Narr: America's Heartland is
made possible by...

CropLife America.
And it's member companies

and associations in the
crop protection industry

including:

Farm Credit -
financing agriculture

and rural America since 1916.

Farm Credit is
cooperatively owned

by America's farmers
and ranchers.

Learn more at
farmcredit.com.

Hi, I'm Sarah Gardner.

If you're an animal lover,
I think you're going to like

this episode of
America's Heartland.

We're gonna share some fun with
our feathered and furry friends.

Some animals with
particular talents.

We'll take you to California
where some high flying owls

are helping farmers keep
down the pest population.

You'll meet some very
skillful dogs in Nebraska.

Working dogs to handle
sheep and cattle.

We depend on inspections to
keep our food supplies safe

when it comes to products
from overseas.

You'll see how U.S. customs
is using

highly trained dogs
to do the job.

And these Texas felines are
taking on a new role in life.

Heading for the country to
become "Barn Cats"!

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♪

♪♪♪

It will come as no surprise that
we love our animals.

My dog Mustache here is an
important part of our family.

And think about these numbers:
It's estimated that there are

some 83 million dogs in the U.S.
and some 95 million cats.

Both animals play a role in
helping out farmers and ranchers

but those are far from the only
animals you'll find

in rural America.

You may remember, we introduced
you to a Utah rancher

who sold zebras to those wanting
something "unusual"

around the homestead.

Many FFA and 4-H members
have pet sheep as projects.

And even some suburban and
urban homeowners are joining

farmers in raising chickens
these days.

For some, it's a focus on
organic, for others,

it's simply some fresh eggs
very close to home!

Speaking of poultry, we
found a man in Iowa whose geese

were a popular part of
his town's annual parade.

And let's not forget our
porcine friends.

How about Irene the
potbellied pig who loves to

pick up fallen apples on the
family farm in Oregon.

On many farms and ranches,
the family dog

is much more than just a pet.

In some instances, our
canine companions are

critical to the work that
needs to be done.

Rob Stewart takes you to
Nebraska and a school

turning out "working dogs"
for sheep and cattle ranches.

♪♪♪

Rob: They're hopping...

Huffing...

And herding!

John: Lie down, lie down!

I'm John Holman, and I'm a
Nebraska Stock Dog Trainer.

Rob: Welcome to Clay Center,
Nebraska where John Holman

runs Dog 4 Ewe border
collie training.

Here - he's training dogs to
herd sheep and cattle.

Today's classroom is the
pasture...

and it's drooling
with dogs!

Meet Mick, Lee...

Sweet Savy...

...and Pete, today's new
pup of the pack.

But the top dog today...
is Mick,

just panting for John's
canine commands.

John: Steady, Mick. Walk up,
walk up. Good boy.

Away to me.

Bringing my sheep in.

Rob: What were those commands
and what do they mean?

John: Alright.

I send him out to the right
first or what we say

counterclockwise around the
sheep, that's an "away to me"

Rob: Away to me.

John: Clockwise around the
livestock is a "go by."

Rob: Go by.

John: "Take time" means to slow
down, "walk up" means stop.

Usually it means he's been
running around the stock to

get into the right position,
and then I say "there"

"walk up" mean come straight to
your livestock so that they

can move the stock off in
the right direction.

Rob: All across the heartland,
working dogs are used to

move sheep, cattle and goats
in that "right direction."

Those skills come from training
and a dog's natural instinct.

John: Ok Mick, walk up.

Rob: These collies are natural
herders and they're

eager to please their owners.

John: "alright, lie down".

Rob: But, they must be taught to
move the sheep,

instead of keeping them
penned up.

And so we see Mick here with
the sheep in front of him, and

Mick is just moving them from
pasture to pasture, like that.

John: Sure, sure.

He has total control of this
livestock.

You know, I- I tell him where
I want them, he puts them there.

If I really want to get
specific, you know,

I can tell him how to do it
but most times I don't have to.

Rob: And they obey him
unbelievably.

John: You know, I got caught
without a dog this morning.

I was just on my way to work
and I stopped by here and tried

to do something without the
dog- it is so frustrating.

It's so- they really do put you
in control of your livestock.

Rob: That's why farmers and
ranchers depend on stock dogs
nationwide.

John: Low stress livestock,
work, and handling.

The dogs take the
sheep out to graze or

the cattle from one
pasture to another.

There, you know it all works in
to the stewardship of the land.

Alright Lee, come here.

Here, get in here,
away to me.

Rob: John Holman tells farmers
that dogs moving sheep and

cattle can save time and
money on the range.

John: Absolutely.

In fact, if you're talking
about mounted cowboys and stuff,

they'll take the place of two
guys on horseback..

Rob: Really...

John: That know what they're
doing.

They can go places that
the horses can't get,

under brush and into stuff
where maybe the cattle just

plow in to be obnoxious,
you know, they can get in there

and get a hold of the cow by the
heel or by the nose and

bring him out where he can get
control of him again.

Rob: Talk about a power tool.

John: It's the power tool,
it's kind of a power trip

when you get good at it.

Rob: The power trip is exactly
why Amy Novak

is here with her dog, Honey.

Amy: Lie down, lie down.

John: Good Job!

That's a good move Amy,
step in front like that.

Rob: John usually works with
farmers and ranchers to

train their border collies...
but Amy's here to

get away from her busy
professional life.

Amy: It's a thrill!

It's a rush!

An adrenaline rush.

And until you ever do it,
you don't understand it.

John: Step into her a little
bit.

Keep her calm.

Amy: It's a treat.

It's, it's something it's
my- my time away,

my therapy, to get away and
come with the stock and with

the dogs, do something that
I enjoy and, uh, just to get

away from my normal,
everyday life.

John: Pete, you ready to go?
C'mon Pete.

Rob: Pete is a farm dog... and
just arrived to learn John's
skills,

before returning to the
ranch to help his owners herd.

John: He's got some pretty good
breeding.

I saw his registration
papers...

and so I'm kind of
excited to see what he'll do.

Rob: John teaches Pete using his
tone of voice and body

language to direct where he
wants Pete to send the sheep.

John can tell if the dog
is ready.

John: When I first take a dog
out to stock.

First I want to see if he's
interested, which he's already

showing me I, you know, a little
bit of interest.

I want him to know that
I'm going to be

in control of what we're doing.

I kind of control the pace
of this whole thing.

And that I'm gonna... see
he's eyeballing 'em already,

dancing around a little.

Trying to balance on 'em.

That's all good signs.

He's got concentration and
we like that.

Rob: John says Pete's a natural.

National and local awards
for his prize dogs

line John's home office.

And the dogs aren't the only
ones enjoying the competition.

John: I do really love it.

I can't hardly even describe
the feeling.

When things work well and
you get the job done so well.

Whether it's a job at home
or a trial at competition I

go to and we ace a course and we
get around there just great.

It is like the top of the
world kind of a feeling to

know that you have a partner
out there who's ready to go

rain or shine or blizzards
or heat or whatever.

He's right there or she's
right there the instant

you call 'em in the morning and
they're busy all day long

if you want them to be.

Good boy.

Narr: Great senses of sight,
smell and hearing

help our canine companions do
their jobs...

on the farm and off.

It's estimated that dogs
can hear

four times better than
humans;

their night vision is five times
better and their sense of smell

is more than 40 times sharper
than our noses.

Sarah: You know, it's great when
a program to benefit animals

can also help to meet a need
that exists in the heartland.

We're all aware that
feral cats pose

a real problem in many
communities.

One solution is an idea
that's taken off in several

places including a community
in the Lone Star State.

It's a plan that finds new
homes for our feline friends-

down on the farm.

♪♪♪

Pam: The word feral means
wild and undomesticated.

Uh, they're very untrusting
of humans which is what

helps them to survive a lot
of times in the wild.

Sarah: Pam Asturias is a
hometown hero to many in the
Dallas area.

She devotes much of her time to
a program called "Feral Friends"

These cats, um,
I always feel like they

don't have anybody to
speak for them.

I love all animals.

The feral cats, I mean you can't
pick 'em up and cuddle them,

uh, they deserve a chance just
like anybody else.

I mean they can't help their
situation, um, they were born

here or dumped outside and
they do the best they can.

Sarah: Rather than euthanize,
Feral Friends traps, spays and
neuters

the animals then returns the
cats to their feral territory.

Pam: If the cats cannot go back
to a situation if a building's

being torn down, if somebody is
shooting the cats,

poisoning them, then
our group turns to a group

called Barn Cats
Incorporated.

Peggy: Farmers need these cats,
uh, they're working cats.

Sarah: Peggy Atkerson directs
Barn Cats, Incorporated.

Working with Pam and her
group, they strive to find

better life options for these
wild felines.

>>Come here, Sammy.

Sarah: Begun in 2003, Barn Cats
relocates feral animals

across North Texas.

Placing them on farms
and ranches.

They can catch the rats
and the mice,

y'know, control that in their
particular barn or shed

or warehouse, whatever it
happens to be.

And... take care of, uh, of a-
of a whole set of problems.

Um, snakes are looking for rats
and mice,

so no rats and mice, no snakes.

Sarah: "Barn Cats" will shelter
some 40 animals at any given
time.

After being received from
groups like "Feral Friends",

they're moved to farm and
ranch locations

and sheltered there, in cages,
for at least two weeks.

Peggy: At the end of two weeks,
they leave those doors open

to the cage and the cat then
is on their own and we say

that's up to God at
that point.

So if the cats stay that's
really, really a good thing.

Sarah: That "adjustment" period
gives them time to get used

to the sights, sounds and
smells of their new territory.

Peggt: We won't ever take a
kitten because a kitten can be

carried off by a hawk
or an owl.

The color of the cat is also
a factor in some cases.

Cats are nocturnal so they're
ging to be out hunting at night.

A solid white cat is going
to reflect moonlight

and then it's going to
be like a coyote magnet.

Sarah: Almost every weekend,
Barn Cats will place about a

half dozen cats in new locations
in northeast Texas.

Today two feral cats began new
jobs on Melissa Wilson's ranch.

Melissa: I have a bad rat
problem out here so when that
keeps the rats

from coming in the barn
and eating the horse food

and actually, um,
I've actually seen

some of those rats,
they're scary.

Peggy: Most of them really,
really appreciate the cats and

they want them to be there.

They don't want to put
out poisons.

They don't want their dogs
or their children or whomever

to get in poison and that is
a very serious thing.

Sarah: The cat programs here,
and across the country,

strive to give feral animals a
new chance at life.

And for these cats...

on farms and ranches,
a home in the heartland.

Pam: And it just makes me feel
so good when these cats are

spayed and neutered put back
out and you just see the

males calm down and stop
fighting and they just get

relaxed and you know they
have people that care for

them and its just a
wonderful feeling to know

that you've saved their
lives.

♪♪♪

Narr: Texas may make you think
of cowboy hats,

but Texas agriculture is
responsible for many other

things that make up your
wardrobe.

Texas cattle provide leather
hides for shoes.

Texas cotton goes into
shirts and blue jeans and wool

from Texas Sheep is used in
coats, suits, dresses and more.

Texas is a major supplier
of all three

to markets in the
U.S. and overseas.

♪♪♪

Sarah: Let's take another look
at dogs that make their living

in the world of agriculture.

But this time we're not
heading for a farm or ranch.

Jason Shoultz takes us to
California where some very

official canines play a
significant role in

protecting american agriculture
and the food we eat.

♪♪♪

Jason: Every day, foreign
invaders are trying

to make entry into the
United States.

By air...

and even by sea!

Marguerita: What you got Ross?

Jason: And working hard to stop
them is officer Ross.

And his handler from
U.S. Customs

and Border Protection,
Marguerita Stetson.

Marguerita: Good boy, Ross!

Good boy, right there!

Jason: Ross is on the hunt
for bad bugs.

Nasty bugs and other invasive
pests that hitch a ride

to America on everything
from shipments

of bean curd to clothes hangers.

You're looking for
what in here?

Marguerita: We're looking for
any agricultural item of
interest.

Uh, basically we're looking for
fruits,

meats and plant material.

Jason: Each year, the U.S.
imports upwards of two trillion
dollars'

worth of cargo from countries
all around the world,

a testament to our
truly global economy.

While inspecting everything
for pests isn't practical-

random samples of cargo and
items that are deemed

suspect end up getting
close attention.

Ed: Agriculture is one of the
things that drives America.

Drives our economic engine
and we can't afford to let a

single pest come through
that could affect that.

Jason: Walking through the
warehouse is like visiting a
global bazaar.

You've got Pakistani rice.

Mushrooms from China and even
Tulip bulbs from New Zealand.

And one thing Customs and
Border Protection knows,

is pests can hitch a ride
on any of them.

Ed: In addition to our
enforcement role,

we also have to make sure that
legitimate trade and travel

moves through our borders
and ports of entry quickly.

So we look at a lot of
different factors in

deciding which shipments to
actually physically inspect.

Jason: Among the most feared
pests is something

called the Khapra beetle.

This nasty little bug is
considered one of the

biggest dangers to
agriculture.

It's highly destructive to
stored grain.

When it first arrived on U.S.
soil in California in 1953,

it took 15 million dollars
and 13 years to eradicate it.

Recently the beetle
has been found, again,

at other entry points.

And that has officials
concerned.

Inspectors here at the Port
of Oakland know that

the beetle likes to
hide in cracks...

so they search these cargo
containers top to bottom.

You find one or two Khapra
beetles in these palettes,

what happens?

Doug: This is all going back.

jason: It would all go back.

Doug: All going back!

It's immediately resealed
in the container

and the importer or broker
is notified

and they schedule it out to
back to the origin.

Jason: Even pieces of furniture
get a closer look.

When this inspector discovers
the inside of this

pillow is stuffed with rice
straw - it gets flagged.

After all - that Kahpra Beetle
could be inside that straw!

Preventing pests from
entering our country

also happens at airports!

You'll find the beagle
brigade nosing around luggage

at Miami's International Airport
looking for food items

that can't be brought into the
United States.

Marguerita: Good boy! That was
really good!

Jason: Back at that warehouse in
California,

Ross has found something.

And while he'll never know
just how important he is

to agriculture, the pooch with a
nose for nuisances

is earning his treats today.

Marguerita: Good boy!

♪♪♪

Narr: The nose knows when it
comes to

Customs and Border detection
dogs and it's a tough test.

Only one out of 70 dogs is
found to have the right

skills to finish training
for these important positions.

And while U.S. customs has a
breeding program

for specific dogs,
many are chosen from

animal shelters and
rescue groups.

♪♪♪

Sarah: So stories about dogs,
cats, pigs and zebras.

Well, let's take flight for
our next one.

It's all about some high
flying owls who are helping

farmers keep down the pest
population.

♪♪♪

Sarah: Some might call it an
"Old World" solution

to a problem that impacts
farms, orchards

and vineyards all across
the heartland.

Using natural predators, like
the North American Barn Owl,

to facilitate "Integrated
Pest Management".

Chris: A true Integrated Pest
Management program - IPM -

uses as many methods as
possible to control a pest.

And so for years we've
been using baits

and poisons to kill
pocket gophers.

And I decided that it was
time to get off the- the

pesticide treadmill and try
and use something different.

Sarah: This study is being
conducted in Northern California
vineyards

where rodents, such as
gophers and voles,

are making tasty treats
out of vine roots.

Sandy: In this particular
property we have limited
topsoil,

ah we we're growing smaller
vines, higher end crops,

so we need as much root as
we can in the ground.

So if a gopher comes by and
starts feeding on these roots,

that's you know it's limiting
what that vine can pull up.

Mark: Hey kids, what's going
on in there?

Sarah: Animal handler and
researcher and Mark Browning is
part of

the barn owl program... seeing
how many nocturnal raptors

are necessary to eradicate the
pests in a particular field.

Mark: The barn owl can be
utilized in almost any crop.

They're being utilized in
almond orchards,

cherry orchards,
pistachio, avocado.

And that's California
crops including,

of course, all the grapes.

But something else is that
barn owls are being used in

sugar cane down in Florida
because the barn owl will

center on the rodent that is
most populous in its area.

♪♪♪

Sarah: To increase the owl
population,

Browning is installing
nesting boxes he says are

designed to attract the
predator bird.

Mark: It has a hole that is
just the right size

for a barn owl to
get interested in.

They like to go into a hole
that is just small enough for

them to squeeze into, but not
large enough for something

larger and more ferocious
to come in and get them.

Sarah: Browning is being
assisted by several wildlife
students

from the University of
California at Davis

including Kymberly Sugano.

One of Sugano's daily duties is
to keep track of the dirt mounds

that may reappear following a
night of owl activity.

Kymberly: What we do is, we see
mounds and we tap them down

and then come back two days
later in order to see

whether or not there has
been any change.

And we set up nest boxes in
order to see whether or not

we can get more barn owls
into the study site.

Mark: Remember to hold so that
you don't get messed on, okay?

Sarah: Another job is to assist
in the monthly census count of
owl

chicks to ensure the population
is healthy and increasing.

Mark: These guys are just
starting to get their facial
discs in.

Barn owls have these, uh,
concave facial discs

created by feathers.

And uh that's one of the
reasons why barn owls have

some of the best hearing in
the bird world,

which is already extremely
good amongst owls.

Barn owls have some of the best
hearing among the owl families.

And, uh, these guys, well,
their starting to get some

flight feathers in, like
Jillian's got one right here.

These guys are coming in,
these are flight feathers.

And I would say they're
about two or three weeks away

from being able just
to fly right out

and become adult barn
owls themselves.

Sarah: Vintners say the use of
barn owls in the region for

pest control is nothing new.

Craig: We've had barn owl boxes
up for probably 10 to 15 years
now.

Um, but, in this, with this
many and isolated in

specific spots like this,
we've never had this many.

And we've typically had
one for probably

for 40 acres or 30 acres.

Now we're looking at 25 in a
hundred-acre block.

Sarah: Browning's research is
validating the need to

increase the population of
the raptor.

Sandy: So, if you've got a
researcher in place that can

take the time to measure
that impact and determine,

how many boxes do we need in
a given acreage,

where do we need to locate
them for the best effect,

how often do we need to
clean them,

all those types of things,
that's wonderful.

Craig: If we can come across
where you know we need to put,

um, you know, five per
twenty acres,

we'll put five per
twenty acres.

Yes, there's an expense to that,
but you collect that money back

by not having to send a tractor
through the field leaving

little bait behind in burrows
for these gophers

to take back to their
own burrow and die.

Sarah: The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service is also keeping

"an eye" on the research since
the agency advocates the

use of natural pesticide
methods.

Sonce: The more we can encourage
people to restore as much

as possible a natural
environment where Mother Nature

keeps things in check, rather
than using chemicals to keep

pests in check, that's simply
good for all of us.

And basically that's what the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

is concerned with is
encouraging a more natural

world there a lot of species
can survive and thrive.

As night begins to fall, the
nocturnal owls begin

to take flight in search of
their prey.

Mark: Barn owls happen to be
extremely well adapted to this
job.

They are attracted to
nest boxes.

That means you can attract
them to a farm.

They don't mind each other's
company.

So that also means that you
can have a lot of them

and they're not gonna fight.

They tolerate human presence,
and they eat a large number

of rodents, and have
lots of babies.

So, you actually have a
predator that's extremely

well suited for an IPM
program.

And I think that in the end
the result will be a greater

interest in utilizing barn
owls for rodent control.

And various farmers around
the country are starting to

realize that you can use
this animal to reduce the

use of poisons and other
invasive methods.

Sarah: As for the growers, they
feel the use of barn owls

will allow them to provide a
more environmentally

friendly and cost efficient
product for the consumer.

Chris: They can see that the
product they're purchasing, um,

is safer for the environment,
is better for the grower

because the grower is making a
little bit more money,

and potentially the price
of the product

that they're buying is lower.

Sandy: When you see an owl
flying around at dusk starting

to hunt for the night, it's one
of the neatest sights I think

that I've ever had the
opportunity to experience.

Working in these properties
I get to see a lot of

wildlife interact with our
farming operation.

And knowing that the owl is
out there taking care of one

last thing that I have to
worry about is a great thing.

Sarah: Lots of feathers and fur
on the show this week.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Remember that if you want
more information on

America's Heartland or just
want to see some

of our programs again, just log
on to our website at

AmericasHeartland.Org

And join us on some
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social media sites as well.

Thanks for being with us.

We'll see you next time,
on America's Heartland.

Narr:You can purchase a DVD or
Blu Ray copy of this program.

Here's the cost:

To order, just visit us
online or call:

♪♪♪

♪You can see it in the eyes
of every woman and man♪