>>America's Heartland
is made possible by....
The United Soybean Board ,
America's soybean farmers
and their checkoff.
Farm Credit ,
owned by America's farmers
and ranchers.
Celebrating 95 years of service
to U.S. agriculture
and rural America.
Learn more
at farmcredit dot com.
And by the American
Farm Bureau Foundation
for Agriculture
dedicated to building
greater awareness
and understanding of agriculture
through education
and engagement.
>>Hi there,
I'm Rob Stewart.
And this time
we're taking you to Colorado
for some iconic images
of American agriculture.
And it's all the work
of a woman
whose heart
is for the heritage and culture
of this country.
>>Hi, I'm Paul Robins.
You may think about carrots
as a great snack.
But coming up,
the real story on carrots
as a fashion statement .
>>Hey, I'm Dave Lieberman.
And today we're taking you
to a very special vineyard
that's known
for their fine wines.
But these beautiful
rolling hills
here in California
also produce a unique
olive oil.
It's going to be delicious
for whipping up
some great recipes.
>>I'm Sarah Gardner.
Fairs and festivals
draw millions of visitors
all across the heartland
every year.
We'll take you
to central Tennessee
and the National
Cornbread Festival .
Get ready
for some good eating.
It's all coming up
on America's Heartland
♪ You can see it in the eyes
of every woman and man ♪
♪ in America's Heartland
living close to the land. ♪
♪ There's a love
for the country ♪
♪ and a pride in the brand ♪
♪ in America's Heartland
living close, ♪
♪ close to the land. ♪
>>Many artists
use many different things
to paint on.
Some use canvas,
and some use wood.
But one artist
here in Colorado
has a pretty big challenge
to paint
on some pretty big structures.
It's all part of Colorado's
rural landscape.
♪ ♪
>>Welcome to Berthoud, Colorado,
a small town in a state
where cattle,
corn,
wheat,
dairy and hay
are prime products
in a robust
agricultural landscape.
Berthoud sits at the heart
of Larimer County
where farming and ranching
generate nearly
130 million dollars each year
for the local economy.
Berthoud has been nicknamed
the Garden Spot of Colorado .
And if you head
for the center
of this rural farming community,
you'll find a beacon
shining bright.
♪ ♪
>>It's called
Berthoud's Roots ,
an expansive 55 foot mural
painted on the historic
grain elevator downtown.
This unique artwork
on its giant concrete canvas
is not only a tribute
to the town's
agricultural roots
but to its modern spirit
of community as well.
>>What were you
trying to capture?
>>Well,
I think we wanted a family unit
that works together,
an agricultural family
taking a break in the field,
maybe from harvest,
or mom bringing lunch
kind of a feel
like taking a few minutes
away from the hard work
of farming to enjoy our family.
>>Colorado artist Susan Daily
worked with muralist
Eleanor Yates
to conceive and execute
this collaborative creation
in 2005.
And since then,
people from all around the world
have come to this small
Colorado community
to see the giant mural.
>>People will say,
"Oh they're the ones
with the grain elevator."
And people come in.
They take great pride.
This is one
of the few communities
certainly west of I-25
in the front range
that is still
agriculturally oriented,
and they take great pride in it.
>>One of the things I felt
when I saw it
is that I feel like
it really transcends time.
>>My fond memories of childhood
are on my grandparent's farm.
I already kind of love
the agricultural scene,
and you kind of see
the agriculture
disappearing
from the front range.
It just feels like
it's kind of a tribute
to those roots.
>>Roots than run deep
for Susan Dailey!
Her earliest childhood memories
are happy times
spent on her grandparent's farm.
She's been painting
agricultural images
ever since.
For Susan?
It's her way
of connecting to her past.
♪ ♪
>>I was always fascinated
by the farm.
And it's funny
because I think my mother
grew up on the farm,
and she was sort of
I'm getting away
from the farm.
And here?
Her daughter wanted
to go back to the farm
all the time.
>>Susan traveled cross country
to Philadelphia
to study with famous muralist
Meg Saligman
in learning how to best create
the expansive images
that give her murals
such impact.
It was the life lesson
Susan was looking for.
>>It was sort of giving me
a boost of confidence
that the size of her project
was so overwhelming to me.
And it was such an opportunity
to work with her,
that now I come back here,
and I can do anything.
♪ Where the happy, sunny,
pretty rolling hills, ♪
♪ where the sweetest gladness
ever there prevails, ♪
♪ where the sunshine lingers
on the lovely hills, ♪
♪ on the sunny side of life. ♪
>>But painting isn't Susan's
only creative outlet.
Music is another.
My husband and I
are musicians.
She just always
was interested in drawing
and seemed to follow that line
more than the music
although she enjoyed
the music, too.
But I think art
got more devotion.
>>That devotion
to making an impact
is on display
in the nearby town
of Dunn, Colorado
where another grain bin mural
on a family farm
has transformed
this rural landscape.
>>It's a wonderfully
personal statement
for a family.
And I just love it.
Every image means something.
And it says something
about the land.
>>What does it say to you?
>>I think it's about the heart.
This one?
Just sort of about family
and hardworking family,
celebrating family heritage
of one family in particular
but also of the land
where they live....
>>....of one family
versus the community mural
we saw earlier....
>>....even though it reflects
the community as well.
>>And you see the family here
watching the harvest.
And you just get a feel
of how much hard work
went into this....
>>....kind of like
a little moment in time,
looking at the fruits
of the labor.
>>And thanks to Susan,
a moment in time
that will last a lifetime.
Looking at your beautiful mural,
I can't help
but think of the song
you were singing,
The Sunny Side of Life .
>>Well I think
the golden wheat fields
sort of reflect the sunny side
but also just positive,
good feelings.
I guess that's what
I hope to portray in my mural.
That the people
that look at it feel good
maybe on a deeper level
than they realize,
that it's bringing joy
or meaning
or reflection
into themselves....
>>The Sunny Side of Life?
>>(laughs) Yes!
♪ (singing the
Sunny Side of Life) ♪
>>Corn, wheat and hay
are three of Colorado's
top agricultural products.
But the Centennial State
is also one of the country's
top suppliers of potatoes
for your dinner table.
In addition,
Colorado ranches
are among the top five suppliers
of cattle and sheep
in the United States.
And here's something
you may not have known
about Colorado.
The state grows
a significant portion
of the pinto beans
sold around the world.
In fact,
the town of Dove Creek, Colorado
has been nicknamed
The Pinto Bean Capital
of the World.
♪ ♪
>>Hi, I'm Paul Robins.
And here's something
you may not have known
about agriculture.
When it comes
to colorful vegetables,
you can't do much better
than the glowing vibrant orange
you get with a carrot.
Oh sure,
tomatoes are bright red.
But they come
in so many varieties.
The carrot is vegetable
simplicity itself.
It's also a plant
with a long history
that includes love potions,
medicinal properties,
and even what you might call
carrot couture.
Wild carrots have been around
for thousands of years,
first found,
in what is today,
Iran and Afghanistan.
But many historians say
those carrots were harvested
for their aromatic
leaves and seeds
often used
for medicinal purposes.
Early Romans brewed up
carrot concoctions
to increase their attractiveness
and spice up their love lives.
Fast forward
to the 14th century,
and carrots
have become popular in Europe
where the Dutch
develop an orange variety
that quickly
becomes the plant source
for the kind of carrots
we eat today.
By the way,
we should mention
that when carrots
crossed the English Channel,
many Britons
developed a taste
for the crunchy vegetable.
But others found
the leafy carrot tops
perfect for decorating
their hair,
hats,
dresses and coats.
Colonists brought carrots
to the new world.
And today, California
is the country's top producer.
But if you're looking
for the big player
in the carrot game,
look to China
which produces
more than a third
of the carrots
grown around the world.
Carrots are one
of the most popular vegetables
on earth,
right up there with potatoes.
And while we think
of carrots being orange,
there are also purple,
red,
white and yellow varieties.
Carrots have a high
sugar content
which makes them popular
for snacks.
And their high levels
of vitamin A
are also important
for good eyesight.
And let's talk rabbits
for just a moment.
Bugs Bunny
may have loved his carrots,
but veterinarians say
if you're dishing up
rabbit food,
stick with green
leafy vegetables.
>>I'm Sarah Gardner.
Do you like cornbread?
How about cornbread cobbler?
We're in Tennessee!
And still ahead,
we're going to take you
to the National
Cornbread Festival .
♪ ♪
>>Wine and olive oil
are two things
that I hate to live without
in the kitchen.
But luckily for me,
today I'm surrounded
by both of them
here in the Santa Rita Hills,
Santa Barbara.
>>Hey, Wes!
How you doing?
>>Good!
>>So tell me,
what's so special
about growing wine and olives
here in the Santa Rita Hills?
>>Well, we have these
east/west valleys.
You can see that the valleys
have actually turned
due to a tectonic shift
that started
12 million years ago
which pulls the cold air
off the Pacific
and cools us down.
If we didn't have
the east/west valley's,
we'd be growing
Cabernet Sauvignon
and Sauvignon Blanc here.
But because the temperature
is so cool
and the coastal influence
is so strong?
We can grow cold climate
varietal grapes
like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
>>OK Wes, you guys
have some special techniques
for growing the vines.
Can you tell me
a little bit about that?
>>Yeah, for sure!
I think
this would kind of be
a good place to stay.
Now what we're doing
is doing
the canopy management
which means what we want to do
is teach the vine
to grow through these wires
so it makes
sort of a solar panel
on the east side
that we're facing.
And all of these leaves
will almost fill in
like a canopy
or curtain of foliage
so they're absorbing sunlight,
making sugar.
>>So you're trying
to make a wall of leaves?
>>Exactly!
And the more sun and wind
we can get in
on the interior of this canopy,
the more this will impact
the final flavor of the grapes.
The more sun
we get on the grapes,
the brighter
the fruit actually is
in the wine.
♪ ♪
>>So now we're going to see
the olive trees, right?
>>Yeah,
this is a very small part
of our orchard,
some of the smaller trees.
But these trees
will produce oil this year.
>>So Wes,
is there anything special
about growing olives
in this region?
>>Well,
I think one thing you'll notice
is most of the time
when you have
the highest quality of olive oil
or grapes to make wine,
you see them grown
on a hillside.
So the key
to the Santa Rita Hills
is how long
we can hang the fruit
on the vine on the tree
and still produce
amazing flavor
because of the long cool
growing season.
>>So what would you say
the major difference
like someone tasting olive oil
from a warmer climate is?
>>You would get buttery,
buttery flavor
in a warm climate,
grassy green apple flavors,
good acidity
in a coastal climate.
>>And that's what we have here.
>>Exactly!
♪ ♪
>>Well Wes,
now comes the really fun part.
We get to use your olive oil
and your wine
to cook some delicious recipes.
And you're going to cook
one of your favorite recipes
actually.
Tell me about it.
>>Well, this is a really
simple Mexican dish
called Rajas.
And I fell in love
with rajas at a restaurant.
It's basically
just rough-cut pasilla chilies,
onions,
and then you just reduce it
with some olive oil or butter.
>>So you're just gonna
chop up the onions there?
>>Yup,
give them a nice even chop.
>>Basically,
you just throw all this
into a pan and cook it down.
>>That's it!
It's the easiest dish.
I mean,
a third grader could do it.
>>Well, I'm kind of going
to a European riff on that.
But I'm using potatoes
and mushroom,
chanterelles,
and you said that these
are actually local mushrooms?
>>Yeah,
we got these
chanterelle mushrooms
out of the Santa Rita Mountains,
right in the hills
in back of our vineyards.
>>I'm just going
to finely chop the shallots
and sweat those
with some local mushrooms
that are cooked down
in a little bit of butter.
>>Alright,
so we're going to put
the peppers and the onions
into the oil
with a little bit of garlic.
So this is
a little queso fresco ,
and this is going
to start melting
all the ingredients together.
And I'll usually
do two or three additions
at about that much.
>>I'm going to do
the same thing.
I'm just going to add
the mushrooms the chanterelles
in butter
and add your olive oil.
I've got
my shallots and mushrooms
cooking.
So maybe you can help me
cut the potatoes
with the strawberries.
So basically,
we just need to take off
the stems from the strawberries
and cut them into quarters.
And I'm just going
to cut these baby Yukon Gold's
into halves.
I just par boiled these potatoes
till they were fork tender
and let them cool.
Grab my shallot
and mushroom mixture,
and that has all the flavor,
this shallot
and mushroom mixture.
And that's going
to go over the top
of the potatoes.
But what's nice
is I don't have to dirty
another dish.
And I'm just gonna
put the potatoes
right side up here.
And it'll be easier
to serve as well like this.
And it looks nice,
I think.
And all the flavor is coming
from this amazing mixture.
And then I'm going
to add a little
of your chardonnay
over the top,
and it's going to help
to keep it moist as it broils.
Do you want to help me
put the cheese
over the top here?
>>I don't think anything suffers
from too much cheese.
>>All right,
so this can go
under the broiler now.
Alright, so we can get started
on the strawberries.
I'm just going
to grab a saucepan here.
And I'm just gonna
throw the strawberries in here.
And I don't want to do anything
too much to them
because I really want
the pinot noir to come through.
So I'm just gonna add
a touch of sugar.
And the strawberries
have obviously
a lot of natural sugar.
And it's going
to go over the top
of ice cream.
So it's ok
that they're not going
to be super sweet.
And we don't need too much.
I'm just going to add
a touch of heat here,
and we want a little bit
of a syrupy consistency.
So we don't want
to boil it down too much.
Oh yeah,
that looks great.
Perfect!
So that's for you, Wes.
And I'm going to try yours.
How's that?
>>I love the juxtaposition
of the earthiness
and the acidity
from the chardonnay.
And the cheese is delicious.
>>Oh,
that flavor is amazing!
Woo, spicy!
Oh man, Wes.
Life is good,
huh buddy?
>>Ice cream,
wine,
we got rajas,
we got potatoes....
>>This strawberry pinot syrup
came out so well.
This is for you,
my friend.
Oh, thank you so much
for having me.
>>What a great day!
>>This is a true
Santa Barbara feast.
Well,
here's to you!
>>Cheers!
♪ ♪
>>I'm Akiba Howard.
Let's talk a about good food
and your well-being.
We all know
that calcium is important
to our overall nutrition.
But what about getting calcium
in your diet
if milk's not on the menu?
Getting enough calcium
is important
for youngsters and adults.
When kids are growing up,
calcium aids
in the development
of strong bones and good teeth.
And if you're not getting enough
in the foods you eat,
your body can actually
start leeching calcium
from your bones,
something you want to avoid.
Now most of us
get a good deal of calcium
from dairy products.
But that's not
your only calcium connection.
Do you like ice cream?
Ice cream
is a good source of calcium.
But ice cream
can come with
a high fat content.
But you'll find dairy foods
like milk and yogurt
in low fat varieties,
something to consider
when you're thinking
about getting enough calcium.
How much calcium?
One scientific body
recommends a thousand milligrams
a day for
people 19 to 50 years of age
and 12 hundred milligrams
for those over 50.
And it's recommended
that you get your calcium
from meals throughout the day
rather than all at once.
And what about nondairy foods
that are good choices
for a calcium-rich diet?
Well, start with your greens.
Spinach,
collard greens,
Swiss chard,
kale and broccoli
are good sources of calcium.
Or try salmon,
tofu,
rhubarb and sardines.
And while they have
lower levels of calcium,
you can also enjoy
sesame seeds,
papaya and almonds.
One added benefit?
All of those
are great for people
with allergies to dairy foods.
In addition,
the good news
is that many products these days
are fortified with calcium.
So it's easy
to get your daily dose.
Just check out
the refrigerator section
of your supermarket
where almost every brand
of orange juice
comes with its own
calcium connection.
>>Whether you like johnnycakes,
hush puppies,
or even a corn dog,
you're enjoying
some form of cornbread.
It's long been a food staple
across the south
and southeast.
And here at the National
Cornbread Festival ,
you could say
it's become a culinary art form.
>>What are you going
to make today?
>>Mexican chicken cornbread!
Mexican chicken cornbread....
>>Serving up something special
with an historic
American farm product
is what many people look for
when you talk about
farm kitchens
and home cooking .
And for chefs young and old,
the National Cornbread Festival
celebrates a culinary creation
that predates
the American Revolution.
But this celebrated cook-off
actually started
as a way to heat up
the economy
in this rural
southern community.
When a new interstate
siphoned off travelers
passing through South Pittsburg,
Tennessee,
the locals went looking
for a way
to bring visitors back.
So how about something
this community
knew something about?
>>I suggested cornbread!
And the other two people
including my wife said,
"That's the stupidest idea
I've ever heard."
But we thought about it awhile
and pitched it
to the community
and had a meeting
of local citizens
and came up with the idea.
And the rest is history!
>>So today,
South Pittsburg will welcome
more than 50-thousand visitors
to this annual 3 day event.
Not bad for a rural community
of 33 hundred people.
Bluegrass music
and a colorful midway
are part of the draw.
But cornbread
is the real attraction,
cornbread that generates
a good deal of cash
for the community.
>>In the last 12 years,
we've donated
over a million dollars
back to the downtown area
to be used for streets cape
and libraries,
and restoration of the theater,
and any number of activities
that help make
our small town greater.
>>As with any other
fair or festival
in the heartland,
you'll find plenty
of good eatin' here,
much of it
centered around cornbread
cook-offs that draw competitors
from around the country.
>>I'm making a southern
cornbread skillet pizza.
>>It's a caramelized maple apple
and bacon brunch bake.
So it's sweet
instead of savory.
>>Hundreds of cooks
enter their recipes
for consideration.
Those are narrowed down
to ten adults
and invited to cook up
their cornbread creations
on site.
In addition,
youngsters from regional
4-H clubs
are testing their recipes
in the children's competition.
>>What are you making,
Taylor Jay?
>>Cornbread Fiesta!
>>What's in it?
>>Okay,
I was going to take out
a secret recipe.
Duck eggs!
Duck eggs?
Farm fresh eggs from my farm?
It's called taco seasoning mix.
>>As you can see,
there's lots of room
for using a variety
of ingredients.
In the spirit
of full disclosure,
we should tell you
that one item that must be used
is Martha White's
Cornbread Mix ,
a prime sponsor of the festival.
>>The imagination
used in creating those recipes
is amazing.
Every year
we're surprised by that.
>>Another sponsor
provides the cookware.
Going back in time,
it's something
you'd expect to find
in any heartland home:
cast iron skillets
and Dutch ovens.
Lodge Cast Iron
began producing cookware
in South Pittsburg in 1896,
and quickly became
a staple in Southern kitchens.
>>And it's such an integral part
in Southern food culture
and lore.
Particularly in the latter part
of the 19th Century,
the southern Appalachians
were desperately poor.
So the only way
people got the mineral iron
in their food
was cooking with cornbread
and making pinto beans.
>>And from the variety
of recipes,
it was time to see
if the proof was in the pudding
or in this case, the cornbread.
>>Here's what it looks like
before we cut into it.
>>A panel of judges will sample
the final creations.
>>We're looking for,
of course,
the texture,
the flavor,
just a little
something different
than what you do with cornbread,
just something
that's really good.
>>And finally,
the moment of truth.
For 10-year-old Marissa Brown,
the win came
with her Berry Delightful
Cornmeal Cake .
Tastes more like cake
than cornbread.
Butter,
sugar,
Martha White's Cornmeal Mix,
flour,
eggs,
vanilla,
and almond paste.
>>In the adult competition,
the prize went
to a former attorney
who found more joy
in the kitchen
than in the courtroom.
>>The winner
of the Martha White
National Cornbread
Cook Off, 2011?
Jennifer Beckman
of Falls Church, Virginia
for Tennessee
Onion Soup Gratin !
Congratulations!
>>French onion soup
that is mingled
with Southern style beans
and greens
with a cornbread topper.
So it's a little French,
a little South Pittsburg,
Tennessee?
Apparently,
that appealed to my audience.
>>That audience appeal
earned Jennifer $5000 dollars
and a gas range
identical to the one
she cooked on.
As she put it,
"A good day at the fair!"
>>I came here for a good time
and for the experience.
And this completely
blows any expectations
out of the water.
>>That's going to do it
for this edition
of America's Heartland .
Thanks for traveling
the country with us.
It's always nice
to have you along
to introduce you
to interesting people
and places.
And remember,
we have lots more stories
and information on our website
including video
from all of our shows.
Just log onto
americasheartland-dot- org,
or follow us 24/7
on some of your favorite sites.
We'll see you next time
right here
on America's Heartland .
>>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....
Farm Credit ,
owned by America's
farmers and ranchers,
celebrating 95 years
of service to U.S. agriculture
and rural America.
Learn more at
farmcredit dot com.
The United Soybean Board ,
America's soybean farmers
and their check off.
And by
the American Farm Bureau
Foundation for Agriculture ,
dedicated to building
greater awareness
and understanding
of agriculture
through education
and engagement.
♪ ♪