WEBVTT

00:00.964 --> 00:06.931
America's Heartland
is made possible by.

00:06.931 --> 00:09.931
They make up a small
part of our population.

00:09.931 --> 00:12.898
But have a huge
impact on our lives.

00:12.898 --> 00:16.031
They take business risks that
few others would tolerate

00:16.031 --> 00:18.031
all on our behalf.

00:18.031 --> 00:23.031
They're American farmers who
feed, fuel and clothe the world.

00:23.031 --> 00:27.131
Monsanto would like to
recognize them for all they do,

00:27.131 --> 00:30.898
for the rest of us, because
ultimately our success

00:30.898 --> 00:34.898
and everyone else's depends on
theirs

00:34.898 --> 00:37.831
and by the American Farm Bureau
Federation

00:37.831 --> 00:42.298
- the voice of agriculture.

00:42.298 --> 00:43.398
Coming up:

00:43.398 --> 00:46.864
The intimidating but magnificant
american bison...

00:46.864 --> 00:50.564
in Kansas raising THEM IS
woman's work;

00:50.564 --> 00:53.764
a country and western star tells
why his passion

00:53.764 --> 00:55.231
is the american farmer;

00:55.231 --> 00:58.398
and an eighth-generation farm
family pioneers

00:58.398 --> 01:00.098
the high-tech dairy.

01:00.098 --> 01:03.031
America's Heartland  is next.

01:03.031 --> 01:09.098
♪ You can see it in the eyes of
every woman and man ♪

01:09.098 --> 01:15.164
♪ in America's Heartland
living close to the land. ♪

01:15.164 --> 01:21.064
♪ There's a love for the country
and a pride in the brand♪

01:21.064 --> 01:40.564
♪ in America's Heartland living
close, close to the land. ♪

01:40.564 --> 01:42.664
Hello and welcome to
America's Heartland.

01:42.664 --> 01:44.198
I'm Paul Ryan.

01:44.198 --> 01:47.531
Long before the rich farm and
ranch lands of the Great Plains,

01:47.531 --> 01:49.964
this land was home to the
greatest herds ever to rumble

01:49.964 --> 01:51.064
across a prairie.

01:51.064 --> 01:53.764
The American Bison ruled
these lands for eons

01:53.764 --> 01:55.798
then became almost extinct.

01:55.798 --> 01:58.631
But in recent decades, a
determined number people

01:58.631 --> 02:01.931
helped brought this American
icon back from the brink.

02:01.931 --> 02:04.798
We begin this edition of
America's Heartland in Kansas

02:04.798 --> 02:08.164
where Jason Shoultz met a
woman who is answering new

02:08.164 --> 02:12.498
trends in taste and tourism by
taking on the formidable task of

02:12.498 --> 02:18.564
ranching bison.

02:18.564 --> 02:22.098
You might think there's a
grizzled old farmer behind

02:22.098 --> 02:26.298
the wheel of this dusty pickup
truck. out to check on his herd.

02:26.298 --> 02:29.631
You would only be partly right!

02:29.631 --> 02:31.964
"Hello girls, ready to move? "

02:31.964 --> 02:33.998
Calling this Kansas farmer
grizzled

02:33.998 --> 02:37.164
might just get you in trouble.

02:37.164 --> 02:40.164
And the herd Linda Hubalek is
moving today

02:40.164 --> 02:42.364
is no ordinary livestock!

02:42.364 --> 02:43.564
"C'mon girls! "

02:43.564 --> 02:47.831
"These aren't cattle. So you
don't raise them the same.

02:47.831 --> 02:50.331
You don't interact
with them the same. "

02:50.331 --> 02:52.298
Tucked in the hills of Central
Kansas

02:52.298 --> 02:56.831
where the buffalo once roamed is
the Smoky Hill Bison Farm.

02:56.831 --> 03:00.464
While Linda's husband works as
an engineer in a nearby town -

03:00.464 --> 03:02.364
it's her job to run the farm.

03:02.364 --> 03:05.464
"The bison are still wild. They
are very in tune

03:05.464 --> 03:09.298
to their environment. They know
when something is different.

03:09.298 --> 03:14.598
They can react
immediately to something. "

03:14.598 --> 03:17.131
Linda grew up on a nearby
cattle farm, and has written

03:17.131 --> 03:20.898
a series of fictional books
based on her ancestors

03:20.898 --> 03:23.431
who homesteaded there. So it was
no surprise

03:23.431 --> 03:26.031
to her parents when 10
years ago she and her husband

03:26.031 --> 03:28.464
purchased 80 acres of farmland.

03:28.464 --> 03:31.431
But when Linda decided to raise
bison.

03:31.431 --> 03:35.731
"We're surprised at that. But
it's been a nice experience

03:35.731 --> 03:39.531
for them. It's different
alright. "

03:39.531 --> 03:43.064
And as many as 70 million
bison wandered North America

03:43.064 --> 03:45.864
before European
settlers arrived.

03:45.864 --> 03:48.164
Well they would have wondered
right through here to go down to

03:48.164 --> 03:51.298
the smokey hill river for water
so they would have been roaming

03:51.298 --> 03:55.231
this area in the beginning. But
by the turn of the 20th century,

03:55.231 --> 03:58.498
the animal had been
hunted to near extinction.

03:58.498 --> 04:01.298
Efforts by government and
ranchers like the Hubaleks

04:01.298 --> 04:03.698
have brought the bison back from
the brink.

04:03.698 --> 04:06.531
Today there are around
350-thousand

04:06.531 --> 04:08.131
across North America.

04:08.131 --> 04:11.198
The smokey hill herd ranges from
50 to 130 depending

04:11.198 --> 04:14.298
on the time of year. So we are
basically bringing them back

04:14.298 --> 04:16.931
to the prairie.

04:16.931 --> 04:19.998
They are amazingly graceful
creatures considering their

04:19.998 --> 04:23.864
size. The females can weigh more
than 1,000 pounds.

04:23.864 --> 04:27.764
The males...as much as 2,500
pounds.

04:27.764 --> 04:31.498
Unlike cattle, the bison aren't
fed grain.they eat grasses.

04:31.498 --> 04:33.898
Electric fences keep these giant
creatures from

04:33.898 --> 04:36.964
wandering the plains like they
did hundreds of years ago.

04:36.964 --> 04:40.931
The fences also keep the
tourists at a safe distance!

04:40.931 --> 04:43.631
"I CAN'T IMAGINE THE INDIANS
KILLING ONE OF THOSE

04:43.631 --> 04:45.831
WITH A BOW AND ARROW."

04:45.831 --> 04:49.798
Yes, agri-tourism is a big part
of the Smoky Hill operation.

04:49.798 --> 04:52.864
The farm is open year-round
to visitors for tours.

04:52.864 --> 04:55.464
Guests can't take home one
of these bulky beauties,

04:55.464 --> 04:58.364
but they can pick up some
buffalo bric-o-brac

04:58.364 --> 05:00.164
at the visitor center!

05:00.164 --> 05:03.364
The bison here at Smoky Hill
aren't just fun to look at,

05:03.364 --> 05:05.364
they are also
pretty good to eat,

05:05.364 --> 05:08.364
as folks can find out when they
pick up meat products here.

05:08.364 --> 05:11.731
They make buffalo patties,
ribeye steaks, buffalo filets,

05:11.731 --> 05:14.298
even buffalo jerky.

05:14.298 --> 05:17.464
"It tastes like
excellent, sweet beef. "

05:17.464 --> 05:20.231
It's also popular with folks
looking for leaner meat

05:20.231 --> 05:22.831
without growth hormones or
antibiotics.

05:22.831 --> 05:24.798
Smoky Hill uses a local
processor

05:24.798 --> 05:26.664
to prepare meats for sale.

05:26.664 --> 05:29.231
Most of the farm's business
comes from the website

05:29.231 --> 05:31.064
bisonfarm.com.

05:31.064 --> 05:35.931
"We ship meats, hides and skulls
all over the United States. "

05:35.931 --> 05:38.798
But you don't have to go too
far to get a taste of bison

05:38.798 --> 05:40.798
.as I found out at the Cookery
restaurant

05:40.798 --> 05:44.064
in downtown Lindsborg.

05:44.064 --> 05:47.798
Bison-burgers are a hot menu
item.made from ground bison meat

05:47.798 --> 05:51.564
from the nearby farm.

05:51.564 --> 05:53.264
Served up with some onion rings

05:53.264 --> 05:56.331
and your favorite condiments and
you've got yourself a tasty,

05:56.331 --> 06:00.464
and slightly more
expensive burger!

06:00.464 --> 06:02.864
Bison producers know that it's
not likely their meat

06:02.864 --> 06:07.464
will ever replace beef, after
all, there are 95 million cows

06:07.464 --> 06:09.664
raised in the United States.

06:09.664 --> 06:12.398
But after seven years of
operating the bison farm,

06:12.398 --> 06:15.831
Linda Hubalek has big hopes for
the future.more agri-tourists

06:15.831 --> 06:18.864
stopping by, and a growing
market for the bison meat.

06:18.864 --> 06:22.131
"So it's always going
to be a niche market,

06:22.131 --> 06:25.864
that hopefully will be in
demand.

06:25.864 --> 06:27.998
They are not quite like
livestock. We don't treat them

06:27.998 --> 06:30.664
as  such. They are actually part
of our family.

06:30.664 --> 06:32.431
They have very
unique personalities,

06:32.431 --> 06:35.464
whether it's Dolly, Esther, or
Frieda."

06:35.464 --> 06:38.464
Linda may give the bison names,
but you can't get too attached

06:38.464 --> 06:41.131
to something you might eat one
day.

06:41.131 --> 06:44.064
And one rule everyone around
this farm knows well:

06:44.064 --> 06:46.198
they may be fenced in, but these

06:46.198 --> 06:47.898
are still wild animals.

06:47.898 --> 06:50.598
Bison can be much more
excitable than cattle.

06:50.598 --> 06:53.364
Try to corral them from behind,
and they might just turn on you

06:53.364 --> 06:55.998
and charge! So instead..

06:55.998 --> 06:58.598
"We train them from the very
beginning to come to us

06:58.598 --> 07:00.831
--by call. "

07:00.831 --> 07:03.798
And you won't find Linda - or
anybody else for that matter -

07:03.798 --> 07:07.098
inside the fenced-in pasture
with the bison. It's too

07:07.098 --> 07:09.931
dangerous...they are too
unpredictable

07:09.931 --> 07:11.764
.and most importantly.

07:11.764 --> 07:13.998
"They are big. You respect them
too. Ha ha.."

07:13.998 --> 07:17.831
And you don't have to
be a grizzled old farmer

07:17.831 --> 07:25.298
to know that!

07:25.298 --> 07:28.798
What really nearly did in
the bison in the late 1800s?

07:28.798 --> 07:32.398
It wasn't the Plains
Indians, buffalo hunters,

07:32.398 --> 07:33.898
or Buffalo Bill Cody.

07:33.898 --> 07:37.031
Railroad passengers
share the blame.

07:37.031 --> 07:40.131
After the transcontinental
railroad was completed in 1869,

07:40.131 --> 07:43.598
many a passenger crossing the
Great Plains grabbed a rifle

07:43.598 --> 07:46.298
and fired out the windows into
herds of grazing bison

07:46.298 --> 07:47.898
for sport.

07:47.898 --> 07:50.764
By 1885, only a few hundred
bison remained alive

07:50.764 --> 07:53.598
in all North America.

07:53.598 --> 07:55.731
We've met a lot of
long-time farming families,

07:55.731 --> 07:57.364
but eight generations?

07:57.364 --> 07:59.664
. that's a lot of years.

07:59.664 --> 08:02.764
We're about to visit a farm that
began producing dairy products

08:02.764 --> 08:05.798
when America was just a baby.
But that stands now

08:05.798 --> 08:08.098
on the very cutting edge of
dairy high-tech.

08:08.098 --> 08:13.031
Pat McConahay takes
us to Pennsylvania.

08:13.031 --> 08:15.831
As agriculture changes,
technology is what drives

08:15.831 --> 08:19.198
Mason Dixon Farms near
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

08:19.198 --> 08:21.664
From state of the art milking
parlors to a system

08:21.664 --> 08:24.698
that doesn't let cow manure go
to waste

08:24.698 --> 08:27.964
this historic farm is a living
laboratory.

08:27.964 --> 08:30.198
WE USE THAT PHRASE BECAUSE WE'RE
IN A

08:30.198 --> 08:35.198
CONSTANT CHANGE OF FLUX: ONE NEW
TECHNOLOGY MAKES IT POSSIBLE

08:35.198 --> 08:39.064
TO NOW INTRODUCE ANOTHER
TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL CONTINUE

08:39.064 --> 08:42.431
TO IMPROVE OUR EFFICIENCY.

08:42.431 --> 08:45.064
Richard Waybright is the 8th
generation family member

08:45.064 --> 08:48.898
to run this farm that literally
straddles the Mason Dixon Line

08:48.898 --> 08:51.164
...part of it is in
Pennsylvania and part of it

08:51.164 --> 08:52.931
is in Maryland.

08:52.931 --> 08:55.264
  THE STORY STARTS HERE WITH 
  GERMAN IMMIGRANT MICHAEL

08:55.264 --> 08:58.898
  WAYBRIGHT WHO BUILT 
  THIS HOME IN 1784.

08:58.898 --> 09:01.764
  HE WAS GIVEN 400 ACRES 
  FROM RICHARD PENN,

09:01.764 --> 09:06.364
  THE SON OF WILLIAM PENN 
  WHO FOUNDED PENNSYLVANIA.

09:06.364 --> 09:09.164
  I THINK OUR GERMAN 
  HERITAGE.WE'RE KIND OF

09:09.164 --> 09:13.731
  A STUBBORN GROUP OF PEOPLE AND 
  WE HAVE A FIERCE DETERMINATION

09:13.731 --> 09:16.598
  THAT WE CAN DO THINGS.

09:16.598 --> 09:19.464
And something he and his family
are doing is constantly looking

09:19.464 --> 09:21.831
for new ways to do things
better-both economically

09:21.831 --> 09:24.764
and environmentally.

09:24.764 --> 09:28.964
  AGRICULTURE TODAY IS COGNIZANT 
  OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO BE

09:28.964 --> 09:33.031
  NEIGHBORHOOD-FRIENDLY AND THAT 
  MEANS SMELL-WISE

09:33.031 --> 09:36.531
  AND EVERY OTHER WAY.

09:36.531 --> 09:39.498
 AND WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN 
  MANURE MANAGEMENT

09:39.498 --> 09:43.364
  WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT.

09:43.364 --> 09:47.631
A bio-gas digestion system
processes 52 thousand gallons

09:47.631 --> 09:51.631
of manure and urine a day to
produce methane gas.

09:51.631 --> 09:56.464
That gas drives generators that
produce 320 kilowatts daily

09:56.464 --> 09:59.498
--more than enough electricity
to operate the farm

09:59.498 --> 10:02.198
and sell some back to the
utility company.

10:02.198 --> 10:04.464
So the farm actually receives
a monthly check

10:04.464 --> 10:06.264
rather than a bill!

10:06.264 --> 10:08.831
And the neighbors come
out ahead as well.

10:08.831 --> 10:12.998
  WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO 
  KEEP THAT BIO GAS

10:12.998 --> 10:17.431
  FROM GOING INTO THE ATMOSHERE 
  AND DIMINISHING

10:17.431 --> 10:23.464
  THE AIR QUALITY IN THE UPPER 
  ATMOSPHERE, ETC.

10:23.464 --> 10:27.498
He says his ventilated barns are
much better

10:27.498 --> 10:31.464
than letting cows lazily graze
in an open field.

10:31.464 --> 10:36.098
WE LEARNED YEARS AGO WE CAN
KEEP THEM MORE PRODUCTIVE

10:36.098 --> 10:39.764
AND HEALTHIER--PUT THEM OUT OF
THE HOT SUN.

10:39.764 --> 10:44.764
BECAUSE IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE,
IN THE CASE OF DAIRY CATTLE

10:44.764 --> 10:52.164
THE IDEAL TEMPERATURE IS 26
DEGREES. IT'S NOT 72.

10:52.164 --> 10:55.231
And their feed is also handled
in an environmentally-friendly,

10:55.231 --> 10:56.664
efficient way.

10:56.664 --> 10:59.864
Forages are harvested with a
self-propelled mower that can

10:59.864 --> 11:04.531
mow 30 acres of hay per hour
and not damage the soil.

11:04.531 --> 11:07.531
As for the future--Mason Dixon
Farms will continue to live by

11:07.531 --> 11:11.464
the old adage...the only thing
that's constant is change, and

11:11.464 --> 11:18.731
that's the only way
that dairy can thrive  .

11:18.731 --> 11:23.898
Now meet another mobile
energy source for the farm.

11:23.898 --> 11:26.898
Call them gas hogs - only
they don't burn the stuff;

11:26.898 --> 11:28.464
they make it.

11:28.464 --> 11:31.531
These hogs produce an
astounding amount of manure,

11:31.531 --> 11:35.164
but new processing systems are
letting farmers convert manure

11:35.164 --> 11:39.498
to methane, and methane
to electricity - and cash.

11:39.498 --> 11:42.131
" When I smell it or
see it, I think money. "

11:42.131 --> 11:45.231
A California farm's hogs
recently began paying their

11:45.231 --> 11:49.231
owner's entire electricity
bills plus delivering tens of

11:49.231 --> 11:53.631
thousands a year in energy sales
to the local power company.

11:53.631 --> 11:56.031
Other hog farmers claim
to be saving as much as

11:56.031 --> 11:59.331
a quarter-million dollars a year
using and selling power

11:59.331 --> 12:03.198
from their porkers.

12:03.198 --> 12:06.298
Ever since Farmers
first put seed to soil, farmers

12:06.298 --> 12:08.998
have wrestled with one
particular problem of how to get

12:08.998 --> 12:11.798
the most and best out of their
land without exausting it,

12:11.798 --> 12:14.198
But these days some farmers are
finding ways not just

12:14.198 --> 12:17.064
to keep their land healthy but
to repair the damage

12:17.064 --> 12:18.798
of the past.

12:18.798 --> 12:24.131
Jason Shoultz traveled to
Iowa to hear one man's story.

12:24.131 --> 12:27.464
The rolling hills of south
central Iowa have been good

12:27.464 --> 12:30.164
to generations of the Faris
Family.

12:30.164 --> 12:33.564
Since 1903, it's provided
fertile ground to grow crops

12:33.564 --> 12:35.398
and raise cattle.

12:35.398 --> 12:37.998
More than 100 years after his
Great Grandfather

12:37.998 --> 12:42.498
first worked this land - Lee
Faris is trying to preserve it.

12:42.498 --> 12:45.298
You only have so much soil,
and if you don't protect it,

12:45.298 --> 12:47.631
why pretty soon you are
not going to have any.

12:47.631 --> 12:49.664
Faris is an environmentalist.

12:49.664 --> 12:52.664
Not the kind that chain
themselves to trees - he's the

12:52.664 --> 12:55.231
kind who makes a
living off the land.

12:55.231 --> 12:58.664
For him, preservation of natural
resources also preserves

12:58.664 --> 13:00.898
his family's future.

13:00.898 --> 13:04.498
Lee has a whole farm commitment
to conservation practices.

13:04.498 --> 13:07.531
It's not just a one year event.

13:07.531 --> 13:09.798
This has been a lifetime of
achievement

13:09.798 --> 13:11.098
for the Faris family.

13:11.098 --> 13:13.431
Take a tour of this 1-thousand
acre property

13:13.431 --> 13:15.898
and some things
are easy to spot.

13:15.898 --> 13:17.898
Like this pond.stocked
with fish,

13:17.898 --> 13:20.031
and surrounded by
natural growth.

13:20.031 --> 13:22.298
A perfect habitat for wildlife.

13:22.298 --> 13:26.131
Other efforts are less
obvious, but no less important.

13:26.131 --> 13:28.831
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
YOU DO IS TERRACING.

13:28.831 --> 13:30.998
FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T
KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS,

13:30.998 --> 13:33.498
HOW IS TERRACING
IMPORTANT TO YOUR FARM?

13:33.498 --> 13:38.231
Terracing stops, sets the water
down, and runs water

13:38.231 --> 13:43.231
from the steeper sides of these
hills down underground drainage

13:43.231 --> 13:46.531
through a tile system to the
main creek down there.

13:46.531 --> 13:49.498
Meandering through Faris
Farms is Walnut Creek.

13:49.498 --> 13:51.864
The sloping hills on his
property naturally

13:51.864 --> 13:53.898
drain rainfall into the creek.

13:53.898 --> 13:56.598
That rainwater also
picks up topsoil.

13:56.598 --> 13:58.598
It goes to the creek too!

13:58.598 --> 14:01.264
You can just imagine how much
soil runs down through the

14:01.264 --> 14:05.564
creek, to the rivers and ends
up down in the Gulf of Mexico,

14:05.564 --> 14:08.131
which is not where they want it.

14:08.131 --> 14:11.731
So Faris uses several terraces
to collect water runoff,

14:11.731 --> 14:14.998
and an underground drainage
to send it to the creek.

14:14.998 --> 14:18.864
This way the precious
topsoil is not washed away.

14:18.864 --> 14:21.264
And another farming practice
doesn't just preserve

14:21.264 --> 14:25.464
the top soil. It enriches it.
The soybeans here were planted

14:25.464 --> 14:27.464
where last year there was a corn
crop.

14:27.464 --> 14:28.764
What do we have here?

14:28.764 --> 14:32.731
FARIS: We've got the cornstalks
here that are laying here,

14:32.731 --> 14:36.398
and this residue is also
excellent cover

14:36.398 --> 14:38.764
for it to help with erosion.

14:38.764 --> 14:41.731
It may sound surprising, but
past farming practices haven't

14:41.731 --> 14:45.031
always made soil
conservation a priority.

14:45.031 --> 14:47.698
For several years the state
and federal government has been

14:47.698 --> 14:50.831
encouraging farmers to build
terraces and change the way

14:50.831 --> 14:53.931
soil is prepared for crops every
year.

14:53.931 --> 14:56.064
They get help from
folks like Lee Faris,

14:56.064 --> 14:59.931
farmers willing to share
their efforts with others.

14:59.931 --> 15:02.231
Serving on the state soil
conservation committee,

15:02.231 --> 15:05.398
the state technical committee,
Iowa watershed board,

15:05.398 --> 15:07.664
he's gone beyond
Ringgold County.

15:07.664 --> 15:10.531
He's done things for
the state of Iowa.

15:10.531 --> 15:14.264
The things, decisions he's
helped make and been a part of,

15:14.264 --> 15:17.231
have molded a lot of the
policies

15:17.231 --> 15:18.898
that Iowa is working under.

15:18.898 --> 15:21.364
The National Cattlemen's
Association is also working

15:21.364 --> 15:24.098
to improve conservation and
environmental practices

15:24.098 --> 15:25.431
by ranchers.

15:25.431 --> 15:28.164
Every year the association
hands out a handful of awards

15:28.164 --> 15:31.398
to cattle producers across the
country - recognizing them

15:31.398 --> 15:33.698
for taking the lead in land
stewardship.

15:33.698 --> 15:36.898
In 2005 Lee Faris received
a regional award

15:36.898 --> 15:40.264
for his efforts.such as moving
his 200 cow herd

15:40.264 --> 15:42.831
to different grazing areas
periodically,

15:42.831 --> 15:44.931
and seeding his pasture.

15:44.931 --> 15:47.964
But it's the fact that Lee
rotates these cattle

15:47.964 --> 15:50.064
from pasture to pasture, and
gives the ground,

15:50.064 --> 15:52.764
grass and forage
a chance to rest.

15:52.764 --> 15:56.731
And that's why you see it
as thick as it is here.

15:56.731 --> 15:59.498
Traditional ranching leaves the
cattle in one spot

15:59.498 --> 16:02.964
- they eat all the plant life
and expose the soil to erosion.

16:02.964 --> 16:05.664
Lee Faris says his conservation
practices don't just

16:05.664 --> 16:09.031
benefit the environment. They've
helped his bottom line.

16:09.031 --> 16:12.031
Thicker pastures support a
larger cow herd and even help

16:12.031 --> 16:15.131
increase the weights
of the individual cows.

16:15.131 --> 16:18.098
But there's another, more
personal reason for his efforts.

16:18.098 --> 16:21.464
"Rodney, my son would be the
fifth generation

16:21.464 --> 16:24.198
on some of this land here."

16:24.198 --> 16:26.598
When Lee Faris decides
to hang up his hat,

16:26.598 --> 16:29.598
this farm will likely be
trusted to his son Rodney

16:29.598 --> 16:32.864
and quite possibly Rodney's
children after that.

16:32.864 --> 16:34.998
Lee knows that long
after he is gone,

16:34.998 --> 16:38.098
the farm will still have the
Faris family name

16:38.098 --> 16:40.464
- and the natural resources to
provide a foundation

16:40.464 --> 16:43.364
for future generations.

16:43.364 --> 16:46.331
I feel real good. I think I've
helped the wildlife,

16:46.331 --> 16:50.564
left things for the wildlife,
tried to make everything,

16:50.564 --> 16:52.864
by using terraces and things
like that much easier to farm

16:52.864 --> 17:03.364
than it was before. Yeah, I feel
real good.

17:03.364 --> 17:07.064
From Florida to California.Texas
to Pennsylvania

17:07.064 --> 17:12.131
ranchers are pioneering new ways
to be good stewards of the land.

17:12.131 --> 17:15.364
Creative efforts to manage
water, wildlife, air,

17:15.364 --> 17:18.464
and soil are rewarded each
year by groups

17:18.464 --> 17:21.098
like the Beef Cattlemen's
Association.

17:21.098 --> 17:25.064
Recent winners: the 30-thousand
acre Lightsey Cattle Ranch

17:25.064 --> 17:27.064
in Lake Wales, Florida.

17:27.064 --> 17:31.164
The Lightsey family is restoring
a 580-acre reservoir that was

17:31.164 --> 17:33.531
dammed up in the 1960's.

17:33.531 --> 17:37.198
The family also leaves a large
portion of their land to nature

17:37.198 --> 17:43.264
-- part of an effort to improve
wetlands and restore wildlife.

17:43.264 --> 17:46.231
When Chan Gates of
Kansas faced tough times,

17:46.231 --> 17:49.464
he made some changes to
improve his profit margin.

17:49.464 --> 17:52.364
He found taking out scrub trees
improved the condition

17:52.364 --> 17:56.631
of his land and provided a
habitat for the prairie chicken.

17:56.631 --> 18:00.064
Chan reduced the size of his
herd and came up with a new

18:00.064 --> 18:03.864
grazing plan to minimize
damage to his grassland.

18:03.864 --> 18:07.364
Ever year, regional winners
compete for the grand prize.

18:07.364 --> 18:10.564
They're discovering what's good
for the environment also helps

18:10.564 --> 18:15.798
their bottom line.

18:15.798 --> 18:18.264
He's been a big name in pop and
country-western music

18:18.264 --> 18:19.364
for decades.

18:19.364 --> 18:22.798
In fact, we're pleased to have
his music gracing

18:22.798 --> 18:24.664
our very own program.

18:24.664 --> 18:26.598
But Michael Martin Murphey does
a lot more than write

18:26.598 --> 18:28.964
and sing songs celebrating
farmers and ranchers.

18:28.964 --> 18:30.331
He is a rancher.

18:30.331 --> 18:32.464
He and his family work their
Wisconsin spread

18:32.464 --> 18:34.531
as hard as anybody around.

18:34.531 --> 18:37.664
Our Pat McConahay recently
paid Michael Martin Murphey

18:37.664 --> 18:47.798
a visit.

18:47.798 --> 18:50.964
If you were around in the 1970's
you certainly remember

18:50.964 --> 19:00.964
the haunting hit, "Wildfire."

19:00.964 --> 19:04.098
The man behind the song of a
mysterious phantom horse

19:04.098 --> 19:07.531
on the American prairie is
Michael Martin Murphey,

19:07.531 --> 19:10.298
one of the world's most
respected singer-songwriters

19:10.298 --> 19:27.031
in pop and country-western
music.

19:27.031 --> 19:30.198
The images that led to the
"Wildfire" lyrics came to him

19:30.198 --> 19:32.864
in a dream.

19:32.864 --> 19:35.264
  BUT I THINK ON A 
  SUBCONSCIOUS LEVEL,

19:35.264 --> 19:38.498
  DOWN DEEP INSIDE IT'S 
  A DREAM OF FREEDOM.

19:38.498 --> 19:41.731
  IT'S ABOUT WHEN I GREW UP AS 
  A BOY

19:41.731 --> 19:43.564
  I WANTED TO HAVE MY OWN HORSE 
  AND RIDE OUT ACROSS

19:43.564 --> 19:45.098
  THE TEXAS PLAINS AND BE FREE.

19:45.098 --> 19:47.931
MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY
CELEBRATES THE HEARTLAND IN BOTH

19:47.931 --> 19:51.664
HIS MUSIC AND IN THE
WAY HE LIVES HIS LIFE.

19:51.664 --> 19:53.698
I'M A LYRICIST.

19:53.698 --> 19:59.064
TO ME WRITING ABOUT AMERICA IS
ABOUT WRITING ABOUT THE LAND.

19:59.064 --> 20:01.431
But Murphy does more than write
and sing about

20:01.431 --> 20:02.864
the land he loves.

20:02.864 --> 20:06.298
He works it, too, on his
140-acre ranch

20:06.298 --> 20:09.731
in southern Wisconsin.

20:09.731 --> 20:12.898
SO MICHAEL, WHY WISCONSIN?

20:12.898 --> 20:15.264
I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
AND I'VE SEEN

20:15.264 --> 20:19.164
JUST ABOUT EVERY RURAL AREA IN
EVERY STATE,

20:19.164 --> 20:22.898
AND THIS IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL, MOST PRODUCTIVE LAND.

20:22.898 --> 20:25.931
It's also where his
wife Karen is from .

20:25.931 --> 20:28.864
And the roles women like Karen
play on the family farm

20:28.864 --> 20:53.798
find a place in Michael's music.

20:53.798 --> 20:56.831
Michael, Karen and three
stepdaughters make tending their

20:56.831 --> 20:59.664
ranch  chores  duties
a real family affair.

20:59.664 --> 21:04.798
From handling hay to saddling up
the horses   to

21:04.798 --> 21:08.531
tending the cattle, this is a
working ranch in every sense of

21:08.531 --> 21:19.131
the word, and proof that
Murphey lives what he sings.

21:19.131 --> 21:22.364
MURPHY'S LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS
BEGAN AT AN EARLY AGE.

21:22.364 --> 21:25.898
BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS, THIS
CITY BOY SPENT HIS SUMMERS

21:25.898 --> 21:28.798
ON HIS UNCLE'S AND HIS
GRANDFATHER'S RANCHES. HE SLEPT

21:28.798 --> 21:32.364
UNDER THE STARS, LISTENING TO
THE STORIES AND HEARING THE

21:32.364 --> 21:37.531
COWBOY STORIES FROM THE
MEN WHO LOVED THE LAND.

21:37.531 --> 21:40.398
BUT I DID GROW UP IN THE CITY. I
WOULDN'T GO BACK.

21:40.398 --> 21:41.898
I WOULDN'T CHANGE
THE WAY I GREW UP.

21:41.898 --> 21:44.798
I GOT A CITY EDUCATION AND A
COUNTRY EDUCATION,

21:44.798 --> 21:48.064
and I wouldn't trade for either
one of them.

21:48.064 --> 21:50.764
And those dual environments for
the cowboy crooner

21:50.764 --> 21:53.398
are what drive Murphey today.

21:53.398 --> 21:56.098
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT'S MADE ME
AN ADVOCATE FOR RHANCHERS

21:56.098 --> 22:00.498
AND FARMERS BECAUSE IN THEM I
SEE SO MUCH WISDOM,

22:00.498 --> 22:11.398
SO MUCH WE NEED TO KNOW..SO
MUCH OUR CULTURE CAN LEARN.

22:11.398 --> 22:14.031
Murphey was part of the
progressive country music scene

22:14.031 --> 22:17.131
that evolved out of
Austin in the early 1970s.

22:17.131 --> 22:19.631
His songs about the great
American West have garnered

22:19.631 --> 22:23.131
many awards over the years and
prompted him to create a number

22:23.131 --> 22:25.964
of festivals and theme shows
like the popular

22:25.964 --> 22:28.864
Cowboy Christmas show he
performs around the country

22:28.864 --> 22:34.498
every year.

22:34.498 --> 22:37.431
Murphey's music isn't influenced
by popular trends,

22:37.431 --> 22:47.131
but rather, by his surroundings
and what's in his  heart.

22:47.131 --> 22:50.131
TO ME THAT'S A MELODY THAT I
HEARD TODAY WHEN I WAS

22:50.131 --> 22:52.431
OUT ON THE LAND.

22:52.431 --> 22:54.764
REALLY? SO IT JUST CAME TO YOU?

22:54.764 --> 22:59.498
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A HYMN
AND A LITTLE BIT OF A BALLAD,

22:59.498 --> 23:05.498
BUT TO ME IT PAINTS THE PICTURE
OF THE KIDS OUT THERE WORKING

23:05.498 --> 23:09.298
AND THE PARENTS BEING PROUD and
bragging and having this real

23:09.298 --> 23:12.431
deep spiritual feeling that
I'm passing this on

23:12.431 --> 23:14.231
to another generation.

23:14.231 --> 23:17.064
Family and friends, like
farming, are near and dear

23:17.064 --> 23:19.498
to Murphey's heart, and at the
end of the day

23:19.498 --> 23:22.331
he likes nothing better than to
hold a little jam session

23:22.331 --> 23:25.398
around the fire.

23:25.398 --> 23:29.131
It's here that we were treated
to the tunes that

23:29.131 --> 23:31.231
made him famous and to a little
snippet of

23:31.231 --> 23:34.764
the America's Heartland theme
song he wrote for this program.

24:11.831 --> 24:15.498
Michael Martin Murphey was
riding horses at age six,

24:15.498 --> 24:18.364
performing with his "Lost
River Trio" in high school,

24:18.364 --> 24:21.898
and had his own
TV show at age 18.

24:21.898 --> 24:25.198
But Murphey says he has a
"Monkee" to thank

24:25.198 --> 24:26.531
for his big break.

24:26.531 --> 24:30.531
Former bandmate and fellow Texan
Mike Nesmith joined the foursome

24:30.531 --> 24:32.864
that became a 60's phenomenon -
and recorded

24:32.864 --> 24:36.031
one of Murphey's songs.

24:36.031 --> 24:37.731
We very much appreciate your
taking the time

24:37.731 --> 24:39.831
to join us today, and we hope
you'll come along with us

24:39.831 --> 24:43.364
next time when we discover more
great farms, families,

24:43.364 --> 24:47.098
and their fascinating stories.
in America's Heartland.

24:47.098 --> 24:48.431
I'm Paul Ryan..

24:48.431 --> 24:51.364
see you next time.

24:51.364 --> 24:53.898
To learn more about this
edition of America's Heartland,

24:53.898 --> 24:56.631
or to give us your feedback,
visit

24:56.631 --> 24:59.731
americasheartland - dot - org.

24:59.731 --> 25:01.664
To order a copy
of this broadcast,

25:01.664 --> 25:07.864
visit us online or
call 1-888-814-3923.

25:07.864 --> 25:28.464
The cost is 14.95 plus shipping.

25:28.464 --> 25:34.398
♪ You can see it in the eyes of
every woman and man ♪

25:34.398 --> 25:40.431
♪ an America's Heartland
living close to the land. ♪

25:40.431 --> 25:46.431
♪ There's a love for the country
and a pride in the brand♪

25:46.431 --> 25:59.698
♪ in America's Heartland living
close, close to the land. ♪

25:59.698 --> 26:03.464
America's Heartland
is made possible by.

26:03.464 --> 26:08.898
They make up a small
part of our population.

26:08.898 --> 26:11.864
But have a huge
impact on our lives.

26:11.864 --> 26:14.798
They take business risks that
few others would tolerate

26:14.798 --> 26:16.998
all on our behalf.

26:16.998 --> 26:22.131
They're American farmers who
feed, fuel and clothe the world.

26:22.131 --> 26:25.864
Monsanto would like to
recognize them for all they do,

26:25.864 --> 26:29.531
for the rest of us, because
ultimately our success

26:29.531 --> 26:33.764
and everyone else's depends on
theirs

26:33.764 --> 26:36.664
and by the American Farm Bureau
Federation

26:36.664 --> 26:40.098
- the voice of agriculture.