WEBVTT 00:01.731 --> 00:08.164 "America's Heartland is made possible by... 00:08.164 --> 00:11.064 They make up a small part of our population. 00:11.064 --> 00:13.764 But have a huge impact on our lives. 00:13.764 --> 00:17.998 They take business risks that few others would tolerate all on 00:17.998 --> 00:19.364 our behalf. 00:19.364 --> 00:24.131 They're American farmers who feed, fuel and clothe the world. 00:24.131 --> 00:28.431 Monsanto would like to recognize them for all they do, for the 00:28.431 --> 00:32.898 rest of us, because ultimately our success and everyone else's 00:32.898 --> 00:35.631 depends on theirs 00:35.631 --> 00:39.164 "...and by the American Farm Bureau Federation - 00:39.164 --> 00:42.964 the voice of agriculture." 00:42.964 --> 00:46.364 COMING UP...THE ROOTS OF AMERICA'S HEARTLAND ARE DEEP AND 00:46.364 --> 00:49.664 DIVERSE...WE'LL MEET SOME OF THE MANY MEXICAN FARMWORKERS WHO 00:49.664 --> 00:52.498 HELPED FEED OUR NATION DURING WORLD WAR TWO... 00:52.498 --> 00:54.831 A TEXAS RANCH DATING BACK TO THE EARLIEST SPANISH 00:54.831 --> 00:58.864 SETTLERS ADJUSTS TO MODERN TIMES...AND TOURISM... 00:58.864 --> 01:01.864 THE PEACH STATE HONORS ITS NAMESAKE FRUIT AND 01:01.864 --> 01:03.664 CELEBRATES THE HARVEST... 01:03.664 --> 01:06.964 AND A CALIFORNIA FARMER WHOSE JUICY CROP EVOKES SOME OF OUR 01:06.964 --> 01:09.198 SWEETEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES. 01:09.198 --> 01:13.631 AMERICA'S HEARTLAND IS NEXT. 01:13.631 --> 01:21.698 You can see it in the eyes of every woman and man an America's 01:21.698 --> 01:25.998 Heartland living close to the land. 01:25.998 --> 01:32.398 There's a love for the country and a pride in the brand in 01:32.398 --> 01:42.598 America's Heartland living close, close to the land. 01:42.598 --> 01:51.364 In America's Heartland. 01:51.364 --> 01:54.264 HELLO I'm Paul Ryan AND WELCOME TO AMERICA'S Heartland. 01:54.264 --> 01:57.431 This time coming to you from the corn and chili fields of 01:57.431 --> 01:59.364 southeastern Arizona. 01:59.364 --> 02:03.164 ONE OF OUR GREAT AMERICAN IDEALS IS OUR BELIEF THAT HARD WORK AND 02:03.164 --> 02:06.698 DEDICATION REWARDS ANYONE, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND, race, 02:06.698 --> 02:08.064 OR religion. 02:08.064 --> 02:11.164 HISTORY SUGGESTS THAT AGRICULTURE CAN PROVIDE A 02:11.164 --> 02:13.864 STEPPING STONE FOR NEW GENERATIONS TO ACHIEVE THE 02:13.864 --> 02:15.098 AMERICAN DREAM. 02:15.098 --> 02:17.531 And WE FOUND A GOOD EXAMPLE IN THE DARK EARLY DAYS OF 02:17.531 --> 02:18.831 WORLD WAR TWO. 02:18.831 --> 02:22.031 OUR NATION DESPERATELY NEEDED WORKERS TO WORK ON OUR FARMS AND 02:22.031 --> 02:23.498 IN OUR FIELDS. 02:23.498 --> 02:27.131 MILLIONS OF MEXICAN Men ANSWERED THE CALL - PROVIDING INCOME FOR 02:27.131 --> 02:30.431 THEIR FAMILIES AND Food and FIBER for us. 02:30.431 --> 02:32.664 I RECENTLY HAD A CHANCE TO MEET SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART 02:32.664 --> 02:34.964 IN ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GUEST 02:34.964 --> 02:36.464 WORKER PROGRAMS. 02:36.464 --> 02:41.331 THEY ARE CALLED...BRACEROS.. 02:41.331 --> 02:46.831 Braceros: the name comes from the Spanish word 02:46.831 --> 02:49.031 for "arms": brazos. 02:49.031 --> 02:52.098 And the need for these strong-armed men began shortly 02:52.098 --> 02:55.698 after the United States entered World War Two. 02:55.698 --> 02:58.664 When American men left their jobs to fight overseas, the void 02:58.664 --> 03:00.098 had to be filled. 03:00.098 --> 03:02.198 So an agreement was drawn up between the U.S. 03:02.198 --> 03:06.264 and Mexican governments allowing Mexican men to work thousands of 03:06.264 --> 03:10.698 temporary jobs in the US -- some on the railroads but most in 03:10.698 --> 03:14.064 agriculture, primarily in the southwest, northwest, 03:14.064 --> 03:16.131 and California. 03:16.131 --> 03:18.664 The news about this new "braceros" program spread 03:18.664 --> 03:21.164 quickly to every corner of Mexico. 03:21.164 --> 03:25.064 To get started, all a man had to do was to apply at a local 03:25.064 --> 03:26.598 recruitment center. 03:26.598 --> 03:29.298 "And one of the first cities that opened up the centers was 03:29.298 --> 03:32.298 Mexico City in 1942. 03:32.298 --> 03:35.831 And in 1942 they attracted braceros. 03:35.831 --> 03:39.198 Too many of them, actually, to be contracted. 03:39.198 --> 03:41.631 They figured they'd get four or five thousand. 03:41.631 --> 03:44.298 They got about 50,000 people just in the city of Mexico the 03:44.298 --> 03:46.498 first time they tried to contract them." 03:46.498 --> 03:48.931 While still in Mexico, prospective braceros were 03:48.931 --> 03:51.664 screened to make sure they had no criminal record. 03:51.664 --> 03:54.098 Once accepted, the men were transported from 03:54.098 --> 03:56.298 Mexico to the U.S... 03:56.298 --> 03:59.431 The program worked so well that it continued far after World War 03:59.431 --> 04:03.164 Two, officially ending 1964. 04:03.164 --> 04:07.598 For many braceros, their first stop was southwest Texas. 04:07.598 --> 04:10.098 "Just outside the city of El Paso is the community of 04:10.098 --> 04:13.564 Socorro, Texas where you will find this collection of historic 04:13.564 --> 04:16.164 buildings known as Rio Vista Farm. 04:16.164 --> 04:19.864 It began as a poor farm, a refuge for rural poor 04:19.864 --> 04:21.964 back in 1915. 04:21.964 --> 04:25.964 But in 1951 it became a processing center for bracero 04:25.964 --> 04:29.364 crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into El Paso. 04:29.364 --> 04:33.998 Thousands came through here and today some have returned." 04:33.998 --> 04:38.564 "It was years and years ago but I still remember all this..." 04:38.564 --> 04:42.031 Mauro Rodriguez left his family's farm in Mexico to forge 04:42.031 --> 04:44.598 a new life in the United States. 04:44.598 --> 04:49.231 If I didn't pass as bracero, we would die over there. 04:49.231 --> 04:51.898 We die because we was poor people up there." 04:51.898 --> 04:53.464 "My father was a farmer. 04:53.464 --> 04:55.964 I born in the country and studied agriculture at 04:55.964 --> 04:57.798 school in Mexico." 04:57.798 --> 05:01.864 This background in farming made Jose Ramirez Delgado a natural 05:01.864 --> 05:03.731 for the braceros program. 05:03.731 --> 05:07.498 He came through Rio Vista after having farmed cotton in Mexico. 05:07.498 --> 05:10.731 That gave him an advantage since picking and processing cotton 05:10.731 --> 05:14.631 were skills in high demand in Texas and New Mexico. 05:14.631 --> 05:18.964 Today, he lives in Juarez, Mexico near El Paso. 05:18.964 --> 05:20.964 This was the first time he'd been back to 05:20.964 --> 05:24.364 Rio Vista in decades. 05:24.364 --> 05:28.498 "Thank God I've been able to come back to see where I was 05:28.498 --> 05:31.598 contracted to work in the fields. 05:31.598 --> 05:37.164 I even worked at that ranch across the street." 05:37.164 --> 05:40.398 Today, while part of Rio Vista is a community center, much of 05:40.398 --> 05:43.431 it remains in a state of arrested decay. 05:43.431 --> 05:51.031 But that makes it easy to reminisce. 05:51.031 --> 05:54.298 "This one was contracting and this one was contracting 05:54.298 --> 05:58.464 As a new high school graduate in 1957, Minerva Cheatum's first 05:58.464 --> 06:01.498 job was in the Rio Vista typing pool processing contracts for 06:01.498 --> 06:05.264 incoming and outgoing braceros. 06:05.264 --> 06:08.464 For many, their earnings supported families back home and 06:08.464 --> 06:11.531 supplied enough money to buy a few extras. 06:11.531 --> 06:13.898 "When they all came back they all were wearing western shirts, 06:13.898 --> 06:16.098 Levis, boots. 06:16.098 --> 06:19.331 Nice western hats and most of them had sewing machines, 06:19.331 --> 06:22.898 bicycles, and everything so when we took them back the buses had 06:22.898 --> 06:25.764 the sewing machines on top, you could see all the little 06:25.764 --> 06:28.664 wheels...you could see all the sewing machines and the bicycles 06:28.664 --> 06:30.398 that were going back to Mexico." 06:30.398 --> 06:33.931 In total, more than two million Mexican men worked as braceros. 06:33.931 --> 06:38.798 The program ended in 1964 in part because of concerns that it 06:38.798 --> 06:41.331 undermined wages for U.S. citizens. 06:41.331 --> 06:44.931 But as immigration and labor issues continue to be a topic of 06:44.931 --> 06:48.431 considerable debate, some politicians and agricultural 06:48.431 --> 06:52.098 leaders are lobbying for a new and expanded guest worker 06:52.098 --> 06:58.631 program similar to the successful "braceros". 06:58.631 --> 07:02.831 Many of those who worked in the program from 1942 through the 07:02.831 --> 07:05.431 late 40"s were entitled to receive monies deducted from 07:05.431 --> 07:07.764 their wages in accounts to be paid when they 07:07.764 --> 07:10.231 returned to Mexico. 07:10.231 --> 07:13.398 A large number of Braceros never received that money and several 07:13.398 --> 07:17.598 lawsuits have failed to resolve the issue. 07:17.598 --> 07:19.964 WE FOUND ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT HARD WORK AND SUCCESS IN SOUTH 07:19.964 --> 07:24.198 TEXAS IN A PLACE CALLED 'LLANOS MESTANOS' 07:24.198 --> 07:25.764 THE 'WILD HORSE PLAINS." 07:25.764 --> 07:29.164 THE HISTORY OF THAT REGION IS BEING KEPT ALIVE ON CATTLE 07:29.164 --> 07:31.464 RANCHES THAT HAVE BEEN IN OPERATION FOR 2-HUNDRED 07:31.464 --> 07:34.098 YEARS...SOME IN HANDS OF THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE 07:34.098 --> 07:35.431 ORIGINAL SETTLERS. 07:35.431 --> 07:40.998 JASON SHOULTZ HAS THE STORY. 07:40.998 --> 07:42.731 "We have a 40 percent chance of rain today." 07:42.731 --> 07:46.331 "We might get a few drops. 07:46.331 --> 07:49.998 Rain may be in the forecast, but rancher Isidro Gutierrez isn't 07:49.998 --> 07:52.098 hopeful today... 07:52.098 --> 07:53.898 "There's a lot of clouds, but they don't look like rain clouds 07:53.898 --> 07:55.264 to me." 07:55.264 --> 07:59.131 On this day, south Texas is in the middle of a tough drought. 07:59.131 --> 08:03.431 Isidro often worries how the arid heat might affect his 150 08:03.431 --> 08:04.998 head of cattle. 08:04.998 --> 08:08.198 It's a concern no doubt shared by the many ranchers who worked 08:08.198 --> 08:10.064 this land before him. 08:10.064 --> 08:14.864 "I remember, as a little boy, maybe five or six years old, the 08:14.864 --> 08:21.064 drought of the 50's it was a heck of a drought back then. 08:21.064 --> 08:24.231 But the story of this ranch dates back well 08:24.231 --> 08:25.931 before the 1950's. 08:25.931 --> 08:29.098 It's part of a legacy unique to the United States. 08:29.098 --> 08:33.164 This area was settled by the Spanish in the 17-hundreds. 08:33.164 --> 08:38.464 "This ranch was founded back in 1740 by my great great great 08:38.464 --> 08:40.364 great grandfather. 08:40.364 --> 08:43.364 A fellow who's name was Simon DeHinahosa. 08:43.364 --> 08:47.531 And he came to this area with his three or four brothers and 08:47.531 --> 08:50.298 they all founded ranches in the area." 08:50.298 --> 08:52.931 The land is called "Noriecitas Ranch." 08:52.931 --> 08:55.098 Spanish for "little wells." 08:55.098 --> 08:57.898 Named after the many springs that once quenched 08:57.898 --> 08:59.298 this parched land. 08:59.298 --> 09:03.131 At one point, Isidro's ancestors owned 25-thousand acres. 09:03.131 --> 09:06.298 Now, Isidro and his sister Idela manage only about 09:06.298 --> 09:09.531 7-hundred acres. 09:09.531 --> 09:12.498 "My grandfather said, 'someday you are going to run this ranch, 09:12.498 --> 09:14.864 and I want you to know how to work it.' 09:14.864 --> 09:18.431 "I was one of those girls that instead of playing with dolls, I 09:18.431 --> 09:23.198 was riding horses." 09:23.198 --> 09:27.298 "I was helping them work cattle, you know. 09:27.298 --> 09:29.531 And my grandmother would say, 'No no no! 09:29.531 --> 09:31.898 Today is sewing lesson, today.' 09:31.898 --> 09:34.831 And I would go, 'oh gosh, not sewing lesson today. 09:34.831 --> 09:37.931 I have to go ride my horse." 09:37.931 --> 09:40.764 This area is considered the North American birthplace of 09:40.764 --> 09:44.298 Spanish cowboys or "vaqueros." 09:44.298 --> 09:47.598 Over the years many of the historic ranches were divided 09:47.598 --> 09:49.698 and sold to different owners. 09:49.698 --> 09:55.864 But others, like Noriecitas, are still in the same families. 09:55.864 --> 09:59.864 Not far from Noriecitas is Randado Ranch. 09:59.864 --> 10:03.231 The restored church was built in the 1830's by the ancestors of 10:03.231 --> 10:05.698 Bernardo Delagarza. 10:05.698 --> 10:08.731 Now it's part of the two thousand acre ranch owned by 10:08.731 --> 10:11.064 Bernardo and his wife Alma. 10:11.064 --> 10:15.298 Just as Randado Ranch welcomed travelers in the 1800's, today 10:15.298 --> 10:19.098 it's a popular spot for "winter Texans" - folks coming here from 10:19.098 --> 10:20.698 the northern U.S. 10:20.698 --> 10:22.698 to escape chilly temperatures. 10:22.698 --> 10:25.464 Most of the old buildings are gone, but explore the property 10:25.464 --> 10:28.298 with Bernardo and you'll still find some interesting remnants 10:28.298 --> 10:29.931 of the past. 10:29.931 --> 10:32.698 "As you can tell, these old wooden doors, there's not a 10:32.698 --> 10:34.031 single nail on them. 10:34.031 --> 10:36.098 They're all wooden pegs. 10:36.098 --> 10:40.464 They're the original doors that are on here." 10:40.464 --> 10:44.364 "They had at least 44 families living here at one time. 10:44.364 --> 10:48.298 With many skilled workers in many trades. 10:48.298 --> 10:52.364 They had a cotton mill, they had a sugar mill. 10:52.364 --> 10:56.031 They had a mason, they had bakers, had carpenters." 10:56.031 --> 10:58.564 Whenever they would butcher beef, you had to 10:58.564 --> 11:00.398 have a big fandango. 11:00.398 --> 11:03.631 A big party in order to utilize all that meat." 11:03.631 --> 11:07.531 Today fandangos are few across this quiet countryside. 11:07.531 --> 11:11.131 Like everywhere else, cattle go to market for processing. 11:11.131 --> 11:15.664 Times have changed, but these families share the same values 11:15.664 --> 11:19.398 with those who came before them: a willingness to answer life's 11:19.398 --> 11:22.964 challenges with hard work.... a deep desire to preserve 11:22.964 --> 11:24.431 their history. 11:24.431 --> 11:28.131 "I like the ranch and I like to work with cattle. 11:28.131 --> 11:30.831 And I love history. 11:30.831 --> 11:34.431 And I just want to keep this up as much as I can." 11:34.431 --> 11:38.398 "There's not too many people that can say that your ranch is 11:38.398 --> 11:41.331 over 200 years old and still in the same family. 11:41.331 --> 11:46.531 You know, that's quite an honor." 11:46.531 --> 11:52.531 As far back as 1775, Texas was teeming with cattle and horses 11:52.531 --> 11:55.831 which had reproduced by the thousands from stock left behind 11:55.831 --> 11:59.798 by Spanish military troops that explored and settled the region 11:59.798 --> 12:07.231 from 1680 to 1760. 12:07.231 --> 12:11.264 Still to come on America's Heartland...We'll Take you down 12:11.264 --> 12:15.764 south to savor the flavor of Georgia's famous peaches....and 12:15.764 --> 12:18.064 meet the farmers who grow them. 12:18.064 --> 12:24.164 Plus a trip to California and a peach farmer poet! 12:24.164 --> 12:27.331 THERE ARE FEW TASTES OF SUMMER MORE SYMBOLIC AND SUCCULENT THAN 12:27.331 --> 12:28.764 THIS RIGHT HERE. 12:28.764 --> 12:30.564 THE PLUMP, RIPE, JUICY PEACH! 12:30.564 --> 12:33.164 OF COURSE THE FUZZY FRUIT IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH 12:33.164 --> 12:34.498 THE PEACH STATE. 12:34.498 --> 12:38.264 PAT MCCONAHAY RECENTLY VISITED A GEORGIA FARM THAT'S BEEN RAISING 12:38.264 --> 12:41.264 PEACHES FOR A HUNDRED YEARS...AND DISCOVERING NEW WAYS 12:41.264 --> 12:46.398 TO SHARE THEM WITH FRUIT LOVERS ALL ACROSS THE HEARTLAND. 12:46.398 --> 12:49.164 June is the height of peach season in, where else, but the 12:49.164 --> 12:54.298 state known for this juicy sweet fruit: Georgia. 12:54.298 --> 12:57.498 That means things are in high gear at Lane Packing Company- 12:57.498 --> 13:00.964 home to extensive orchards and Georgia's largest peach 13:00.964 --> 13:02.631 packing operation 13:02.631 --> 13:04.931 MY GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS A PIONEER IN THE PEACH 13:04.931 --> 13:09.964 INDUSTRY IN THE EARLY 1900S AND HE DID THINGS YOU KNOW, HIGHLY 13:09.964 --> 13:12.698 DIFFERENT THAN WE DO THINGS NOW. 13:12.698 --> 13:14.231 HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY 13:14.231 --> 13:16.798 Duke Lane is a fourth generation family member who's carrying on 13:16.798 --> 13:19.098 the legacy:. 13:19.098 --> 13:23.198 Despite technological advances, one thing that's pretty much 13:23.198 --> 13:26.831 stayed the same is harvesting - one by one...each peach is 13:26.831 --> 13:28.731 picked by hand. 13:28.731 --> 13:31.298 WHY IS IT SO LABOR INTENSIVE IT'S JUST A DELICATE FRUIT. 13:31.298 --> 13:34.964 IT BRUISES EASY David Lane is Duke's cousin. 13:34.964 --> 13:38.031 He oversees the family's nearly 3 thousand acre orchard. 13:38.031 --> 13:41.864 Home to 237,000 trees that produce 20 million 13:41.864 --> 13:43.898 pounds of peaches. 13:43.898 --> 13:46.764 Out of the 40 commercial varieties of peaches grown in 13:46.764 --> 13:50.898 Georgia, Lane Packing produces about 30 that mature at 13:50.898 --> 13:53.864 different rates through the May to August harvest season 13:53.864 --> 13:55.164 THESE ARE A CARAMAC. 13:55.164 --> 13:56.398 These are a caramac 13:56.398 --> 13:58.698 WHICH IS A FREESTONE AND FREESTONE MEANS? 13:58.698 --> 14:01.564 When YOU CUT THE PEACH IN HALF, IF IT'S RIPE IT, 14:01.564 --> 14:03.464 this is an early freestone it 14:03.464 --> 14:05.698 WILL COME AWAY FROM THE SEED 14:05.698 --> 14:08.298 In spite of its distinction as the "Peach State", 14:08.298 --> 14:10.064 today Georgia ranks 14:10.064 --> 14:14.064 third in U-S production behind California and South Carolina, 14:14.064 --> 14:18.564 with more than 15 thousand acres of trees-still there's just 14:18.564 --> 14:21.498 something about a Georgia peach. 14:21.498 --> 14:23.431 ONLY PLACE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A PEACH LIKE THIS IS RIGHT WHERE 14:23.431 --> 14:24.431 YOU'RE STANDIN. 14:24.431 --> 14:25.798 (LAUGH) THAT'S RIGHT. 14:25.798 --> 14:26.831 YOU WANT TO TASTE IT? 14:26.831 --> 14:28.064 SURE why not? 14:28.064 --> 14:33.164 IT DOESN'T GET ANY FRESHER THAN THIS AND MESSY. 14:33.164 --> 14:35.098 LOT OF JUICE. 14:35.098 --> 14:38.264 After the peaches are harvested it's onto the packing shed. 14:38.264 --> 14:42.798 SOMETHING YOU'LL RARELY GET TO EXPERIENCE ON ANY OTHER FARM IS 14:42.798 --> 14:48.464 WATCHING THE PEACH PACKING PROCESS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. 14:48.464 --> 14:51.831 You can enjoy a bird's eye view of all of the activity from an 14:51.831 --> 14:54.398 elevated walkway that extends the entire length of 14:54.398 --> 14:56.164 the operation. 14:56.164 --> 14:58.698 These free-self guided tours are available throughout the 14:58.698 --> 15:01.298 harvesting season. 15:01.298 --> 15:04.531 If you follow the peach journey from beginning to end you'll see 15:04.531 --> 15:08.764 how they're first cooled from 97 degrees to 36. 15:08.764 --> 15:11.864 That stops the ripening process so when the peaches make it to 15:11.864 --> 15:14.198 market they have a longer shelf life. 15:14.198 --> 15:19.398 They also have to be washed graded sized ....and something 15:19.398 --> 15:23.264 else very important-that fuzz has to be removed. 15:23.264 --> 15:26.598 AND BACK IN THE OLD DAYS WE USED TO BRING THEM IN WE WOULD DUMP 15:26.598 --> 15:29.098 THEM ON A DRY BELT AND THE PEACH FUZZ WILL BE IN THE AIR AND MAKE 15:29.098 --> 15:31.764 YOU ITCH. WOW. 15:31.764 --> 15:35.631 IN THE PROCESS OF THE PACKING SHED IT WILL WASH AND TURN...OF 15:35.631 --> 15:37.998 COURSE THE BRUSHES LIKE THAT ON TOP AND BOTTOM...AND THEN IT 15:37.998 --> 15:41.131 WASHES IT OFF, SHINES IT UP AND MAKES IT PRETTY FOR THE STORE. 15:41.131 --> 15:44.198 But, If you happen to be in the area You can get fruit fresh off 15:44.198 --> 15:47.098 the trees when you pay a visit to Lane Packing. 15:47.098 --> 15:51.031 This roadside market was built in 1990, along with a gift shop 15:51.031 --> 15:54.798 where you can pick up all things peach.... and a café where you 15:54.798 --> 15:57.598 won't want to pass up the peach ice cream. 15:57.598 --> 15:59.431 THESE ARE THE BEST PEACHES THAT I CAN FIND. 15:59.431 --> 16:02.264 I'M HAPPY WHEN THEY'RE PACKIN..SO WHEN I'M COMIN 16:02.264 --> 16:04.931 THROUGH TOWN I ALWAYS STOP HERE AND I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I GET 16:04.931 --> 16:07.231 SOME OF THAT ICE CREAM, TOO. 16:07.231 --> 16:08.531 HAVE YOU BEEN HERE BEFORE? 16:08.531 --> 16:11.498 YES, I HAVE..I'M FIXIN TO GET SOME OF THESE PEACHES NOW In 16:11.498 --> 16:15.431 2005 Lane packing added tram tours of the peach and pecan 16:15.431 --> 16:19.631 orchards The short fat trees are peaches and you can see plenty 16:19.631 --> 16:21.398 of peaches on the trees. 16:21.398 --> 16:24.531 During the 30-minute ride tour guides explain the history of 16:24.531 --> 16:28.464 Georgia's peach industry as well as how the fuzzy fruit is grown 16:28.464 --> 16:30.564 and harvested. 16:30.564 --> 16:33.398 Even though lane Packing is always expanding - whether 16:33.398 --> 16:37.798 through agricultural tourism or new produce selections...it will 16:37.798 --> 16:41.531 still always be about WHEN YOU TALK LANE THE FIRST THING YOU 16:41.531 --> 16:44.831 THINK ABOUT IS A PEACH AND GEORGIA. 16:44.831 --> 16:46.864 WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GEORGIA AND PEACHES I THINK IT'S 16:46.864 --> 16:52.664 ALL SYNONOMOUS 16:52.664 --> 16:55.964 Georgia is known as the "Peach State", but two other crops are 16:55.964 --> 16:58.264 more significant to the state's agriculture. 16:58.264 --> 17:01.664 Georgia leads the nation in the production of 17:01.664 --> 17:04.898 peanuts and pecans. 17:04.898 --> 17:07.898 THOSE DELICIOUS GEORGIA PEACHES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE SIXTEEN WEEKS 17:07.898 --> 17:10.064 EACH YEAR, FROM MID-MAY TO MID-AUGUST. 17:10.064 --> 17:12.431 AND MOST OF THEM ARE GROWN IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE 17:12.431 --> 17:16.064 STATE...INCLUDING the apply named PEACH COUNTY. 17:16.064 --> 17:18.531 WHICH IS WHERE WE FOUND GEORGIA'S BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF 17:18.531 --> 17:22.631 THE FABULOUS FRUIT! 17:22.631 --> 17:25.831 It's definitely all things "peach" during this June weekend 17:25.831 --> 17:28.098 in Fort Valley- home to the world famous, 17:28.098 --> 17:30.231 Georgia Peach Festival. 17:30.231 --> 17:34.498 The tiny town 90 miles south of Atlanta pays homage to the fuzzy 17:34.498 --> 17:36.531 fruit that put it on the map 17:36.531 --> 17:39.664 WE HAVE A LOT OF PEACH FARMERS AND A LOT OF PACKING SHEDS AND 17:39.664 --> 17:41.698 SO WE WANTED TO HONOR THE PEACH FARMERS AND WHAT THEY BRING TO 17:41.698 --> 17:42.998 THE COMMUNITY 17:42.998 --> 17:46.898 FORT VALLEY HAS BEEN THE HOTBED OF PEACH PRODUCTION FOR OVER 17:46.898 --> 17:48.898 A CENTURY. 17:48.898 --> 17:51.998 AND A LOT OF THE COMMERICAL PEACH INDUSTRY STARTED RIGHT 17:51.998 --> 17:55.964 HERE AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE CONTINUING TODAY. 17:55.964 --> 18:00.431 The festivities begin with a parade through the center of 18:00.431 --> 18:04.098 town -complete, of course, with bulging bins of peaches, 18:04.098 --> 18:09.898 colorful balloons and a lot of fanfare. 18:09.898 --> 18:12.764 But there are some other activities that you may not find 18:12.764 --> 18:14.398 in any other festival. 18:14.398 --> 18:17.931 For one thing theres the competition for the "Best Peach 18:17.931 --> 18:21.264 Hat", which drew some pretty unusual entries. 18:21.264 --> 18:22.764 SHE WORKED HARD ON THAT. 18:22.764 --> 18:24.798 LOOK AT ALL THAT STUFF 18:24.798 --> 18:26.431 The winner of this year's contest was 18:26.431 --> 18:28.331 Jean O'Shields 18:28.331 --> 18:32.331 THIS IS OUR SESQUECENTENNIAL AND I FELT LIKE 150 YEARS AGO A LADY 18:32.331 --> 18:35.898 COULD HAVE COME RIGHT DOWN HERE AND WORN THIS HAT. 18:35.898 --> 18:39.764 People know peaches aren't native to Georgia 18:39.764 --> 18:43.398 THE SPANISH MONKS, THEY BROUGHT PEACHES OVER AND WERE 18:43.398 --> 18:46.631 DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AND WHEN SETTLERS CAME 18:46.631 --> 18:49.398 THERE WERE SO MANY PEACH TREES THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A 18:49.398 --> 18:52.198 NATIVE FRUIT AND SO IT BECAME THE PEACH STATE. 18:52.198 --> 18:56.364 The first Georgia Peach Festival was held in 1986 and today draws 18:56.364 --> 18:58.998 a crowd of Ten thousand people. 18:58.998 --> 19:01.898 One thing they come for is what Fort Valley claims is the 19:01.898 --> 19:04.664 largest peach cobbler in the world. 19:04.664 --> 19:07.598 Propane tanks actually fuel burners beneath the giant 19:07.598 --> 19:12.264 11-by-5 foot pan in front of the peach County Courthouse. 19:12.264 --> 19:14.998 Chef Rich Bennett and his crew start putting the dessert 19:14.998 --> 19:18.564 together at 5 a.m. for a 2 p.m. unveiling 19:18.564 --> 19:23.564 WE DIVIDED THE MIXTURE INTO SIX PARTS IN TRASH CANS, CLEAN TRASH 19:23.564 --> 19:28.664 CANS, AND MIXED IT UP WITH BOAT OAR and rakes. 19:28.664 --> 19:33.464 That mix includes 90 pounds of butter, 150 pounds of both flour 19:33.464 --> 19:39.131 and sugar, 32 gallons of milk and 75 gallons of fresh peaches 19:39.131 --> 19:40.798 from Lane packing Company 19:40.798 --> 19:42.464 THIS IS A FIRST FOR ME. 19:42.464 --> 19:45.031 I GET TO TRY FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME THE WORLD'S 19:45.031 --> 19:46.831 LARGEST PEACH COBBLER. 19:46.831 --> 19:49.264 FRESH OUT OF THE PAN. 19:49.264 --> 19:52.498 VERY HOT. 19:52.498 --> 19:54.498 IT'S HOT BUT IT'S GOOD. 19:54.498 --> 19:57.064 RICH, THINK YU'VE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT HERE 19:57.064 --> 20:00.098 The crew used five gallon buckets to dish out individual 20:00.098 --> 20:04.131 servings to a hungry crowd WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT? 20:04.131 --> 20:08.198 I JUST WONDER HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT SO BIG. 20:08.198 --> 20:11.031 IT'S REALLY GOOD 20:11.031 --> 20:12.898 THE COBBLER IS REAL GOOD. 20:12.898 --> 20:17.298 AND OF COURSE I'M WONDERING WHO FIGURED THE INGREDIENTS.AND HOW 20:17.298 --> 20:20.831 MUCH TO PUT PEACHES AND HOW MUCH OF THIS AND THAT AND THE OTHER. 20:20.831 --> 20:23.031 THEY DID A GOOD JOB. 20:23.031 --> 20:26.164 it's clear Georgia is proud of its peaches and peach County is 20:26.164 --> 20:28.698 pleased it can grow the fruit that gave this 20:28.698 --> 20:32.098 state its nickname! 20:32.098 --> 20:35.164 It may be hard to believe, but the peach is actually a member 20:35.164 --> 20:38.698 of the Rose Family and there's a bit of romance behind the name 20:38.698 --> 20:41.431 of one of the best known kind of peaches. 20:41.431 --> 20:45.664 In 1870, a Georgia peach farmer developed a new variety on his 20:45.664 --> 20:47.431 farm in Marshallville. 20:47.431 --> 20:51.698 He decided to name it in honor of his wife and the "Elberta" 20:51.698 --> 20:54.598 peach was born. 20:54.598 --> 20:57.964 WELL GEORGIA MAY BE SYNONYMOUS WITH THE PEACH, BUT YOU WILL 20:57.964 --> 21:01.064 FIND THEIR MOST IMPASSIONED ADVOCATE IN CALIFORNIA'S SAN 21:01.064 --> 21:02.531 JOAQUIN VALLEY. 21:02.531 --> 21:05.598 You'll nowmeet a farmer WHO'S BECOME THE POET LAUREATE OF 21:05.598 --> 21:09.331 PEACHES...AND TURNED SOME OF OUR SWEETEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES INTO 21:09.331 --> 21:12.131 A BEST-SELLING BOOK 21:12.131 --> 21:16.964 Here's an excerpt from Epithet for a Peach: "Suncrest is one of 21:16.964 --> 21:20.864 the last remaining truly juicy peaches when you wash that 21:20.864 --> 21:24.264 treasure under a stream of cooling water your fingertips 21:24.264 --> 21:28.298 instinctively search for the gushy side of the fruit, your 21:28.298 --> 21:32.098 mouth waters in anticipation, you lean over the sink to make 21:32.098 --> 21:36.564 sure you don't drip on yourself then you sink your teeth into 21:36.564 --> 21:40.764 the flesh and the juice trickles down your cheeks and dangles on 21:40.764 --> 21:42.331 you chin. 21:42.331 --> 21:46.164 This is a real bite, a primal act a magical sensory 21:46.164 --> 21:52.498 celebration announcing summer has arrived." 21:52.498 --> 21:58.864 Well I was born on this farm and my dad and mom had come back 21:58.864 --> 22:01.798 from the relocation camps after world war two. 22:01.798 --> 22:05.298 My grandparents immigrated from Japan at the turn of the century 22:05.298 --> 22:07.631 and were farm workers in this area. 22:07.631 --> 22:10.798 I decided like a lot of farm kids I didn't want to stay and I 22:10.798 --> 22:14.498 ran off to college and I ended up coming back. 22:14.498 --> 22:16.898 I BEGAN TO LISTEN TO MY NEIGHBORS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I 22:16.898 --> 22:19.898 WAS GOING TO LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW TO FARM AND UNDERSTANDING 22:19.898 --> 22:23.298 THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE LEARNED THROUGH GENERATIONS AND I BEGAN 22:23.298 --> 22:27.364 TO HEAR THEIR STORIES AND THEIR STORIES ATTRACTED ME . 22:27.364 --> 22:29.931 THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I FARM. 22:29.931 --> 22:33.731 I FARM FOR STORIES, I THINK EVERY YEAR, EVERY PEACH HAS A 22:33.731 --> 22:38.831 STORY IN IT SO I ENDED UP WRITING A BOOK ABOUT THIS 22:38.831 --> 22:41.698 WONDERFUL PEACH AND THEN A COUPLE MORE BOOKS 22:41.698 --> 22:43.498 ABOUT THE FARM. 22:43.498 --> 22:46.098 I think our family's realizing that we are 22:46.098 --> 22:48.531 becoming such an anomaly. 22:48.531 --> 22:51.764 A very small percentage of people live on the land, 22:51.764 --> 22:54.931 actually work the land and work it as a family. 22:54.931 --> 22:59.398 So in that sense we can think of ourselves as being very rare. 22:59.398 --> 23:02.364 I like to think of ourselves as being special. 23:02.364 --> 23:06.231 My daughter says she'd like to come back and take 23:06.231 --> 23:08.064 over the farm. 23:08.064 --> 23:12.198 I didn't realize how much a farm girl I really am until I got to 23:12.198 --> 23:17.064 UC Berkeley and I realized that walking on sidewalks was a new 23:17.064 --> 23:21.131 event for me because out here I walk barefoot on dirt 23:21.131 --> 23:22.431 all the time. 23:22.431 --> 23:26.531 I LOVE LEARNING AND STUDYING BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I WANT TO 23:26.531 --> 23:29.464 COME BACK AND WORK WITH MY DAD. 23:29.464 --> 23:32.031 HE WAS THE ONE WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRIVE A TRACTOR, HE WAS THE 23:32.031 --> 23:34.298 ONE WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRIVE A FORKLIFT. 23:34.298 --> 23:38.031 LAST SUMMER I LEARNED HOW TO WELD, AND ALL THOSE FATHER AND 23:38.031 --> 23:40.731 DAUGHTER MOMENTS ARE JUST SO TIED TO BEING ON THE FARM, I 23:40.731 --> 23:43.498 JUST CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE EVER ABANDONING THIS PLACE OR THIS 23:43.498 --> 23:45.698 WAY OF LIFE. 23:45.698 --> 23:48.898 Wonderfully there's a home for these kind of heirloom variety 23:48.898 --> 23:52.964 peaches and also a home and audience for the stories I write 23:52.964 --> 23:55.731 about the land and our family on the land. 23:55.731 --> 23:59.031 I'm not sure what the farm will look like 10 to 20 years from 23:59.031 --> 24:02.964 now and I would like to think stories still have a place. 24:02.964 --> 24:08.731 following a farm disaster like a storm that destroys a years work 24:08.731 --> 24:13.464 a joke starts to circulate in the farming community, farmer to 24:13.464 --> 24:18.364 farmer, farm to farm, like good humor it makes all of us smile 24:18.364 --> 24:24.131 even just a little as we grapple with the grief from a disaster 24:24.131 --> 24:28.998 the story goes like this, they did an autopsy on an old farmer 24:28.998 --> 24:36.131 and when they opened him up they found he was full of next years. 24:36.131 --> 24:42.798 I feel like an old farmer full of next years. 24:42.798 --> 24:46.164 I will tell you firsthand, these plump, juicy, delicious peaches 24:46.164 --> 24:49.964 they do bring back some of my sweetest childhood memories. 24:49.964 --> 24:51.564 And I can't wait to bite into one. 24:51.564 --> 24:53.364 So I want to thank you for joining us today. 24:53.364 --> 24:56.731 And we hope you'll come along next time when we discover more 24:56.731 --> 24:59.731 great farms, families, and their fascinating stories... 24:59.731 --> 25:01.731 in America's Heartland. 25:01.731 --> 25:09.164 I'm Paul Ryan and I will see you next time. 25:09.164 --> 25:11.731 To learn more about this edition of America's Heartland, or to 25:11.731 --> 25:16.498 give us your feedback, visit americasheartland - dot - org. 25:16.498 --> 25:20.498 To order a copy of this broadcast, visit us online or 25:20.498 --> 25:25.398 call 1-888-814-3923. 25:25.398 --> 25:33.431 The cost is 14.95 plus shipping. 25:33.431 --> 25:40.998 You can see it in the eyes of every woman and man an America's 25:40.998 --> 25:45.298 Heartland living close to the land. 25:45.298 --> 25:51.398 There's a love for the country and a pride in the brand in 25:51.398 --> 26:00.998 America's Heartland living close, close to the land. 26:00.998 --> 26:04.864 "America's Heartland is made possible by... 26:04.864 --> 26:09.531 They make up a small part of our population. 26:09.531 --> 26:12.998 But have a huge impact on our lives. 26:12.998 --> 26:15.364 They take business risks that few others would 26:15.364 --> 26:17.998 tolerate all on our behalf. 26:17.998 --> 26:23.031 They're American farmers who feed, fuel and clothe the world. 26:23.031 --> 26:27.498 Monsanto would like to recognize them for all they do, for the 26:27.498 --> 26:32.131 rest of us, because ultimately our success and everyone else's 26:32.131 --> 26:35.064 depends on theirs 26:35.064 --> 26:38.098 "...and by the American Farm Bureau Federation - 26:38.098 --> 26:41.431 the voice of agriculture."