>>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.
>>I'm Rob Stewart.
Welcome to
the Sunshine State , Florida,
and the story of a woman
whose ranch work
has earned her
some pretty big awards
including Florida's
Woman of the Year
in Agriculture.
It's a family cattle operation
with a focus on conservation.
>>Hi, I'm Paul Robins.
Coming up,
a rose by any other name
would still smell as sweet!
But how about some beans
that operate
under a lot of different names?
We'll tell you why.
>>I'm Dave Lieberman.
And today we're headed
to the Lone Star State
to whip up something special
with the pecans
from this orchard
just outside of Austin, Texas.
>>I'm Sarah Gardner.
We'll take you
to Northern California
this time
where farmers are working
with animal activists
to protect endangered waterfowl.
We'll show you
how farm workers
and school children
are taking to the rice fields
for a one-of-a-kind egg hunt.
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. ♪
>>Marcia Lightsey
has been involved in agriculture
for more than 4 decades.
It is her life.
Marcia believes
in the importance
of agriculture.
It's all about
caring for the animals
and protecting the land
where you live.
♪ ♪
>>Nestled on the banks
of Florida's Kissimmee River
is a wildlife preserve.
It's home to more
than two dozen
endangered species
living along
this white sand ridge.
The preserve is also home
to old-growth forest.
Some of these trees
are centuries old.
Above them, bald eagles soar.
But this land is a balance
of commerce and conservation.
This is
the Lightsey Cattle Company .
Through these
historic live oaks,
you'll find cattle grazing.
Marcia and Cary Lightsey
run more
than 6,000 head of cattle
on 30 thousand acres.
The ranch is huge,
sprawling across three counties
in Central Florida.
>>I don't have to tell you
how beautiful this land is.
>>Well thank you,
I appreciate it.
>>I've traveled
all across this country
with this show.
But man,
you look out here
underneath the oaks
and the Palmettos?
And it is breathtaking!
>>It is.
It's a beautiful state.
Florida is a wonderful state
to raise cattle in.
We can put in
so many more cattle per acre
because of our forage
and the grasses
that we grow here.
>>Some days you'll find Cary
honking his truck horn
to call the cattle closer.
The ranch's natural grass feed
is supplemented
with a special molasses blend
providing extra protein.
>>What this is?
It's citrus residuum,
and it comes from a distillery.
And it's real high in protein.
This is what
keeps their condition good,
keeps them
in breeding condition.
This is kind of their staple.
>>While Florida is better known
for citrus and produce,
the Sunshine State
has a large number
of cattle ranches.
And while Marcia
is an expert cattlewoman today,
she didn't start out that way.
She grew up in the city
and joined a family
whose farm
and ranching background
went back 12 generations.
>>This is her lifestyle,
the ranching lifestyle.
She's a remarkable lady,
and I could have looked
the rest of my life
and never found another Marcia.
And I mean,
I tell my grand kids
all the time,
I said it's like an investment.
And she's the best one
I ever made.
>>You and your husband
have known each other
for more than forty years.
And I was so moved
by how sweetly
and complimentary
he talked about you.
>>Oh, well he's a good guy.
I'd have to admit
that he's taught me
everything I know.
So he's kind of
bragging on himself.
>>Marcia's love of the land
was rewarded in 2009
when she was named
Florida Woman of the Year
in Agriculture.
Today Marcia considers herself
an ag Ambassador .
>>When you have children,
and they're growing up
through school?
And you see kind of how
their lunch programs go,
and things like that,
that you would rather see
the general population
be on a better diet,
be educated?
And the best way to do that
is to start
with the school children.
>>Marcia will tell you
that it's important
to share that message
with young people
starting
with her own grandchildren.
And to help sustain
that ranching legacy?
The family has placed
a significant portion
of their land
in conservation easements,
protecting it from development.
It's a secure feeling
in knowing that this land
will be preserved
and will always be ranch land.
It will never be developed
for not only
the rest of our generation,
but our children's generation,
our grandchildren .
It's perpetual.
It's forever.
>>And after a full day working,
it's time for a break.
Locals here say
the only way to do that
is to enjoy a particular
ranch recipe.
I need three Lightsey Burgers .
It's called
a Lightsey Burger .
For you hamburger fans,
that's 2 large beef patties
topped with bacon.
>>Holy cow, literally!
That is a Lightsey Burger!
>>Raising beef for market
is an endeavor
that ranchers consider
sustainable agriculture,
utilizing their water and land
to meet consumer demand
here and abroad.
And it's land
that Marcia wants to protect
and preserve.
>>We feel like the earth,
the animals,
the grasses,
the trees?
Everything that we get
to enjoy every single day,
we just feel
like we're just here
for that minuscule moment
to take care of it
and to treat it right,
to leave it in better condition
than what we got it.
And that's just
the way we feel about it.
>>Florida's
year-round temperatures
make the Sunshine State
a prime producer
of agricultural products
including oranges,
grapefruit and other citrus.
But Florida also provides
a wide selection
of lettuce and other vegetables
each winter
to large segments
of the United States.
And speaking of produce,
Plant City, Florida
claims the record
for creating
the world's largest
strawberry shortcake.
The 820 square foot dessert
weighed in at 6000 pounds.
It's only fitting
since Plant City calls itself
The Winter Strawberry Capital
of the World.
♪ ♪
>>Hi, I'm Paul Robins.
And here's something
you may not have known
about agriculture.
Do you like salad bars?
Do you like
to load up your plate
with greens,
beans and tomatoes?
I think we're all trying
to eat a little healthier
these days.
And stacking
that salad with beans
is a good way to get extra fiber
into your diet.
But what do you really know
about those beans,
and why do some salad bar beans
have more than one name?
Can you say chi-chi?
Call them Chi-chi beans,
garbanzo beans,
or one of more
than several other names
they're known by,
and you are still talking
about perhaps
the most popular bean
on the planet: chick peas!
That's another name
for the same bean
originated in the Middle East
where folks
have been consuming them
for more than 6000 years.
And once farm folks
started cultivating them?
Their culinary popularity
quickly spread
to Ancient Egypt,
Greece and Rome.
Credit European explorers
for bringing them to India,
Pakistan and Mexico
which are still major producers
today.
And what about that salad bar?
Well, some folks
can be allergic
to one of the chemicals
in the beans.
Not good if you're worried
about gout or kidney stones.
But for the majority
of the population,
garbanzo beans offer up
lots of fiber
and other minerals
that can help lower cholesterol
and help provide
important anti-oxidants
in our diets.
And perhaps it's fitting
for a bean with so many aliases!
Garbanzos
come in 2 distinct types.
The Kabuli type
(that we recognize
from salad bars
and canned beans)
as well as a smaller desi type
which are darker
and have a thicker coat.
And in the interest
of full disclosure,
we should tell you
that when it comes to flatulence
from beans,
garbanzos are not
in the top five.
So load up your salad plate!
I'm Sarah Gardner.
Still ahead,
we'll take you
to the rice fields
of Northern California
where farmers are working
to protect
endangered waterfowl.
♪ ♪
>>Texas is one of the largest
pecan producing states
in the country.
And today, I'm 20 miles
east of Austin
on Berdoll Orchard.
And Hal,
tell me a little
about your orchard.
>>Well, I planted the orchard
in either 1980 or 1981.
I can't remember back that far.
Originally started
with about 5,000 trees,
and now we're up
to 15,000 or 16,000 trees
on 350 acres.
>>So in a good year,
how many pecans
could you potentially produce?
>>On a really good year,
it could go up
to a million pounds.
>>That's a lot of pecans.
>>Yes, it is!
>>Hal, I've never seen anything
quite like this before.
What is going on here?
>>This is my pecan nursery.
I start seed
in these white cups.
>>It's a bunch
of Styrofoam cups!
>>Yeah, there's a seed pecan
actually planted
in those cups.
And if you look close,
these come up
as like a native nut
or seedling nut.
And then we have
to graft or bud
to make them
a particular variety
that the farmer wants
that's gonna buy them from me.
>>So Hal,
these trees look pretty young.
Is this
a new tract of land for you?
>>Yeah, we have 120 acres
of trees here that are....
These are 5
and some others,
over here,
are 4 years old.
>>So how many years is it
before they start giving fruit?
>>These are beginning
to bear now.
You'll make a few pecans
at 3 and at 4.
It increases a little bit.
And at 5,
it just keeps going up.
And about 7,
you're usually
in full production.
>>So Hal, these are
the early stages of pecan,
I guess.
>>Yeah, that's a cluster
of 3 right there
which is kind of
an average size: 3 or 4.
And they're
just in the stage now
where they start sizing.
>>And is this variety of pecan
known for something
in particular?
>>This is Wichita variety
which is a really hard one
to grow for this area.
But it produces real heavy.
In fact, it's my favorite one.
These are very oily.
Yes, they're really good
for baking.
>>Hey there!
>>Hey, Dave!
>>Hal told me
to come find his son-in-law.
You must be Jarrod?
>>That's me!
>>So tell me
about your role
in this whole
pecan thinking thing.
>>OK, you're currently standing
in our shelling plant.
What takes place here
is the pecans come in
our 50 lbs. bags.
They are cracked,
shelled,
and sorted and then sized.
>>So these are
the biggest size, right?
>>These are our golden halves
that you will find in store.
We also get
several other sizes,
regular pieces.
They're either run through
the chocolate machine
or candies or put in pies.
Everything is made on site,
in our own kitchens.
>>Well, I'm going
to go find your wife
so I can eat some.
>>Great, Dave!
>>It was nice meeting you.
>>Well, Hal is passing me off
to his entire family.
But now I get
to cook with the daughter,
Jennifer.
And I'm really excited about.
I hear you make
a mean pecan pie?
>>That is correct!
>>Now do you say
pecaen or pecahn?
>>Pecahn!
>>Good,
because that's the way I say it.
We're right on track!
>>We're going to make
a chocolate pecan pie today.
>>So that's for dessert.
And I'm going
to make some little pork chops
that I'm going to coat
with your pecan pieces.
>>Sounds amazing!
>>I think it sounds great.
So let's start with your pie.
>>All right!
First, I'm going to add
2 cups of our Wichita
variety pecans.
We're going
to add chocolate chips,
and that makes
the chocolate pecan pie
extremely yummy.
>>So how many eggs do you have?
>>I have 3 eggs!
Three eggs!
And I have....
>>Two tablespoons of butter!
>>OK, so let's dump that
in there.
So the next things
are these syrups, right?
>>Yes sir, we're going to add
a quarter cup
of light corn syrup
and a quarter cup
of dark corn syrup.
>>While you're mixing that up,
I'm going to get started
on my dish.
And the spring onions
are going to go into the salad
that I'm making.
And the salad
is sort of a really
simple cole slaw.
And it's really simple!
Just a quick salad
to accompany the pork chops!
So with mine,
I added my spring onions
to the cabbage here.
And basically,
I'm just going to add
a little bit of pecan oil.
And it has a really light
pecan flavor, you said,
which I think is going to add
a nice touch to the salad.
And I'm going to add
a little lemon juice.
Actually this is queso fresco.
It's gonna go really nicely
in the salad as well.
And that's really
all there is to that side salad.
So Jenn, how you doing
on the pie there?
>>Great, I have
all my ingredients in now!
I'm just going
to stir all of this up.
>>Oh, that looks really good.
So the pork chops?
I have them really thin,
and the reason I have them
cut thin like this is
so that the pecans don't burn.
And I made up
a little spice mixture
of salt and black pepper,
and sage and marjoram,
and paprika
and a little bit
of ground clove.
And I'm just gonna
sprinkle that over
the pork chops.
So I'm going to use
plenty of the oil
so that the pecans
stick to the pork.
I think that looks great.
We've got tons of pecans
on there: lots of pecan oil,
some good spice....
We can actually add
a little more spice to the pork
just before
it goes into the oven.
And I'm ready
to stick this in the oven.
And you're almost ready
to stick yours in the oven too,
right?
>>I am!
I want to eat
those pork chops, Dave.
>>So it's perfect timing.
So this sauce
that I'm going to make
for the pork is really simple.
There are only 3 or 4 things
that you put into it.
I'm going to add
a little bit of butter
(because I know
how much people like butter
down here)
and about 1/3 of a cup
of dark brown sugar.
I'm going to add
some cider vinegar
to make it a little bit
of a sweet and sour sauce.
And I'm going to add
a little bit of that spice mix
that I already mixed up
for the pork.
Jennifer,
this stuff looks amazing.
Your pie looks awesome!
>>And I can't wait
to try those pork chops!
>>It looks good, doesn't it?
>>Smells amazing!
Well, I'm going to give you
a taste first.
Yes!
What do you think?
Sorry, it's a little bit
of a big bite!
>>Mm, amazing!
>>You like it?
All right,
I'm going to try too!
That is like a big mouthful
of caramel pecan candy
with tons of chocolate.
It's great!
We made a good team.
>>We did!
♪ ♪
>>I'm Akiba Howard.
Let's talk about good food
and your well-being.
If you have youngsters
around your house,
getting them to eat well
is important
and sometimes challenging.
♪ ♪
>>If you're a parent
with a picky eater
at your house,
you're already well aware
of how tough it is
to balance the nutrition needs
of your child
with meals that he or she
will eat.
Nutritionists will tell you
that the right foods
are critical elements
in the growth and development
of children.
And some research
shows that nourishing foods
cannot only make
a child healthier?
It can affect
their emotional well-being
and mental development.
So where do you start?
Let's run down some meals
and give you a few hints.
A good breakfast?
Hey, we all like donuts!
But your child
will need something
more substantial to sustain them
through their first few classes
at school.
If junior likes cereal,
you can beef up
the nutritional value
by adding nuts,
wheat germ,
raisins or other fruits.
Combine fruits and dairy
in a blender
and sell them
on a smoothie concept.
If toast is on the menu,
you can add food value
by augmenting peanut butter
with nuts,
dried fruits or honey.
The sandwich trick
works for lunch as well.
But consider
a smorgasbord approach,
giving your youngster
choices of finger foods,
whole wheat muffins,
or fresh fruit.
Just because they won't eat them
while you're watching
doesn't mean
they don't like them.
Let's talk calcium
for a moment.
Dairy foods
and certain vegetables
like spinach or mustard greens
deliver good sources of calcium
which is critical to good bone
and teeth development
as your child hits
the pre-teen and teen years.
And take a look
at this calorie chart
from the Department
of Agriculture.
As you can see,
calorie counts go higher
to meet
those teen nutrition needs.
There is no downplaying
of the consequences
of childhood obesity.
So a healthy balanced diet
is even more important.
Couple of other suggestions
from the experts!
Be a good role model.
Eat healthy yourself.
Take them grocery shopping
and make the connection
between agriculture
and the good food
that goes on your dinner table.
Don't use food
as a reward or a bribe.
And let them help out
in the kitchen.
Learning more about food
opens the door
to healthy habits later.
>>All across the heartland,
you'll find farmers and ranchers
are working
with environmental groups
to protect everything
from wildflowers to wetlands.
It's an opportunity
to give back to the community.
Here in Northern California,
that work
is a hands on proposition.
>>Who is from Mr. Gill's
Shasta class?
All right!
>>These fifth grade students
are getting ready
for an egg hunt
unlike anything
they've ever seen
at Easter time.
>>We call it Egg Aid.
It is rescuing eggs
from getting kind of destroyed
as we start farming.
>>The official Egg Aid,
like today with the kids,
started maybe 12 years ago
when we said,
"What a great opportunity
to be able to show local kids
how the environment and farming
really can interact
with each other!"
And it can be
really positive for both.
>>The egg aid hunt
is taking place
on the Lundberg Family
Rice Farm near Marysville
in Northern California.
>>Okay, let the shaking begin!
>>The young students
use noise makers
to flush out Mallard ducks
that nest in the cover crops
planted on the farm
after the autumn rice harvest.
The cover crops
are a great place for the ducks
to want to nest.
And so over the years,
we thought it would be wonderful
if we could rescue those eggs
and not just mow them down.
And so it's been
part of our approach
to rescue as many of those eggs
as possible.
>>Good job, baby!
Woo, that's a nice one!
>>Working in groups,
the school kids
search through 15 acres
of the Lundberg farm.
As the youngsters
move through the grasses,
they locate 8 mallard nests,
saving some 5 dozen duck eggs.
>>This one here
was probably laid this morning.
This one here?
A couple of days before!
>>It's really rough.
And just to say that,
to be prepared?
Because it's fun!
But it's also....
It really takes a lot of work.
>>I found a nest,
and there was only 1 egg in it.
It made me feel happy
because I could still find one.
But it made me
kind of disappointed
because there wasn't more.
>>Look you guys,
we've got 11!
>>But these youngsters
aren't the only ones on the hunt
for wild duck eggs.
The Lundberg field crews
will also carry out searches
as they move across
the farm's 600 acres
in their regular daily work.
We would prepare our fields
in the spring,
and we would have our guys....
As they work each day,
they could get off the tractors
if they flushed a female duck.
And they'd collect the eggs.
And then they carry egg cartons
with them in the tractors.
And they could put the eggs
in the cartons.
Over the years,
the egg aid effort has grown
including
not only school children,
but participation by members
of the local
Wild Duck Egg Salvage Program
and the California Department
of Fish and Game.
>>All right, we saved 3!
>>But there's more
than just a benefit
for the birds.
This unique search also provides
a learning experience
for the students.
>>There are a lot of lessons.
They learn a little bit
about hard work.
They learn a little bit
about their community
because we do
a lot of agriculture
around here.
And some of them
don't come into contact
with it almost at all.
>>So it's just
a really nice outreach
where kids can see
that this is how
you produce food,
this is how
wildlife interacts
with agriculture.
And there are things you can do
if you're aware
of how things
interface together.
There are no fences here.
The birds fly in.
The birds fly out.
And we really have
a responsibility
to be stewards.
>>Kind of grouping
the eggs together,
there are
3 different nests here.
There's a nest of 3,
a nest of 1,
and another nest of 3.
>>Once saved from the fields,
the wild duck eggs
move to the next step
in the animal rescue effort:
ending up
at one of the federally
regulated hatcheries
in the region.
Patrick Marmon
and his wife Terry
operate Pacific Valley Ranch
near Marysville
where they raise hundreds
(sometimes thousands)
of wild ducks each year.
>>There we have the birds
that will go out tonight.
They'll be on their feet
by tonight and ready to go.
I leave them in this hatchery
for about twelve hours
after they hatch.
>>The ducklings spend about
a week in a brooding box.
Because they're born
without a mother,
this allows their bodies
to develop the natural oils
that protect them
while they're swimming.
And from there,
they spend the next 4 weeks
maturing.
>>She's quacking now.
>>But before the ducks
are released back into the wild,
federal law requires
that they be banded
and their sex recorded.
We've probably
banded and released
a 100,000 birds
or very close to it.
>>Then it's back
to the Lundberg farm
where 200 acres
have been set aside
as a wildlife habitat.
We like to release them
at 5 weeks.
They're a week and a half
from flying.
And they have time
to imprint on the habitat
we release them in.
And most of the hens
will come back next year
and lay in this very habitat.
>>The hope is that
the ducks will see
the protected marshland as home
and returning here
after migration
instead of the rice fields.
>>And it's showing
some really good success
because the bands
are coming back
showing that these birds
are integrating
into wild populations.
>>Did you guys find it?
I think it's in here.
>>Those taking part
see egg aid
as the kind
of cooperative effort
that farmers
and environmentalists
can successfully carry out,
bringing with it
an activity
that also lets youngsters
focus on the future.
>>They learn what's around them.
They learn about
helping someone
outside of themselves.
There's some
environmental science here, too.
And so it's
a pretty unique opportunity
to combine all those things
into one.
>>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
as we introduce you
to interesting people
and places.
>>And don't forget,
we have lots more stories
and information on our website!
Just log onto
americasheartland-dot-org.
And you can also follow us
on some of your other
favorite sites.
We'll see you next time
right here
on America's Heartland .
>>To order a copy
of this program,
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.
♪ ♪