America's Heartland is made
possible by:

Farming isn'’t easy.

At best, it's uncertain because
when times get tough,

we double down on what
we've always known.

Agriculture is how we'll create
a safe, sustainable, and

affordable food system for all,
no matter the challenge.

Agriculture is how we'll get it
done.

The United soybean board,
American soybean farmers

and their checkoff.

♪♪♪

Hi there, I'm Rob Stewart.

Are you up for some corn
dogs, cotton candy,

livestock and music
on the midway?

We're taking you cross
country to share some fun at

America's fairs
and festivals.

Ready for some
southern home cookin'?

We'll head for southeast
Tennessee and the

National Cornbread Festival.

Then... a little
"motor mayhem" is part of the

attraction at this rural
fair in Wisconsin.

Those corn dogs may be
traditional fair food,

but our Sharon Vaknin has
some other ideas about

heartland recipes in our
"farm to fork" segment.

And then... an Iowa community
celebrates its heritage with

a very unique
festival and parade.

It's all coming up on
America's Heartland.

[horn honks]

♪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♪

♪♪♪

We're spending a little time at
the California State Fair.

You know, agriculture has
always been the centerpiece

for the heartland's
biggest state fairs.

It's not only an opportunity
for farmers and ranchers to

take home a blue ribbon; it's
also a chance for city folks to

learn a little more about where
their food is coming from.

Farm crop and livestock
exhibitions

date way back to the
early 1800's.

They provided a showcase to
share ideas about improving

yields or developing a
better breed of animals.

And, depending on where you
live, the focus might be on

a specific kind of
agricultural activity.

We've taken you to peach
festivals in Georgia and

logging championships
in Maine.

But the common thread is a
bit of education

wrapped in a great deal of fun.

We remind people of the
wonderful things they've

already achieved and we also
present what the future may

look like and they want
to be a part of that.

And part of it's what we
call FOMO-'fear of missing out'.

They want to be together
with other people,

with their neighbors,
family, and friends.

They want to come out and
celebrate, be entertained,

and, in our case,
we educate constantly.

While fairs and festivals have
been around for a long time,

there's still
something about the

"old school" attractions that
brings 'em through the gate.

Let me give you a
"gee whiz" number.

State and agricultural fairs
like this one will draw more

than 150 million
visitors a year.

So let's head for one of
those fairs and festivals

with a specific
theme in mind.

The "theme" here might well
be said to be good eating.

Our Sarah Gardner says it's all
about sweet and tasty cornbread.

What are you going
to make today?

A 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.

Wow!

That looks good doesn't it?

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

in the room,
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 streetscape,

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 and
apple 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

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 raised chicken eggs from my
farm.

Um, here's the name right here,
it's called taco seasoning.

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.

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 exactly
something

a little bit 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,

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 :

Jennifer Beckman of
Falls Church, Virginia.

Your Tennessee
Onion Soup Gratin.

Congratulations!

What it basically is 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

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.

♪♪♪

Native Americans were making
corn bread long before

European settlers
arrived in the New World.

Cornbread became a
cornerstone of Southern

cooking along
with johnnycakes,

hush puppies and
corn fritters.

Oh and don't forget that corn is
an essential ingredient in

Latin American favorites:
tamales and tortillas.

Entertainment is, of course, a
key part of any fair or festival

Think of the options: big
name bands, harness racing,

horse shows or maybe even
pie eating contests.

But Jason Shoultz takes us
to a fair in Wisconsin where

some old style "motor
mayhem" is the attraction.

And in this case, one of the
competitors

has a day job on his family's
dairy farm.

It's Sunday Sunday Sunday

at the Racine County Fairgrounds
in Wisconsin.

And the main attraction this
on this hot afternoon...

is the demolition derby.

While the grandstand fills
up with fairgoers...

teenager Andrew Winski is hard
at work

making last minute preparations.

His van is stripped
clean... the windows are gone

and the doors are welded shut.

Andrew is one of a few dozen
competitors

in the fair's demolition derby.

In a few minutes he'll
square off with

a dozen other drivers...
including his brother.

The goal... smash all
the other vehicles

into submission...
before they smash you.

Once a vehicle has been
cleared to compete,

there aren't many rules
for the demolition derby.

Don't slam into the driver's
side door of another vehicle.

If the horn blows
stop where you are.

And if your car catches
on fire... well, get out.

The derby rounds before
Andrew's competition are fierce

and a good sign
of what he's got in store.

It's muddy,
dangerous... and loud.

And last year Andrew won his
division: large trucks and vans.

But it's a far cry from the
dairy farm Andrew spends

most of his
off-school hours.

Gotta fill grain pails to
feed all the calves in the pens.

Gotta, the freestall barn's
gotta be scraped out.

And we've got a little
sand leveler

that levels the beds off
for the cows.

As soon as school is
out, you'll find Andrew,

along with his brother
helping their grandfather;

from corralling the
cows to milking,

they may not live on the farm,

but they carry that
farm-kid title with pride.

I love being here.

This is a family thing, y'know
we don't hire.

Other than when we
get some kids to help.

At least the
younger generation,

they've got to
start somewhere.

But he's real good-
both of them are.

As Andrew's grandfather Marv
scales back some of the work he
does on the dairy farm,

the responsibility grows for
Andrew and his brother.

Andrew hopes someday to
take over the family farm.

I want to stay around here.

I don't want to move out of this
area. I just love it here.

You'll find examples of
Andrew and his brother's

agricultural endeavors at
the County Fair hog barn.

Like many other
kids in rural areas,

they bring their livestock
here for judging.

But for the Winski brother's,
today isn't about

the care it
takes to raise animals...

it's about the guts it takes to
endure this muddy madness.

The afternoon and
evening demolition derby

competitions will draw
thousands of fans.

Some will get
covered in mud,

all will sit in the
sweltering sun.

It'd be snowing and
they'd all come.

For some reason people like
to see stuff smash up.

I've watched it ever
since I was a kid.

My uncle did it
when he was younger.

And I just said
I'm gonna try it.

[whistle blows]

And for this competition,

Andrew gets in some good bashes
and crashes.

And just when it looks like
he could have

the same success as last year,

his engine dies,

and won't start back up.

Andrew, what happened man?

Well, I'm not sure.

The battery came out of the
little holder thing

and pulled the wire to
power the fuel pump.

So it wasn't
pumping no fuel.

At least it's in good enough
shape to go to another fair.

Just like in farming,

in demolition derby you win
some and you lose some.

Fortunately for this
teenager he's got plenty of

years ahead for winning at
the fair, and on the farm.

♪♪♪

Let's serve up some history
on your favorite fair food.

Do you like corn dogs?

Depending on
who you believe,

the corn dog was invented in
the 1920's but really took off

around 1940 at the
Texas State Fair,

the Illinois State Fair, and
the Minnesota State Fair.

Machine spun cotton candy
dates way back to the 1890's

and became a favorite
fair food following

the 1904 World's Fair
in St. Louis.

Now you may be hankering
for some cotton candy,

corn dogs or almost anything
deep fried right now,

but Sharon Vaknin has

a recipe that's really much,
much better for you.

She takes us from
Farm to Fork.

♪♪♪

Barley is one of the
more overlooked grains.

Probably because 98 percent
of the barley produced ends

up being used to make beer.

Well that 2 percent, it
can be used in many ways.

Barley is a very
versatile grain.

So today I'll be making a barley
corn and blue cheese salad

and barley crepes with apple
barley filling.

I've already cooked the
barley which is as simple as

boiling it in water for about 45
to 50 minutes until it's soft

and ends up having a texture a
lot like brown rice or pasta.

But first, let's prepare
the rest

of our ingredients
for the salad.

So we've got our corn here.

So we'll flip the corn
on its head

and just cut straight down.

I'm using fresh corn here,
not canned corn because I

want that nice crunchy contrast;
the soft barley pearls.

Corn's in so next up
we'll add some

cherry tomatoes for that nice,
acidic kick.

We'll throw in some avocado
for that creamy texture and

for that beautiful
green color.

I love red onions in my salad
but this time I sautéed them

a little bit so they're going
to be a little bit sweeter.

And finally, of
course, our barley.

So let's throw in a
cup and a half here.

So for our dressing I've got
an orange here

and that goes right
into my blender.

We want about a quarter
cup of orange juice.

We'll add a couple tablespoons
of white balsamic vinegar.

And of course, some honey,
some salt, and pepper.

So to bring this vinaigrette
together,

I'm going to hit it with the
lid,

and drizzle in some olive
oil while it's going.

This will allow us to
emulsify it and

give us a creamier vinaigrette.

Here we go...

Check out that
beautiful orange color.

It goes right
into our salad.

I mentioned barley has a
nutty flavor

and that always goes
well with fruit,

especially with something really
citrus like oranges.

Now before I add a few
finishing touches to this salad,

we're going to let
it sit for a bit, marinate,

and in the meantime we'll
work on another dish that

uses barley in an
unexpected way.

We've got our flour,
add a little salt,

and that's it for
our dry ingredients.

Now to that we want
to add two eggs,

and one and a
quarter cups of milk.

The batter you end up with
should be relatively watery;

you don't want it to be
thick like a pancake batter.

Crepes are much thinner.

So our batter
looks lump-free,

it's the right consistency,
but before we go to the stove,

we need it to rest for about ten
to fifteen minutes.

When our pan warms up, we'll
just take about a third of

our cup of the batter, put
it in on one side here,

and quickly swirl it around.

Now you know the crepe is
ready to be flipped when

those edges
start curling up,

so what I like to do is I'll
just take a spatula and

grab it with my hands,
flip it over,

and that's a
beautiful crepe.

The second side doesn't
need as much time.

Check it out.

And we're good.

So now that our
last crepe is done,

it's time to concentrate
on the filling.

For that we'll need
some apple pie filling.

We got a couple cups of that
right here

to go straight into the pan.

And then, we'll add some
cooked pearl barley;

the same one we
used for our salad.

About a cup here...

And raspberries for that
nice tart flavor

but also to give it
some color.

So I'll throw a
bunch in there

and save a few for
the toppings later.

So we'll let this mixture
warm up for a couple minutes

and then we'll be ready
to fill in our crepes.

Our filling is warm, our
crepes are ready,

and now, it's time to
fill them up.

So it's this simple,
we take a crepe,

we'll just take a couple
spoonful's of this

apple, barley, and
raspberry mixture.

It's now red because we
warmed up those raspberries

and they popped
a little bit.

Then, we'll just roll it
up, and that's your crepe.

Let's make two more.

♪♪♪

And to top these off, I'm
going to sprinkle them with

a little powdered sugar;
can't go wrong with that.

And some fresh raspberries.

Now that's what I call
a beautiful desert.

To finish up the salad, I'm
adding cilantro and arugula.

Whenever you're making
a salad

ahead of time like this one,
it's always best to

add those greens at the very end
so they don't wilt.

And of course,
our blue cheese.

I like to just crumble this
right on top at the very end.

Our barley corn and blue
cheese salad is complete

plus we got an unexpected
dessert:

barley, apple, and
raspberry crepes.

With these two
beautiful dishes,

using the versatile
barley grain,

I think we've proven that barley
isn't just for making beer.

♪♪♪

When you think about it,
fairs and festivals are a

way to share the best of
what we have to offer.

It's a chance to generate
pride about your home,

your farm, and
your community.

That's why festivals are
such an integral part of

rural life in many
parts of this country.

Neighbors get together and
demonstrate what makes their

lives special and what
brings them together.

Case in point?

Jason Shoultz takes us to
a small community in Iowa.

The flowers are in place,
the Tiki heads are mounted while

the Mummelthei family makes last
minute preparations.

Across town the lawn chair
spectators

jockey for their spots.

The Waverly Heritage Day's
Parade is about to begin.

Deb Mummelthei is entering
a float for her flower and

gift shop and Steve's entry
promotes his seed business.

I think the key to making a
family farm work is we all

try to specialize
in a different area.

And my wife started this
store about 15 years ago.

15 years ago when my boys got
old enough to drive the tractors

and combines, I came to town to
start a business.

♪♪♪

Waverly's summertime
celebration is an annual affair.

Ike Ackerman is the mayor of
this Eastern Iowa town of
8-thousand.

Agriculture is the lifeblood of
small towns in the Midwest.

Reminders of agriculture's
importance to this town

can be found at the parade.

From equipment
dealers to THE 4-H,

Waverly's economy is
largely agricultural-based.

About 5 miles from town the
Mummelthei's grow about

1-thousand acres of
corn and soybeans.

We're always trying to
think of ways

to be creative and,
you know,

when you want to live in an area
and sustain a lifestyle,

you have to always be looking
for the next thing.

He also sells corn and soybean
seed to other area farmers.

His sons help him with
the family business.

Today they're operating this
seed wagon

converted into a parade
candy-shooter!

Also adding to the
Waverly economy

is Deb Mummelthei's
downtown business.

Selling gifts and wedding
merchandise,

her business generates
tax revenue

for the city and helps the
downtown thrive.

I was born and raised here, went
to high school here,

my husband went to high school
here and we got married,

stayed in town and
he started farming.

We raised our children in
this town and my whole

entire family
lives in this town.

So you may not live within
the city limits per say, but you

have a vested interest in the
future of Waverly, right?

Absolutely.

While the reach of that
agricultural economic impact

is worth celebrating,
townspeople across the

heartland have learned that
when times are tough on the

farm they feel
a direct impact.

Agriculture is, kind of like,
construction: it's cyclical.

Sometimes soy beans are $13 a
bushel and sometimes they're $4.

And you have ups and downs
and if you're into, uhm..

only Ag then the
downs are really down.

And just like the
Mummelthei's diversifying to

maintain their
family finances,

town leaders have learned
over the years that

diversification is essential
for economic survival.

The town is home to a college
and industrial employers.

We've got some
industries that are, that have

really you know weathered this
economic time and done well.

And so that's really helped
create

a nice environment for
Waverly.

♪♪♪

Something else that helps
small towns like Waverly - the

willingness of residents to pull
together during tough times.

Something the Mummelthei's
saw first hand when

floodwaters from the Cedar
River invaded their town one

recent summer
after heavy storms.

It just kept
rising and rising.

We thought we could beat it
and we almost had it beat

and then the water came
through the walls from the

seepage in the ground and then
so we had to start all over.

We moved our store and hauled
everything out

into four
semi-loads and moved.

You always watch the news
where a tragedy or something

happens in the country
and you always think,

you know "I know where that
place is" or something,

but all of the sudden
it becomes you.

But today this town is
celebrating a comeback,

at the same time it celebrates
its heritage and future.

What do you think about the
future for Waverly, Iowa?

I think the future
for Waverly is good.

So, we're hoping that people
just stay on top of it and

keep supporting each other
and keep living life like

you're enjoying it,
like you should.

[siren sounds]

That's going to do
it for us this time.

Thanks for traveling the
country with us

on this edition of
America's Heartland.

And don't forget,

we have a lot to share with you
on our website.

You can access all of Sharon
Vaknin's great "Farm to Fork"

recipes and watch video from
this and other programs.

Just log onto
AmericasHeartland.org and

there's lots going on in
our social media arena,

you'll find us
there as well.

We'll see you next
time, right here,

on America's Heartland.