossomed out 164 00:08:46,698 --> 00:08:48,064 nice today. 165 00:08:48,064 --> 00:08:48,964 Little faces. 166 00:08:48,964 --> 00:08:50,798 That's what they are. 167 00:08:50,798 --> 00:08:53,431 On the sunflower here right now, the pollination is taking place 168 00:08:53,431 --> 00:08:55,764 right here on this part of the head. 169 00:08:55,764 --> 00:08:58,498 The sunflower has come a long way from it's origin 170 00:08:58,498 --> 00:09:01,598 as a native North America prairie weed. 171 00:09:01,598 --> 00:09:04,131 People around the world have come to rely on products 172 00:09:04,131 --> 00:09:06,198 made from the big blooms. 173 00:09:06,198 --> 00:09:10,031 One trademarked variety called NuSun 174 00:09:10,031 --> 00:09:14,731 is now a leading oil seed crop second only to soybeans. 175 00:09:14,731 --> 00:09:17,198 The market in the United States right now is to have 176 00:09:17,198 --> 00:09:19,864 a NuSun oil for frying application. 177 00:09:19,864 --> 00:09:23,131 Several food companies are using it now. 178 00:09:23,131 --> 00:09:26,498 Sunflowers are generally planted from April through mid July 179 00:09:26,498 --> 00:09:27,998 in North Dakota. 180 00:09:27,998 --> 00:09:31,364 Harvest runs from late September through October. 181 00:09:31,364 --> 00:09:34,664 A check of the flower head which begins to turn downward 182 00:09:34,664 --> 00:09:37,764 let's the farmer know if it's mature enough to cut. 183 00:09:37,764 --> 00:09:40,031 This one here is completing its pollination. 184 00:09:40,031 --> 00:09:42,531 You can see the seeds here. 185 00:09:42,531 --> 00:09:45,064 And you can rub 'em off, and you can see the seeds there. 186 00:09:45,064 --> 00:09:47,631 These seeds will get about three times bigger 187 00:09:47,631 --> 00:09:48,998 than what they are right now. 188 00:09:48,998 --> 00:09:53,364 They will turn from a grayish white color to a black color. 189 00:09:53,364 --> 00:09:56,498 Sunflowers are harvested using a combine that's been adapted 190 00:09:56,498 --> 00:09:58,164 to take the seed. 191 00:09:58,164 --> 00:10:01,664 A threshing unit separates the seeds from the sunflower heads 192 00:10:01,664 --> 00:10:03,031 and straw. 193 00:10:03,031 --> 00:10:05,464 A sizeable portion of the sunflower crop 194 00:10:05,464 --> 00:10:07,964 goes into snacks and bird feed. 195 00:10:07,964 --> 00:10:09,764 And of course, it takes sunflowers 196 00:10:09,764 --> 00:10:11,131 to produce sunflowers. 197 00:10:11,131 --> 00:10:14,731 Sunflower seed companies like this one in Northern California 198 00:10:14,731 --> 00:10:17,764 process sunflowers seeds that are shipped to growers 199 00:10:17,764 --> 00:10:19,264 around the world. 200 00:10:19,264 --> 00:10:22,331 But at this processing plant in West Fargo, North Dakota, 201 00:10:22,331 --> 00:10:24,698 oil is the name of the game. 202 00:10:24,698 --> 00:10:27,398 This is one of three sunflower crushing facilities 203 00:10:27,398 --> 00:10:29,364 in the country. 204 00:10:29,364 --> 00:10:33,198 A full 90 percent of the roughly 3 million acres of sunflowers 205 00:10:33,198 --> 00:10:38,531 grown in the U.S. are processed into oil. 206 00:10:38,531 --> 00:10:40,498 We bring seeds into our plant. 207 00:10:40,498 --> 00:10:42,064 We clean the seeds. 208 00:10:42,064 --> 00:10:44,931 We dry it down, and then we bring it into the process. 209 00:10:44,931 --> 00:10:48,264 And we separate out the meal and the oil from the seed. 210 00:10:48,264 --> 00:10:51,264 The meal is turned into a livestock feed ingredient, 211 00:10:51,264 --> 00:10:54,631 and the oil goes into the refinery for further processing. 212 00:10:54,631 --> 00:10:57,798 These plants produce nearly two hundred million pounds 213 00:10:57,798 --> 00:10:59,464 of oil a year. 214 00:10:59,464 --> 00:11:02,298 We used to export a majority of our sunflower oil 215 00:11:02,298 --> 00:11:03,598 from this facility. 216 00:11:03,598 --> 00:11:07,798 Given the changing landscape for oil now, we use all of our 217 00:11:07,798 --> 00:11:09,098 sunflower oil domestically. 218 00:11:09,098 --> 00:11:11,231 The demand remains robust. 219 00:11:11,231 --> 00:11:14,064 Chefs and nutrionists value sunflower oil for its 220 00:11:14,064 --> 00:11:17,431 light taste, frying performance, and health benefits. 221 00:11:17,431 --> 00:11:20,731 It's relatively low in saturated fats. 222 00:11:20,731 --> 00:11:24,031 As a vibrant plains native adds its signature yellow 223 00:11:24,031 --> 00:11:26,131 to the amber waves of the heartland, 224 00:11:26,131 --> 00:11:29,464 it's become a versatile star of American agriculture 225 00:11:29,464 --> 00:11:38,464 from these norhtern plains to the panhandle of Texas. 226 00:11:38,464 --> 00:11:40,831 The sunflower is native to North America. 227 00:11:40,831 --> 00:11:43,831 It's also a popular crop in many other countries. 228 00:11:43,831 --> 00:11:47,198 Russia and Italy raise expansive areas of sunflowers 229 00:11:47,198 --> 00:11:49,264 for oil and animal feed. 230 00:11:49,264 --> 00:11:52,164 Sunflowers can grow from 8 to 12 feet. 231 00:11:52,164 --> 00:11:54,898 One farmer in the Netherlands raised sunflower plants 232 00:11:54,898 --> 00:12:00,131 that reached almost 26 feet tall! 233 00:12:00,131 --> 00:12:02,431 From time to time we like to change the pace and bring you 234 00:12:02,431 --> 00:12:04,764 some of the people, places, and yes, 235 00:12:04,764 --> 00:12:07,798 critters around the heartland that seem worthy of note. 236 00:12:07,798 --> 00:12:10,831 So let's make a quick stop in Linden, Indiana 237 00:12:10,831 --> 00:12:13,031 at a spot that's pretty special 238 00:12:13,031 --> 00:12:15,864 to fans of old-time train travel. 239 00:12:15,864 --> 00:13:33,064 ♪ 240 00:13:33,064 --> 00:13:35,198 Still to come on   America's Heartland .... 241 00:13:35,198 --> 00:13:38,498 It's a grain that's less well known than corn or soybeans, 242 00:13:38,498 --> 00:13:42,898 but one Ohio family farm finds a future in sorghum. 243 00:13:42,898 --> 00:13:46,164 And a Nebraska farm family diversifies their operation 244 00:13:46,164 --> 00:13:51,264 to help ranchers breed better stock. 245 00:13:51,264 --> 00:13:53,598 There's a crop that's a veteran of heartland farms. 246 00:13:53,598 --> 00:13:55,464 A lot of urban folks may have heard of it, 247 00:13:55,464 --> 00:13:57,698 but couldn't quite tell you what it is. 248 00:13:57,698 --> 00:14:00,864 Sorghum may not enjoy as much widespread use as it once did, 249 00:14:00,864 --> 00:14:03,298 but it's still a versatile plant. 250 00:14:03,298 --> 00:14:05,698 And it's still common enough in popular heartland products 251 00:14:05,698 --> 00:14:06,998 and recipes. 252 00:14:06,998 --> 00:14:10,031 On a recent trip through Ohio, Pat found just the man 253 00:14:10,031 --> 00:14:16,464 to introduce us to this lesser-known American staple. 254 00:14:16,464 --> 00:14:18,064 From what I can remember, when I was little, 255 00:14:18,064 --> 00:14:20,498 was how good it made me feel to help my dad. 256 00:14:20,498 --> 00:14:23,831 'Course, that involved work, and I didn't mind workin'. 257 00:14:23,831 --> 00:14:26,431 Childhood memories of working the family farm 258 00:14:26,431 --> 00:14:28,931 was just one thing that brought John Simon 259 00:14:28,931 --> 00:14:32,098 back to his boyhood home in Portsmouth Ohio. 260 00:14:32,098 --> 00:14:34,731 His parents wanted him to leave, get an education, 261 00:14:34,731 --> 00:14:36,364 and have a career. 262 00:14:36,364 --> 00:14:39,331 He did all of that becoming a college professor. 263 00:14:39,331 --> 00:14:42,598 But there was so much he missed about that peaceful plot of land 264 00:14:42,598 --> 00:14:44,431 on Pond Creek. 265 00:14:44,431 --> 00:14:49,898 I just, you know, the beauty of a calf, 266 00:14:49,898 --> 00:14:54,498 to get to sit and pet a cat, to look across the road 267 00:14:54,498 --> 00:14:58,564 and see the hill; hear the stream. 268 00:14:58,564 --> 00:15:01,031 John's 500-acre farm has been handed down 269 00:15:01,031 --> 00:15:04,498 through five generations beginning in the 1860's 270 00:15:04,498 --> 00:15:08,364 when his great-great grandfather came here from France. 271 00:15:08,364 --> 00:15:11,131 When they got here they owned all this timber, 272 00:15:11,131 --> 00:15:13,964 white oak and that sort of thing, on this farm. 273 00:15:13,964 --> 00:15:16,631 So they were able to build and they built a beautiful 274 00:15:16,631 --> 00:15:18,798 rock dam down here. 275 00:15:18,798 --> 00:15:23,464 They built this home in the 1860's with wood provided here 276 00:15:23,464 --> 00:15:24,798 on the farm. 277 00:15:24,798 --> 00:15:28,098 They paid a 100 dollars to a man and his son to build that house. 278 00:15:28,098 --> 00:15:30,698 Glad to still be able to live in it. 279 00:15:30,698 --> 00:15:33,698 John is also glad he can keep his family's farming history 280 00:15:33,698 --> 00:15:38,264 as well as that of the area's Appalachian culture alive. 281 00:15:38,264 --> 00:15:41,331 One of those things is the growing of sweet sorghum. 282 00:15:41,331 --> 00:15:43,298 It is best known as a grain crop. 283 00:15:43,298 --> 00:15:46,864 Today it's an unusual ingredient for most American cooks, 284 00:15:46,864 --> 00:15:50,931 but in the 1880's, sorghum cane, which looks a lot like corn, 285 00:15:50,931 --> 00:15:54,264 was made into a common inexpensive sweetener. 286 00:15:54,264 --> 00:15:55,564 So how tall does it get? 287 00:15:55,564 --> 00:16:02,064 Ordinarily you might see a stock get 8 or 9 or 10 feet tall. 288 00:16:02,064 --> 00:16:05,631 One way you know it's ready to be harvested is by the taste. 289 00:16:05,631 --> 00:16:07,798 I look at the taste more than anything. 290 00:16:07,798 --> 00:16:14,031 You cut a piece off the top, and I take that piece 291 00:16:14,031 --> 00:16:16,731 - and that piece has juice in it - 292 00:16:16,731 --> 00:16:20,964 and I just bend that over my knee and hold it up 293 00:16:20,964 --> 00:16:27,564 over my mouth and twist it. 294 00:16:27,564 --> 00:16:31,298 And I can tell when that juice is ready to make sorghum. 295 00:16:31,298 --> 00:16:33,864 We visited John's farm in late July. 296 00:16:33,864 --> 00:16:37,131 The crop is harvested at the beginning of September. 297 00:16:37,131 --> 00:16:39,431 So it's real low-tech as far as the harvest? 298 00:16:39,431 --> 00:16:41,898 It's low tech. 299 00:16:41,898 --> 00:16:43,231 And it's also hand work. 300 00:16:43,231 --> 00:16:45,798 We are still one of the farmers in America that raises 301 00:16:45,798 --> 00:16:49,931 sorghum that does it slow and traditional. 302 00:16:49,931 --> 00:16:52,931 We strip the cane and top the cane, and we do it by hand. 303 00:16:52,931 --> 00:16:54,598 We don't cut it with machines. 304 00:16:54,598 --> 00:16:57,064 John's  traditional approach to raising sorghum 305 00:16:57,064 --> 00:16:59,931 is one of the attractions for visitors who make their way 306 00:16:59,931 --> 00:17:02,098 to his farm each October. 307 00:17:02,098 --> 00:17:06,431 That's when John holds his annual  sorghum makin' festival. 308 00:17:06,431 --> 00:17:09,898 And people come here and have a good old homespun time. 309 00:17:09,898 --> 00:17:13,298 And they learn just how he does it. 310 00:17:13,298 --> 00:17:16,664 Since 1982 visitors have been able to see how sweet sorghum 311 00:17:16,664 --> 00:17:17,998 is made. 312 00:17:17,998 --> 00:17:19,831 The cane is taken to a little mill on the farm 313 00:17:19,831 --> 00:17:22,631 and hand fed a few at a time. 314 00:17:22,631 --> 00:17:25,664 The rollers in the mill crush the stalks which squeezes 315 00:17:25,664 --> 00:17:27,464 the juice out of the cane. 316 00:17:27,464 --> 00:17:32,164 The juice is collected into a container and eventually cooked. 317 00:17:32,164 --> 00:17:36,698 Mmm, sorghum popcorn balls! 318 00:17:36,698 --> 00:17:39,698 John likes to show his visitors how versatile sorghum can be 319 00:17:39,698 --> 00:17:42,664 as an ingredient in down-home recipes 320 00:17:42,664 --> 00:17:47,198 from baked beans to baked treats like cookies. 321 00:17:47,198 --> 00:18:00,564 ♪ Sorghum and molasses   are all they had to eat....♪ 322 00:18:00,564 --> 00:18:02,098 Farming and sorghum aren't John's only passions. 323 00:18:02,098 --> 00:18:05,431 There's also music, a gift handed down from his mother. 324 00:18:05,431 --> 00:18:07,631 He especially enjoys playing the regional tunes 325 00:18:07,631 --> 00:18:11,098 passed from generation to generation. 326 00:18:11,098 --> 00:18:13,531 It's great satisfaction to entertain yourselves 327 00:18:13,531 --> 00:18:15,398 and to entertain other people.... 328 00:18:15,398 --> 00:18:18,198 ....and to teach others what he so loves. 329 00:18:18,198 --> 00:18:23,164 (  fiddle hoe down music ) 330 00:18:23,164 --> 00:18:25,364 John's enthusiasm for Appalachian tradition 331 00:18:25,364 --> 00:18:29,364 has a profound impact on many people including his students, 332 00:18:29,364 --> 00:18:32,498 a couple of whom also play music with him. 333 00:18:32,498 --> 00:18:36,798 John is probably one of the biggest influences of my life. 334 00:18:36,798 --> 00:18:42,864 He probably doesn't know that. 335 00:18:42,864 --> 00:18:45,898 I don't know why I'm going cry. 336 00:18:45,898 --> 00:18:51,231 He's made me more aware of music, different types of music; 337 00:18:51,231 --> 00:18:56,131 how they've all melted together more or less over the years: 338 00:18:56,131 --> 00:18:59,598 rock and roll, and country. 339 00:18:59,598 --> 00:19:03,231 And melding the past with the present is something John Simon 340 00:19:03,231 --> 00:19:06,498 hopes to continue as a way to honor those who've farmed 341 00:19:06,498 --> 00:19:15,664 the land before him. 342 00:19:15,664 --> 00:19:19,198 Sorghum is thought to have been first raised in Africa. 343 00:19:19,198 --> 00:19:22,298 It's a popular plant there as well as in China and India 344 00:19:22,298 --> 00:19:25,831 because of varieties that are extremely drought resistant. 345 00:19:25,831 --> 00:19:28,431 Sorghum is an important grain for farmers 346 00:19:28,431 --> 00:19:30,198 west of the Mississippi. 347 00:19:30,198 --> 00:19:33,731 Kansas, Texas and Nebraska are America's top three 348 00:19:33,731 --> 00:19:37,698 sorghum states. 349 00:19:37,698 --> 00:19:40,031 Any rancher will tell you that when it comes to producing 350 00:19:40,031 --> 00:19:42,531 young animals from the members of their herd, 351 00:19:42,531 --> 00:19:45,598 things don't work quite the same as they do in the human world. 352 00:19:45,598 --> 00:19:49,164 Suffice it to say, that when you gaze out across a range 353 00:19:49,164 --> 00:19:52,498 covered with fine, fat calves, it may be that quite a few 354 00:19:52,498 --> 00:19:54,331 of them share the same father. 355 00:19:54,331 --> 00:19:56,498 Refining good genetics is a long-standing practice 356 00:19:56,498 --> 00:19:58,698 among ranchers as well as horse breeders. 357 00:19:58,698 --> 00:20:01,831 And that has created the highly specialized business. 358 00:20:01,831 --> 00:20:07,231 Here's Jason Shoultz in Ashland, Nebraska. 359 00:20:07,231 --> 00:20:10,131 On a quiet farm in rural Nebraska, one family 360 00:20:10,131 --> 00:20:13,864 is capitalizing on the need  for seed . 361 00:20:13,864 --> 00:20:17,664 By all appearances, it's your typical heartland farm. 362 00:20:17,664 --> 00:20:20,698 Cattle, horses, row crops, the Vogler's have 363 00:20:20,698 --> 00:20:22,398 all the ingredients. 364 00:20:22,398 --> 00:20:24,864 But this family has something else. 365 00:20:24,864 --> 00:20:28,164 Welcome to the Vogler Semen Centre. 366 00:20:28,164 --> 00:20:31,031 It may draw strange looks or laughs, but when it comes to 367 00:20:31,031 --> 00:20:33,464 semen, the Vogler's mean business. 368 00:20:33,464 --> 00:20:37,164 And business is good. 369 00:20:37,164 --> 00:20:39,398 In the beef business genetics is critical. 370 00:20:39,398 --> 00:20:42,731 To get top-quality meat, ranchers need good cattle. 371 00:20:42,731 --> 00:20:44,831 To do that, they turn to breeding through 372 00:20:44,831 --> 00:20:46,931 artificial insemination. 373 00:20:46,931 --> 00:20:51,398 Ranchers will pay top dollar for what the Vogler's collect here. 374 00:20:51,398 --> 00:20:54,664 There's no better way to increase the value 375 00:20:54,664 --> 00:20:59,264 of one's pure bred herd than through artificial insemination. 376 00:20:59,264 --> 00:21:01,598 Not everyone can go out and buy 377 00:21:01,598 --> 00:21:05,298 $100,000 or $200,000 bull, but about anybody can afford 378 00:21:05,298 --> 00:21:10,898 from $15 to $50 or $100 straw of semen in order to get this done. 379 00:21:10,898 --> 00:21:13,564 As we move along here, you know, say with certain bulls, 380 00:21:13,564 --> 00:21:17,531 you produce the best genetics, you want the most tender beef, 381 00:21:17,531 --> 00:21:19,598 the most flavorful beef. 382 00:21:19,598 --> 00:21:21,564 And so with the new genetics that are coming, 383 00:21:21,564 --> 00:21:25,198 you can take one bull and breed him to thousands of cows. 384 00:21:25,198 --> 00:21:27,698 Lloyd and Rosalyn Vogler started the Vogler Semen Centre 385 00:21:27,698 --> 00:21:29,698 back in 1983. 386 00:21:29,698 --> 00:21:32,264 As they watched banks foreclose on their neighbor's property 387 00:21:32,264 --> 00:21:34,631 during the farm crisis of the 1980's, 388 00:21:34,631 --> 00:21:37,031 the couple knew (that) to survive, they had to find 389 00:21:37,031 --> 00:21:38,798 something else to do. 390 00:21:38,798 --> 00:21:40,531 Since then, the business has grown. 391 00:21:40,531 --> 00:21:43,431 It's now a full-time family-run operation 392 00:21:43,431 --> 00:21:46,231 with the Vogler's sons Leslie and Loren playing 393 00:21:46,231 --> 00:21:47,664 a critical part. 394 00:21:47,664 --> 00:21:50,931 Around 2001 the operation expanded to include collection 395 00:21:50,931 --> 00:21:52,331 from horses. 396 00:21:52,331 --> 00:21:55,731 Genetics in the equine industry are also very important. 397 00:21:55,731 --> 00:21:58,231 Today Leslie and Loren are collecting a sample 398 00:21:58,231 --> 00:22:01,331 from the horse  Hollidoc. 399 00:22:01,331 --> 00:22:04,064 This a stud called Hollidoc. 400 00:22:04,064 --> 00:22:06,264 He's a 24 year old stud. 401 00:22:06,264 --> 00:22:10,398 He came here, and so we're gonna, 402 00:22:10,398 --> 00:22:14,498 we're in the process of building a bank of frozen semen on him. 403 00:22:14,498 --> 00:22:17,264 And so we'll take him down today and collect him. 404 00:22:17,264 --> 00:22:19,964 He's kind of an old pro at this. 405 00:22:19,964 --> 00:22:23,031 He's been known in the cutting end industry, 406 00:22:23,031 --> 00:22:25,598 the reigning, working cow-horse deal. 407 00:22:25,598 --> 00:22:27,331 He's a horse that's been pretty versatile. 408 00:22:27,331 --> 00:22:29,464 His colts have been able to go on and do quite a few 409 00:22:29,464 --> 00:22:30,731 different things. 410 00:22:30,731 --> 00:22:33,998 How many times has Hollidoc walked down this hallway here? 411 00:22:33,998 --> 00:22:40,231 Oh, there's been numerous times he's been a real champ for us. 412 00:22:40,231 --> 00:22:43,098 As you can tell, we're getting real close. 413 00:22:43,098 --> 00:22:46,798 So he'll be starting to get himself ready. 414 00:22:46,798 --> 00:22:48,864 So the hard part's done? 415 00:22:48,864 --> 00:22:50,298 Yep, the physical part is over with. 416 00:22:50,298 --> 00:22:52,064 Now you've got to take this off to be analyzed? 417 00:22:52,064 --> 00:22:54,031 Yeah, we'll take it up to the lab, and we'll check 418 00:22:54,031 --> 00:22:58,098 the morphology, the count, and the motility on it, 419 00:22:58,098 --> 00:23:05,064 and see how many straws we can freeze on it. 420 00:23:05,064 --> 00:23:06,564 So what are we doing now? 421 00:23:06,564 --> 00:23:08,098 Now we'll take a sample of the semen. 422 00:23:08,098 --> 00:23:12,531 We'll check for the motilty and morphology of it. 423 00:23:12,531 --> 00:23:14,498 Motility and morph....now tell me what that means. 424 00:23:14,498 --> 00:23:16,964 Motility is actually how the sperm cells 425 00:23:16,964 --> 00:23:21,198 are progressively moving, to make sure they're motil.... 426 00:23:21,198 --> 00:23:22,131 ...okay 427 00:23:22,131 --> 00:23:23,631 ...and alive. 428 00:23:23,631 --> 00:23:26,598 And morphology is the abnormality of the cells, 429 00:23:26,598 --> 00:23:30,398 to make sure there aren't too many deformed sperm cells 430 00:23:30,398 --> 00:23:32,164 as far as their head or tails. 431 00:23:32,164 --> 00:23:34,031 You can go ahead and freeze a high quality sample 432 00:23:34,031 --> 00:23:36,698 if you have good motility and morphology. 433 00:23:36,698 --> 00:23:38,931 So now we're going to check for those 2 things. 434 00:23:38,931 --> 00:23:40,864 And you have to use the microscope to do that. 435 00:23:40,864 --> 00:23:44,898 What we use for motility and sperm count for the stallions 436 00:23:44,898 --> 00:23:47,964 is a Hamilton Thorn sperm analyzer. 437 00:23:47,964 --> 00:23:49,931 Well, look at that. 438 00:23:49,931 --> 00:23:51,198 How's that look? 439 00:23:51,198 --> 00:23:53,131 As you can see, his motility is excellent, and the morphology 440 00:23:53,131 --> 00:23:55,364 is also excellent on Hollidoc. 441 00:23:55,364 --> 00:23:59,464 Now this will go....somebody will get this and ideally be 442 00:23:59,464 --> 00:24:01,131 breeding some more horses. 443 00:24:01,131 --> 00:24:03,564 Yeah, after this initial evaluation, we'll go ahead 444 00:24:03,564 --> 00:24:05,098 and freeze it. 445 00:24:05,098 --> 00:24:08,798 And then the semen will be made available to ship worldwide. 446 00:24:08,798 --> 00:24:10,431 Loren knows his way around the lab, 447 00:24:10,431 --> 00:24:13,898 but this is really his mom Rosalyn's territory. 448 00:24:13,898 --> 00:24:16,831 The Vogler family credits her with keeping this operation 449 00:24:16,831 --> 00:24:19,664 running smoothly. 450 00:24:19,664 --> 00:24:22,198 She's really the backbone of this operation. 451 00:24:22,198 --> 00:24:25,598 She holds everybody together, you know, in a quiet way. 452 00:24:25,598 --> 00:24:26,931 We all work together. 453 00:24:26,931 --> 00:24:29,798 Everybody has their own little niche that they do. 454 00:24:29,798 --> 00:24:31,731 But we were fortunate that they were both able 455 00:24:31,731 --> 00:24:34,098 to stay and help us out in the business. 456 00:24:34,098 --> 00:24:36,664 When it's all over with, I just say do whatever 457 00:24:36,664 --> 00:24:38,031 you think's right. 458 00:24:38,031 --> 00:24:40,031 It's a family working together successfully 459 00:24:40,031 --> 00:24:42,664 laying a foundation for future generations. 460 00:24:42,664 --> 00:24:45,698 Like many family farms, the Vogler's are playing their part 461 00:24:45,698 --> 00:24:50,131 in our nation's agriculture. 462 00:24:50,131 --> 00:24:52,131 Even the age-old world of agriculture offers up 463 00:24:52,131 --> 00:24:53,964 some surprises sometimes! 464 00:24:53,964 --> 00:24:55,464 And that's our show for today. 465 00:24:55,464 --> 00:24:56,631 Thanks for watching. 466 00:24:56,631 --> 00:24:58,731 I'm Paul Ryan, and I'll see you next time 467 00:24:58,731 --> 00:25:07,231 right here on  America's Heartland . 468 00:25:07,231 --> 00:25:09,531 There's much more on   America's Heartland 469 00:25:09,531 --> 00:25:11,931 at our web site including video on the stories 470 00:25:11,931 --> 00:25:13,431 from today's show. 471 00:25:13,431 --> 00:25:15,231 You can also give us your feedback. 472 00:25:15,231 --> 00:25:18,031 Just log on to americasheartland-dot-org. 473 00:25:18,031 --> 00:25:20,198 And to order a copy of this broadcast, 474 00:25:20,198 --> 00:25:26,464 visit us online or call 1-888-814-3923. 475 00:25:26,464 --> 00:25:30,898 The cost is $14.95 plus shipping. 476 00:25:30,898 --> 00:25:37,231 ♪ You can see it in the eyes of   every woman and man ♪ 477 00:25:37,231 --> 00:25:43,098 ♪ in America's Heartland   living close to the land. ♪ 478 00:25:43,098 --> 00:25:49,198 ♪ There's a love for the country   and a pride in the brand ♪ 479 00:25:49,198 --> 00:25:58,898 ♪ in America's Heartland living   close, close to the land. ♪ 480 00:25:58,898 --> 00:26:04,898 America's Heartland is made possible by.... 481 00:26:04,898 --> 00:26:07,664 They make up a small part of our population, 482 00:26:07,664 --> 00:26:10,798 but have a huge impact on our lives. 483 00:26:10,798 --> 00:26:13,931 They take business risks that few others would tolerate 484 00:26:13,931 --> 00:26:16,064 all on our behalf. 485 00:26:16,064 --> 00:26:21,364 They're American farmers who feed, fuel and clothe the world. 486 00:26:21,364 --> 00:26:24,731 Monsanto would like to recognize them for all they do 487 00:26:24,731 --> 00:26:26,664 for the rest of us, 488 00:26:26,664 --> 00:26:30,098 because ultimately our success and everyone else's 489 00:26:30,098 --> 00:26:32,131 depends on theirs. 490 00:26:32,131 --> 00:26:35,898 ....and by the American Farm Bureau Federation 491 00:26:35,898 --> 00:26:39,264 - the voice of agriculture. 492 00:26:39,264 --> 00:26:42,198 ♪