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>>Hi I'm Jason Shoultz.
At no other time in history
have you had such a myriad
of choices when it comes to
the food you eat.
Just ahead, we'll clue you
in on some growing food
trends affecting you and
your family.
Organic foods are on the
shopping list
for many consumers.
You'll meet some California
farmers staking their future on
organic farming and "community
supported agriculture".
Ever wonder about those
"gluten free"
labels you see on products?
We'll answer some questions
about gluten in your diet
and take you to Nebraska
where one farmer is cashing
in on gluten free flour.
Then, one Virginia school
system takes an active
approach to helping students
eat healthier...
while benefitting local
farmers.
Let's find out about the food on
your table...
just ahead on America's
Heartland.
You havin' a good mornin'?
Yeah.
Yeah?
♪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 going to spend a
little time at a one of a kind
dinner on a farm right here in
Northern California.
I'll tell you all about that in
just a moment.
You know, we've all known for a
long time that eating the right
foods can help to improve
your health.
And there's a good deal of
concern about childhood obesity.
But it's not always easy to
make a direct connection to
a specific diet or food
group as being better for you.
Organic?
Gluten Free?
Many people, however, are
making food decisions
they consider to be beneficial.
And some of those decisions
start right on the farm.
Diners have shown up
by the dozens for
a unique event called
"Outstanding in the Field"
Calling itself "a restaurant
without walls",
the event sets up tables in
farm fields and barns-
serving up gourmet meals
with local ingredients
prepared by celebrated
regional chefs.
The aim is to re-connect diners
to the land and the origins of
their food by honoring local
farmers and food artisans.
>>You know, agriculture has
the word culture in it and, uh
that's something... culture's
powerful and if people can
access that and understand
it and meet the people who
are doing that work,
it's substantial,
it's inspiring and it tastes
good.
So, it's good... You can't beat
that.
>>To get out and actually cook
outside and meet people and
talk and just be out.
You know we're surrounded by
fig orchards and stone fruit.
The squash we're using
today was ground here
and it's cool, like,
where did you get that?
Over there.
You know, isn't that fun?
And you know it's really
cool to do that.
The meat provider, his ranch
is going to be here,
my fish provider, the ranch
is going to be here today.
You know there's a big
connection.
I can point to everybody that
provided the food today and
that's fun.
>>From May through November,
"Outstanding in the Field"
will host more than
80 such dinners
in the U.S. and overseas.
After a tour of the host farm,
diners, culinary artisans,
farmers and growers sit down to
dinner...
sharing the bounty
on the long table.
The dinner, tonight, is
being hosted here at the
Capay Organic farm in
northern California.
Organic farming has seen a
double digit growth in the
past ten years and the number of
organic farming operations in
the U.S. has more than doubled
since the early 1990's.
For the farmers here, the
mission is not only growing
organic produce... it's getting
those crops to consumers.
♪♪
It's a celebration of the
tomato.
Here at Capay Organic Farm
in Northern California.
Complete with tomato
tasting!
>>I didn't realize there were
going to be this many varieties.
I was blown away.
Some were just incredibly
sweet.
Some were tart or acidic.
Just full of flavor.
>>There's just a lot of
nuances in the flavors.
I've never noticed that
before.
And it's a really great
experience
to be able to do
that.
Spend the day out here and
get to taste the complexities.
>>The farm's tomato festival is
an annual event at the Capay
Farm.
It draws more than a
thousand folks who show up
for tomatoes, tasting and
tunes.
♪♪
The Capay farm folks have
good reason to celebrate
their bright red tomatoes.
Like the vines they grow on,
the tomatoes are deeply
intertwined with this farm
family's success.
How long will these produce
fruit?
>>So the harvest window is
like eight weeks.
So it'll be kind of- the first
week is not very much
and then it slowly ramps up.
>>Thaddeus Barsotti is the
chief farmer here.
His parents Kathleen
Barsotti and Martin Barnes
started this farm in 1976.
They created a Community
Supported Agriculture program
in 1992 to sell produce.
When the couple divorced
Kathy took ownership.
>>The rumor is that my dad saw
some thrown away heirloom
tomatoes in the dumpster of
a food service provider.
And he said, wow, those are
cool looking tomatoes.
Grabbed them and saved
some seeds
and we planted a few
rows of them..
We grew ten acres in '99
and my mom said,
"You know, Thad, I think I can
sell twenty acres of these
tomatoes but I just don't
have the energy to do them,
to plant them and harvest
them and take care of them all."
I was in college and I said,
"you know mom,
plant the twenty acres,
I'll come back and help
you that summer."
That was actually the summer
my mom passed away,
she was sick, she had breast
cancer so I took the farm
over that summer with the
twenty acres of tomatoes and
we've been growing the
program ever since.
And so now we manage
just over a hundred acres of
heirloom tomatoes.
>>Every week she would do a
recipe and news about the farm.
And in 2000 she kind of
introduced Noah,
Thaddeus and I, you know, we
still have that final farm
news she wrote,
um, introducing us and saying,
"Hey your quality of
the produce delivered
right to your homes is going
to stay the same
and they're going to
continue it on."
And I think
that's been an important
part too is that
she past away,
the four of us really bonded
together and said hey,
we're going to take this to
the next level.
>>We were definitely left for
the choice of
"Do we want to keep the
business going or not?"
And we unanimously decided no,
we're going to keep this going.
>>Since taking over, Thaddeus,
Noah and Freeman have taken
the farm to a size that
they admit
their mother could not have
imagined.
Besides selling produce
wholesale and to
restaurants, today they
operate the largest
Community Supported Agriculture
program, or CSA, in the country.
Customers pay for deliveries
of fresh produce
directly to their home.
They deliver in Northern and
Southern California.
>>We're delivering throughout
California's most
populated areas.
And I think the key is to really
support local
and support organic.
It's going to be seasonal
and it's going to be as local as
possible.
>>The family works with other
organic farmers across the state
to make sure the CSA produce
deliveries have various options.
The brothers admit that
becoming the largest CSA in
the country with 500
employees and farm properties
across the state was not their
parent's original plan.
>>I really kind of wonder what
she'd think.
You know, she had some amazing
ideas that we're still doing
the same business model that she
developed in 1992.
Um... we're growing
the same crops
with the same home delivery
concept.
We're just... took her basic
concept and just expanded
the distribution and the
size.
And so, really I think that
if she looked at us today
she would see her
fingerprints everywhere.
>>They believe that working
despite their size,
working together as a family
and with other farms ensures
they are sticking to their
parent's original mission.
The family holds on to the
belief that directly connecting
with customers is key to their
family's farming future.
>>So our children, are growing
up on the farm we're
wondering how they're going
to fit in. The reality is
is that we've taken a great
thing our parents started and
we're delivering it to more
people
The real challenge is when
our kids get it, you know,
what are they going to do
with it?
So we're thinking a lot
about that and watching the
kids and realizing that you
know,
they need to have good work
ethic and understand how it
works so when they get it,
it's going to stick around
for them to give to their
kids.
♪♪
>>While California leads the
nation in the number of
organic farms in the U.S.,
several other states have
ramped up organic production
as well.
They include Wisconsin,
Washington State, New York,
Maine, Minnesota, and Iowa.
♪♪
>>The demand for locally grown
foods has sparked
a dramatic growth in
farmers markets.
There were some 1,700 across the
country in the early 1990's.
By 2013 that number had
grown to more than 8 thousand.
Food trends are ever
changing.
You'll see many more organic
products today and that's
also true for products
labeled "gluten free."
We'll run down some details
on gluten, but first
Sarah Gardner takes us to
Nebraska where gluten-free flour
is the cash crop for one
farm family.
♪♪
>>Getting a crop to market
involves harvest time in the
field for most farmers.
That's true for Gerald
Simonsen and his son, Brian,
but for this crop there's
another step in the process.
>>Well how many different states
do we have going out today?
>>We've got South Carolina,
Wyoming,
eight to Montana, California.
>>This year we're on track to
ship about 95 thousand bushels.
>>These 25 pound buckets contain
food grade sorghum flour,
a wheat flour
substitute.
Sorghum flour is used to
make breads,
cakes and baked goods for
those with Celiac Disease.
The disease affects people
whose digestive systems
have difficulty handling the
protein glutens
found in wheat, barley and rye.
>>This is what the flour looks
like.
It's a little.. got a little
more of a yellow tint
than say white wheat flour.
But as far as texture and
consistency,
it's very close to white
wheat flour.
A lot of people... everyone
knows whole wheat flour is
healthier for you, better for
you, than white wheat.
But most people prefer white
wheat and our customers
are looking for, they miss white
wheat flour.
They want something as close to
that as they can possibly get.
>>Neither Gerald nor his wife
Julie suffer from Celiac disease
but a growing demand for the
flour alternative has provided
them with an opportunity to
expand their sorghum operation.
It has also generated
positive feedback from their
customers across the
country.
>>Every once in a while we'll
get a letter that will say
"I made pancakes for my husband
and he hasn't had pancakes
for seven years and he was
thrilled."
Or somebody who made a
birthday caked for their
daughter who was diagnosed
or people will tell us...
sometimes you get on
phone calls,
it's hard to get off them
because people will tell you
they're newly diagnosed.
>>Well roughtly sixty percent of
our customer base is people who
have Celiac Sprue or another
wheat intolerance.
Well this looks like it's
coming up pretty good.
There's a few blank spots.
But, for the most part, it's
in good shape.
>>Gerald and Brian are
inspecting the fields on the
3,500 acres Gerald shares
with his brother.
To conserve water and reduce
erosion,
they use the no-till method
of planting where old
sorghum stocks are allowed
to become compost for new crops,
in this case soybeans.
>>This residue, compost or
whatever you want to call it,
it's great for growing
crops.
And your microbial activity,
the insects and all the
natural things occur when
you don't till the land.
>>Their recently planted sorghum
crop has just broken through.
At maturity the stalks will
stand as tall as corn,
and their tops will bristle
with hundreds of seeds.
>>It has a bushy head and the
seed is all completely exposed.
There's no sheath on it or
husk like what you would
have with wheat or barley.
>>Seeds from the stalks are what
Gerald grinds into flour.
Frist using a stone mill and
then a sifter, separating
the flour from the abrasive
particles known as grits.
But, nothing is wasted.
The grits are used as a high
protein livestock feed.
Gerald is a fourth
generation Nebraska farmer
continuing a heritage his
great grandfather started
when he planted milo, an
older name for sorghum.
>>My granddad was one of the
first people to start
growing milo around here
back about 1929.
And we've been growing it
ever since.
>>Whether the Simonsen children
continue
the farming legacy is still
uncertain.
It's a question asked in many
households across the heartland.
For Brian, there's no
definite answer yet.
>>Well, there's a lot of other
things that I'd like to do,
but being out here it's kind
of hard to say no.
>>Ya know, there's people who
say the last thing they'd do
is encourage their son to
stay on the farm.
And other people who want
nothing more.
And I think that choice has
got to be with Brian.
>>Grown on millions of acres
from Texas and Oklahoma
through the Dakotas, sorghum's
need for less water than some
other crops makes it a popular
choice for many farmers.
Livestock feed and ethanol
production provide possible
markets, but the Simonsens
say the plant...
as a food source... is important
for the nation.
>>Oh, I see big increases for
the food sorghum industry
in general.
Ya know, we're not getting
rich,
but the business is growing
and it's hold its own.
♪♪
>>Sorghum comes originally
from Africa and...
in many regions.... was grown...
primarily...
as a source of syrup for
sugar.
But production really flourished
when it was discovered that
sorghum could grow in
arid regions
and be used as animal feed.
>>You'll see the "gluten free"
label on everything from
meats to beverages these
days, so let's give you a bit
more information on gluten and
how it may impact you.
♪♪
Hi, my name is Rose Mendonca
and I have a question
about agriculture.
I see "Gluten Free" on lots
of food products at the
supermarket these days.
I'm not quite sure what
"gluten" is... where it comes
from or just what kind of
role it plays in the food I eat.
>>Understanding gluten and
discovering whether some
foods have gluten requires a
little homework...
so let's give you the basics.
Now there's nothing wrong
with gluten by itself.
It's simply a natural
protein composite that
you'll find in foods
processed from wheat or
other grains like barley
or rye.
Gluten helps to make your
favorite bread chewy by
giving texture and
elasticity to the dough.
You'll find gluten in breakfast
cereals and baked goods.
But gluten is also widely
used as a thickener in foods,
a flavor enhancer,
even a protein supplement -
which means you'll find
gluten in everything from
soups and gravies, to salad
dressings,
dairy products...
even liquors.
So...why are you seeing
"Gluten Free" on product labels?
It has to do with lots more
consumer information coming
your way these days from
farmers and food processors.
And it ties to the effect that
gluten can have on some folks.
A small segment of the
population...
estimated at one half to one
percent...
suffers from something called
celiac disease.
Gluten can trigger things
like stomach disorders,
joint pain or headaches.
And some other people may
have gluten "intolerance"
not associated with the
disease.
So, what about food choices
without gluten?
That includes foods made
from corn, rice, soy,
buckwheat or sorghum and
sorghum flour.
But remember that even some
beverages can contain gluten.
So be aware of that when you
raise your glass.
♪♪
>>Well my name is Kent Bradford
and my work is involved
in seed biology,
seed production and related
to improving crop varieties
for production in
agriculture.
It is true that seeds are
little miracles,
that's certainly true.
This is a wild tomato
species...
In a very real sense seeds
are critical to our future.
...not all of our agriculture
but a very large fraction of our
agriculture depends upon being
able to reproduce seeds annually
Wow, this is nice...
The seeds that are used by
farmers to grow crop have to
be produced every year or at
most every other year to
provide good quality seed
...and efficient agriculture
requires uniform crops that
germinate quickly and
establish quickly and grow
rapidly.
We need to be
improving crops because
the environment, the tests,
the markets
and so on are changing
all the time.
For example, the size of
watermelons has shrunk
recently from large
watermelons that used to be
the case to the small
personal watermelons.
And that's all done by
developing new varieties
that appeal to consumers.
We have so many new tools that
we didn't have in previous
years.
In the last 20 years certainly
our ability to understand the
basis of traits that we want
have improved enormously.
Its as if it's a GPS for
breeders.
I think if someone is looking
for a career in plant science,
this area of plant breeding and
seeds is a great place to be.
Its really the intersection
between the technology
and the practical aspect.
They way to think about
seeds in agriculture these days,
in a sense, they're
the microchip.
They're the heart.
You plant a seed and that
carries all of the traits,
all the efforts that the
breeders have put together.
...and the more that we can
do that,
the less we have to
add later.
The less fertilizer we have
to add later,
the less pesticide we have
to use to control diseases.
The ability to now feed 6
1/2 billion people is
largely due to plant
breeding.
Clearly as we go towards
9 billion people
in the next 30 years,
we're going to need to
double food production again
and we simply cant do that
without improved varieties.
♪♪
>>You know, we mentioned
childhood obesity
at the start of the show...
Many communities have kicked
off programs
that aim to help youngsters eat
healthier.
That includes better
information about food
choices and menu changes for
things like school lunches.
Let's take you to Virginia
where one school district
has combined that effort with a
program to benefit local farmers
♪♪
The kitchen is bustling this
early morning at Smithland
Elementary School in
Harrisonburg, Virginia.
And while the lunch ladies
chop, mix and bake.
A visitor shows up at the
kitchen.
>>You havin' a good mornin'?
>>Local farmer Marlon
Showalter drops by the
kitchen with bins of bib
lettuce ready for chopping.
Showalter sells about 300
cases of hydroponic
greenhouse-grown lettuce to
area schools each week.
The stuff that you just brought
in today, when was that picked?
>>Well actually this was
harvested this morning.
>>Really?
>>Uh, yeah it was.
>>The lettuce gets turned
into salad
and is among the locally grown
lunch choices
that the staff and students here
are proud of.
>>We've always had the goal to
make our meals healthier so
for the past several years
we've done a lot of things
like increasing fresh fruits
and vegetables and whole grains,
lowering fat, eliminating fried
foods, things like that.
So the next logical step for
us was to think about trying to
get an even fresher product to
students when we can.
>>The schools effort is part
of a statewide initiative in
Virginia to help schools buy
more lunch ingredients
regionally.
These are Virginia apples
here?
>>They are yes, and Virginia
apples are available to
Virginia schools through
most of the school year.
They hold very well in cold
storage, so...
>>Is this Marlon's lettuce right
here?
>>That is some of Marlon's and
some from another farmer who
grows Romaine lettuce so
we've got a mix there of
Bibb and Romaine, both grown
locally,
and they are grown in
greenhouses.
>>This reminds me of the lunch
time line they served up
everything in a little
ice-cream scooper,
a lunch lady's favorite
thing.
It is portion-control and this
is a
good thing especially in our
country where we eat too much.
So I know.
We sort of have that bad
connotation of the-
Lunch lady with the-
>>That is not that.
No, this gives us the
correct portion for students.
These are homemade
yeast rolls
and we're using a blend
of 50-50.
It's 50-50 blend of whole
wheat flour which is milled.
It's a local wheat milled
locally as well as a bread
flour that we get through a
USDA commodities.
So the rolls are half local.
>>I see a lot of local
products here today.
Now obviously that's
not necessarily
the case all the time, right?
It can't be.
>>It can't be. That's right,
that's right.
We are serving about 3,500
meals a day in our division.
So when we think about he
volume of food that we use
it would be difficult to get
all of it local and still be
able to give kids lunch.
>>The biggest challenge to any
locally grown effort is the
weather.
Mid-Winter in Virginia means
little growing outside.
The school district is
hoping to purchase
10 percent of their lunch
ingredients locally.
Right now it's about
5 percent.
But turning to non-weather
dependent choices
is also an option.
Not too far away in the
small town of
Charlottesville another food
producer is a seeing
positive impact from
school's efforts to buy locally.
The historic Wade's Mill uses
stone grinders to produce flour.
The school purchases wheat for
bread products from Wade's Mill.
>>It does benefit the bottom
line and we're pleased to
see it because the schools
are not only using local
produce but they're teaching
the kids,
the children more about
nutitional value of what
they're eating and where it
comes from, who is producing it.
What it all means to the
local economy.
>>Improving school lunches has
gotten national attention as
childhood obesity continues
to grow in the US.
>>What was the favorite thing
on your tray?
The spaghetti? Good, okay.
>>Chris Shipman from Standard
Produce in Charlottesville,
Virginia say incorporating
regionally grown into
established distribution
channels is possible.
>>So we have to supplement
what we do have locally with
what we can pull out of the
California area,
the Florida area and then as
spring starts we start
moving up the east coast so
the things that we are
buying are getting closer
and closer to Virginia until
we move into around June 1st
is when we'll really start
into a lot of Virginia
product.
>>And back in the lunchroom,
Andrea Early says
buying fresh produce is just
one piece
of a larger puzzle to get
kids to eat healthier.
>>Food manufacturers have
really done a good job of
stepping up to the plate to
reduce sodium, reduce fat,
make those foods still taste
good and things that kids like,
but make them a little
bit healthier version.
>>Thank you.
>>You're welcome. You have a
great afternoon.
>>Another advantage to buying
locally grown- the kids not only
get to eat the food, they get to
meet the farmer who grows it!
>>Y'all have any questions?
>>Farmers in the classroom and
their products in the cafeteria.
A good lesson for kids who may
never plant seeds or till the
soil but will have a lifelong
reliance on those who do.
We've talked a lot about
food and food choices.
Just a reminder that we have
lots of great recipes on our
website along with video
from this and all of our shows.
Log on to
AmericasHeartland.org
And of course, 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.
You can purchase a DVD or
Blu Ray copy of this program.
Here's the cost:
To order, just visit us
online or call 888-814-3923.
♪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 -
Financing agriculture and rural
America since 1916.
Farm Credit is
cooperatively owned by America's
farmers and ranchers.
Learn more at farmcredit.com
CropLife America -
Representing the companies whose
modern farming innovations help
America's farmers provide
nutritious food for communities
around the globe.
