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America's Heartland 
is made possible by

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The United Soybean Board 
whose "Common Ground"

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program creates 
conversations to help

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consumers get the facts 
about farming and food.

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There's more at: 
findourcommonground.com.

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The American Farm Bureau 
Foundation for Agriculture.

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Dedicated to building 
greater awareness and

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understanding of agriculture 
through education and

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engagement.

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More information at: 
agfoundation.org.

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Farm Credit - financing 
agriculture and rural

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America since 1916.

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Farm Credit is cooperatively 
owned by America's farmers

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and ranchers.

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Learn more at 
farmcredit.com

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The Fund for Agriculture 
Education - A fund created

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by KVIE to support

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America's Heartland programming.

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Contributors include 
the following -

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Hi, I'm Kristen Simoes.

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Come on along as we take 
you on a livestock roundup.

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We'll travel the wide open 
spaces of Montana

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with a rancher who is moving 
thousands of sheep

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from summer pasture to their 
winter grazing lands.

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Hi I'm Jason Shoultz, When 
your farming operation

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is directly tied to the housing 
market or retail sales,

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a bumpy economy can put 
you out of business.

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Coming up I'll introduce you 
to an Alabama farmer who is

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working to keep his business 
alive and defying the odds.

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I'm Sarah Gardner.

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We're off to New England 
this time for a sweet story

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on juicy, red apples.

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We'll meet a New Hampshire 
farming family

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whose orchards date back 
more than a century.

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I'm Rob Stewart and we're 
taking you to Arkansas

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for a soybean harvest story.

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You're going to meet 
a family whose investment

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in technology is helping 
to keep food costs down for you.

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It's all coming up next 
right here

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on America's Heartland.

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

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♪ in America's Heartland 
living close to the land. ♪

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♪ There's a love 
for the country ♪

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♪ and a pride in the brand ♪

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♪ in America's Heartland 
living close, ♪

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♪close to the land ♪

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♪

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If you're a 
livestock rancher,

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tending the stock 
can be a 24 hour a day job.

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And here in Montana, 
for one raching family

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it also means they have to do 
a little traveling

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in caring for their flock.

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It's a beautiful place 
to spend your summer.

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John Helle knows this part 
of the country very well.

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I can remember as a kid 
coming in here

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with my grandfather 
and then with my father

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and now to bring my family.

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John is a third generation 
sheep rancher.

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Each year, John and his 
family will spend a week,

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both at the beginning and 
the end of the summer,

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herding thousands 
of lambs and ewes.

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This part of the sheep drive 
will take the animals across

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40 miles of rugged terrain 
in Montana's

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Gravelly Mountain Range.

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The five day journey 
has John and other family

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members, on horseback, 
moving the sheep

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from summer pasture 
to fall and winter grazing.

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Well, It's just a form 
of camping out

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in a wilderness situation.

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It's the quiet and the solitude 
just being able to enjoy

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being away from the rat race of 
the cities and towns.

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But managing the family's 
livestock involves more

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than just the roundup.

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Cayo is one of the Peruvian 
herders hired to oversee

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the grazing animals.

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He calls this tin roofed 
caravan home during his time

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in the mountains.

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It's quite a nomadic type job.

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And it takes; it takes a 
special person to do it.

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And, ah, we just really love 
our Peruvian herders

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that we have and how valuable 
they are to our operation.

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This is a pretty good opertion.

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How many sheep do you have 
and what does that entail.

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Describe to me how 
you get them all

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from point A to point B?

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They're in four separate 
bands and there are four

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separate allotments up here.

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And there's no fences.

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They're herded by a sheep herder

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And he'll have dogs and 
guard dogs and working dogs

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and two horses at camp.

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He'll have an allotment, 
which is an area

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that is specific 
for that band of sheep.

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Predators are a big 
challenge too.

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There are bears in all 
of these little groves of trees

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up here.

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And then the sheep go in them 
during the day to shade

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and the bears are in there.

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But the guard dogs do real well 
against the bears.

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Evan Helle's summer has been 
focused on helping his dad

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with the sheep.

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He's taught me a lot about 
how you got to

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get the job done.

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And what's you get the 
job done you can finish.

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And there's a lot of people 
don't understand that's it's

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up as soon as the light is up 
and then we're done

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as soon as it's dark.

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And on this drive school 
had just begun again for Evan.

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It was days on horseback 
and evenings doing homework.

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The Helle's herd will be 
sold for both meat and wool.

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The wool goes to markets 
in Italy, India,

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Mexico, and China.

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Some of the fabric is 
fashioned into uniforms

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for American service men 
and women.

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They're a big consumer 
of American wool.

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We've worked with them in 
providing specific

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combat uniform products.

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Like the t-shirt 
I'm wearing today.

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It's 100 percent wool.

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We really take a lot 
of pride in our livestock

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that we raise.

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And want to make sure 
that people know that

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we raise them in 
a very sustainable

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and a healthy way.

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And we want the image and 
that very wholesome product

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brought back to the consumer.

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What better way to raise lamb 
than up here in these mountains

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and on fresh natural feed.

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And We love our product too.

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But it's not all work 
on their yearly drives.

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The Helles view their 
wilderness trek

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as a "Family reunion".

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The burritos will be 
a treat I hope.

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Spending their evenings 
enjoying some of grandma's

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home cooking.

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They're really hungry, so 
they enjoy good cooking.

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They enjoy whatever you 
prepare really

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Do you guys always eat this well 
when you're out here?

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Yeah well, 
when we have a cook!

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It's great when grandma 
can come up and cook.

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I remember cooking for crews 
when we were doing different

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things ever since I was little.

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And she would always be 
in the camp area cooking up

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a big meal for us.

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She always said it's like 
herding cats it's when

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we try to help cook.

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Little has changed 
in the decades that the Helles

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have been raising sheep- 
keeping alive a tradition

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that binds 
the generations together.

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Like any family business 
it's real rewarding

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to be able to work 
with your family.

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I'm planning on coming back 
and running the ranch.

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This is the one thing I love 
to do and I can't see myself

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doing anything else.

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On average, ranchers will 
get about 8 pounds of wool

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from each sheep during 
shearing season.

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And call it: 
"Wool goes to Washington."

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President Woodrow Wilson 
grazed sheep

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on the White House lawn 
during World War One.

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They not only 
trimmed the grass,

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their wool was auctioned off 
with the proceeds

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going to 
the American Red Cross.

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Whether it's a farmers 
market or the produce section

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of your favorite grocery store,

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apples are one of the most 
popular fruits in the world.

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After all, who doesn't love 
applesauce, apple fritters,

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apple pie or apple cider?

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Well, here in New Hampshire, 
apples are also a major part

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of an historic harvest.

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From Gravenstein to Golden 
Delicious MacIntosh

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to Macoun with forty 
different varieties,

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this may well be New 
England's epicenter of apples.

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Welcome to Applecrest 
Farms in New Hampshire.

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On this brilliant fall weekend,

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thousands of apple lovers 
are gathering to enjoy some

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guitar and banjo pickin' 
then heading to the orchards

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to do a little pickin' 
of their own.

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Go slow.

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Pick the good ones.

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It's become a tradition 
for hundreds of families

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throughout New England.

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I've been doing it for 
years, it's a blast.

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Been coming here since I was 
a kid so it's always fun,

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just a good time.

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This is actually 
my third time here.

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And this is my first 
time for riding a pony!

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From pony rides to pumpkins 
to pie-eating contests.

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To stuffing your face with 
roasted corn-on-the-cob

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or stuffing a scarecrow.

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It's all part of the yearly 
Applecrest Fall Festival,

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an event dating back 
nearly four decades.

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This is just such 
a typical New England event,

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to go apple picking.

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I love it!

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This land that you see 
has been farmed for hundreds

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of years.

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Todd Wagner grew up 
on Applecrest farms.

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It was purchased by Todd's 
grandfather back in the 1950's.

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But its roots go back to 
1913 when a New Englander

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named Walter Farmer planted 
the very first apple trees.

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Farmer raised chickens in 
these coops while he waited

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seven years for the trees 
to mature and bear fruit.

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The trees that you see here 
are part of the original

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planting back in 1913.

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So 100 years, and still 
as you can see

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an pretty incredible crop.

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That's a nice crop in here 
look at the size of those apples

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Though Todd and his dad 
Peter grew up here,

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both spent years 
away from the farm -

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Peter in business, 
Todd as a filmmaker.

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But something drew them back 
to a lifestyle they missed

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more than they knew.

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My wife and I thought about it,

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and said that's not a bad way 
to bring up a family,

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it's not a bad way 
to live a life.

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Being outdoors and doing what 
you want to do

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and feeding the world 
with apples.

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I live in the house 
that my grandparents lived in

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and I like that connection 
to the history and it gives you

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a sense of place, and 
it's pretty cool.

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Continuing the agricultural 
tradition of Applecrest farms

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means adopting new strategies,

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and finding ways to profit 
beyond simply growing apples.

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The Wagners still produce 
thousands of bushels

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for retail sale, but actually 
reduced the size

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of the orchards - 
replanting many acres

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with two dozen different 
kinds of fruits and vegetables.

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In addition, it meant "growing" 
their "agritourism" business.

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Things like their fall 
festival which provides

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a steady source of revenue 
unaffected by uncertain

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commodity prices.

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I can't imagine 
my grandfather or grandmother

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could have ever imagined 
back then that those festivals

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are really that keep us afloat.

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Like most 
pick-it-yourself farms,

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Applecrest has some food 
favorites that draw folks back

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every year. 
Cider donuts made fresh daily.

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Home-made ice cream.

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Fresh apple cider.

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And, oh, those apple pies!

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I think it's like a 
second home for me.

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I've been here forever.

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Meet Evelyn Tuttle 
and Gertrude Eaton.

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The two sisters haven't 
really been here forever

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just 60 years for Evelyn 
and 45 for Gertrude!

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Talk about roots!

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Their dad was Walter Farmer, 
the original owner

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00:11:56,533 --> 00:11:59,600
who planted the farm's 
first apple tree.

249
00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,266
Every fall for the 
last quarter-century,

250
00:12:02,266 --> 00:12:05,366
Gert and Evelyn 
have baked close to 500 pies

251
00:12:05,366 --> 00:12:06,700
each weekend.

252
00:12:06,700 --> 00:12:09,433
Close to 200-thousand in all!

253
00:12:09,433 --> 00:12:11,233
So what's it like working 
with your sister

254
00:12:11,233 --> 00:12:12,966
day in and day out 
all these years?

255
00:12:12,966 --> 00:12:17,266
Oh, fine, I mean we don't fight.

256
00:12:17,266 --> 00:12:22,166
Once in a while we do, 
but not very often!

257
00:12:22,166 --> 00:12:23,400
So do you eat pie at home?

258
00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:29,400
No probably we should say yes!

259
00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,566
Gert and Evelyn 
It's incredible what they do.

260
00:12:31,566 --> 00:12:34,100
They're intricately entwined 
into the fabric

261
00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:35,766
of this farm and this land,

262
00:12:35,766 --> 00:12:41,500
and they give their heart 
and soul to this place.

263
00:12:41,500 --> 00:12:44,366
Such loyalty and longevity 
aren't hard to find

264
00:12:44,366 --> 00:12:45,400
here on the farm.

265
00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,333
Yeah Chris has been here, 
what six?

266
00:12:47,333 --> 00:12:48,700
Yeah six years here.

267
00:12:48,700 --> 00:12:51,266
As the Wagners celebrate 
their farm's centennial,

268
00:12:51,266 --> 00:12:54,300
they cherish their own 
family bonds and celebrate

269
00:12:54,300 --> 00:12:56,933
the traditions they help 
other families create.

270
00:12:56,933 --> 00:12:59,500
We have a couple of people 
who have been engaged,

271
00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:00,500
they were married here.

272
00:13:00,500 --> 00:13:02,833
And now they bring 
their kids here.

273
00:13:02,833 --> 00:13:07,733
We've got grandmothers 
with their kids and their kids.

274
00:13:07,733 --> 00:13:09,866
We've had four generations 
before.

275
00:13:09,866 --> 00:13:14,266
And they all, they say 
thank you for still being here,

276
00:13:14,266 --> 00:13:15,500
thank you so much.

277
00:13:15,500 --> 00:13:17,900
And that's our intention, 
that's what we want to be here.

278
00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:23,100
We want to be here forever 
and that's a hard thing to say.

279
00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:24,200
Forever is a long time.

280
00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:31,066
We want this farm 
to keep on going.

281
00:13:31,066 --> 00:13:32,666
Want to learn a new word?

282
00:13:32,666 --> 00:13:36,366
The science of growing 
apples is called "pomology"

283
00:13:36,366 --> 00:13:38,433
The bright red fruit 
is fat free,

284
00:13:38,433 --> 00:13:42,733
sodium free and cholesterol free 
with a medium apple weighing in

285
00:13:42,733 --> 00:13:44,533
at only 80 calories.

286
00:13:44,533 --> 00:13:47,933
And did you know that apples 
are a member of the rose family?

287
00:13:47,933 --> 00:13:50,100
Hi I'm Jason Shoultz.

288
00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:52,333
Still ahead I'll introduce 
you to an Alabama farmer

289
00:13:52,333 --> 00:13:54,900
who's diversifying his 
business to stay alive

290
00:13:54,900 --> 00:13:56,733
when times are tough.

291
00:13:56,733 --> 00:13:58,266
I'm Rob Stewart and 
still ahead on America's

292
00:13:58,266 --> 00:14:00,466
Heartland, We'll take you 
to Arkansas where one farm

293
00:14:00,466 --> 00:14:03,366
family is racing the clock 
to bring in their crop

294
00:14:03,366 --> 00:14:04,933
of soybeans.

295
00:14:14,466 --> 00:14:16,066
Do you know your beans?

296
00:14:16,066 --> 00:14:19,900
Pinto, black, refried, 
green beans, kidney beans.

297
00:14:19,900 --> 00:14:22,333
You'll find them canned, 
dried or even frozen

298
00:14:22,333 --> 00:14:23,800
in your grocery aisle

299
00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:25,166
But what are the differences,

300
00:14:25,166 --> 00:14:27,533
where are they grown 
and how do they stack up

301
00:14:27,533 --> 00:14:28,700
nutritionally?

302
00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:31,400
There are tens of thousands 
of varieties of beans

303
00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,933
but you won't find all of them 
in your local store.

304
00:14:33,933 --> 00:14:37,300
But depending on your dish, 
there is likely a bean

305
00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:38,933
to suit your needs!

306
00:14:38,933 --> 00:14:40,100
Mexican food?

307
00:14:40,100 --> 00:14:43,266
Try black, pinto 
or refried beans.

308
00:14:43,266 --> 00:14:45,400
Most refried beans 
that you'll find in cans

309
00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:47,433
come from pinto beans.

310
00:14:47,433 --> 00:14:50,500
And the "re" doesn't mean 
they are fried twice!

311
00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:54,133
It comes from the Spanish 
prefix "re" meaning well

312
00:14:54,133 --> 00:14:55,866
or well fried.

313
00:14:55,866 --> 00:14:57,900
Green beans are mainly 
grown in Wisconsin,

314
00:14:57,900 --> 00:15:01,100
western New York, and Oregon 
and can be canned,

315
00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:02,600
frozen or fresh.

316
00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,466
And they are rich 
in fiber and vitamin A.

317
00:15:06,466 --> 00:15:10,000
And some bad news for 
all of you coffee aficionados

318
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,400
who try to impress your friends 
by grinding your own beans.

319
00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:14,600
They aren't really beans.

320
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,233
These are actually the pits, 
or seeds inside the fruit

321
00:15:18,233 --> 00:15:19,500
on the coffee plant.

322
00:15:19,500 --> 00:15:25,300
They're called beans because 
well, they look like beans!

323
00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:27,366
Autumn means harvest time 
for the majority

324
00:15:27,366 --> 00:15:28,666
of American farmers.

325
00:15:28,666 --> 00:15:31,333
It is a huge process 
that can involve

326
00:15:31,333 --> 00:15:34,200
the entire family 
even the entire community

327
00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:36,166
of people making their living 
off of the land.

328
00:15:36,166 --> 00:15:38,300
Well we found a family 
in Arkansas,

329
00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:41,200
bringing in thousands 
of acres of soybeans,

330
00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:45,533
it's non-stop action 
until the crop is in.

331
00:15:50,466 --> 00:15:53,800
Look in any direction on 
this central Arkansas farm

332
00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,766
and it's soybeans 
as far as the eye can see.

333
00:15:57,766 --> 00:16:01,866
From sun up to sundown, huge 
combines comb these fields,

334
00:16:01,866 --> 00:16:03,800
cutting the beans 
from the ground.

335
00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,800
Let's give you a view that 
you may never have seen before:

336
00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,500
inside the giant equipment 
hauling in this harvest

337
00:16:10,500 --> 00:16:14,066
of one of the most versatile 
crops in the world.

338
00:16:29,900 --> 00:16:33,166
Quarterbacking this soybean 
harvest team is Dow Brantley.

339
00:16:33,166 --> 00:16:36,800
Dow and his dad 
are partners at Brantley Farms.

340
00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:38,766
It's a big operation:

341
00:16:38,766 --> 00:16:40,966
growing more 
than nine thousand acres

342
00:16:40,966 --> 00:16:42,933
of crops each year.

343
00:16:42,933 --> 00:16:44,533
Dow we really came 
at the perfect time,

344
00:16:44,533 --> 00:16:48,366
harvest in full swing 
and here you see the soybean

345
00:16:48,366 --> 00:16:49,933
in the process of drying.

346
00:16:49,933 --> 00:16:53,066
These are almost there 
and these are ready to go.

347
00:16:53,066 --> 00:16:57,066
What did it take to get 
this plant to this level?

348
00:16:57,066 --> 00:16:58,766
You, you know, it's 
a lot of hard work,

349
00:16:58,766 --> 00:17:01,000
and this year because 
of the situation, the drought,

350
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:02,933
a lot of irrigation 
to make this crop,

351
00:17:02,933 --> 00:17:04,266
to make these beans.

352
00:17:04,266 --> 00:17:06,333
Uh, on, on top of that we're 
working very hard

353
00:17:06,333 --> 00:17:08,933
to keep the weeds out of it 
and insects as well,

354
00:17:08,933 --> 00:17:11,200
We're around 7 days 
a week to harvest.

355
00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:12,833
So it's not just plant and pick?

356
00:17:12,833 --> 00:17:14,033
No, no, no.

357
00:17:14,033 --> 00:17:16,500
I wish it were that easy, 
but no there is a lot to see

358
00:17:16,500 --> 00:17:18,866
about these crops to get 
the high yields that we want

359
00:17:18,866 --> 00:17:20,500
to achieve.

360
00:17:20,500 --> 00:17:23,366
Once harvested, the 
Brantley's beans are crushed

361
00:17:23,366 --> 00:17:25,666
and turned into oil or meal.

362
00:17:25,666 --> 00:17:28,866
More than half of the 
soybeans produced in Arkansas

363
00:17:28,866 --> 00:17:31,000
are shipped down 
the Mississippi River

364
00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:35,200
and exported worldwide 
through the Port of New Orleans

365
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,500
Dow's career path took him 
off the farm for a time,

366
00:17:38,500 --> 00:17:41,200
acquiring technology skills 
he was able to apply

367
00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,833
to the family business 
on his return.

368
00:17:43,833 --> 00:17:45,866
Today, those computer programs,

369
00:17:45,866 --> 00:17:48,766
equipment enhancements 
and crop monitoring systems

370
00:17:48,766 --> 00:17:49,966
have improved yields.

371
00:17:49,966 --> 00:17:53,800
Dow brought skills that 
we've really needed.

372
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,900
Uh, we had opportunity, 
we had, uh,

373
00:17:56,900 --> 00:17:58,700
land we could produce, 
we've been doing it.

374
00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:02,033
Could we take it 
and move it forward.

375
00:18:02,033 --> 00:18:04,966
Yeah we could with 
technology, with knowledge.

376
00:18:04,966 --> 00:18:08,233
"Moving forward" meant more 
than doubling the four thousand

377
00:18:08,233 --> 00:18:10,733
acres his dad was then planting.

378
00:18:10,733 --> 00:18:15,300
Today, the Brantleys raise 
soybeans, rice, corn and cotton

379
00:18:15,300 --> 00:18:19,333
on land that stretches 
their farm more than 20 miles.

380
00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,300
The Brantleys crop duster 
took us high in the sky

381
00:18:31,300 --> 00:18:36,633
to overlook 
their expansive operation.

382
00:18:36,633 --> 00:18:39,900
Technology plays a key role here 
even to managing

383
00:18:39,900 --> 00:18:42,933
the aerial spraying on 
the Brantley's cotton crop.

384
00:18:42,933 --> 00:18:46,400
Computerized applications 
target specific rows-

385
00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:48,800
reducing the amount 
of chemicals needed.

386
00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,900
Dow says it's all a matter 
of being efficient

387
00:18:51,900 --> 00:18:53,033
and effective.

388
00:18:53,033 --> 00:18:56,633
Anywhere from a guidance 
on your tractor or combine

389
00:18:56,633 --> 00:18:59,433
to computer programs in 
our office to help us

390
00:18:59,433 --> 00:19:01,466
keep up with input costs.

391
00:19:01,466 --> 00:19:02,633
Who sprayed what field?

392
00:19:02,633 --> 00:19:03,700
Things of that nature.

393
00:19:03,700 --> 00:19:08,566
Juggling harvest time 
on this September day

394
00:19:08,566 --> 00:19:12,733
means going from one crop 
to another.

395
00:19:12,733 --> 00:19:17,200
Their cotton is picked and 
rolled into these modules

396
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,400
and sent straight to the mill.

397
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:24,700
Their grains - stored in 
a state of the art silo system.

398
00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:27,900
Dow and his dad can oversee 
all their harvesting

399
00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:30,966
from the fields - 
or from their home office

400
00:19:30,966 --> 00:19:34,300
with computers 
and GPS monitoring.

401
00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,033
Dow says technology 
like this is expensive,

402
00:19:37,033 --> 00:19:40,533
but pays off in lower 
costs for consumers.

403
00:19:40,533 --> 00:19:43,400
It allows us to 
keep an affordable,

404
00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:45,700
food and fiber supply 
here in the U.S.. Ah,

405
00:19:45,700 --> 00:19:48,833
keep those prices low.

406
00:19:48,833 --> 00:19:52,500
Ah, our job is to produce 
at the lowest cost

407
00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:53,700
that we can and we do.

408
00:19:53,700 --> 00:19:59,133
But make no mistake, 
what really holds this farm

409
00:19:59,133 --> 00:20:00,500
together - is family.

410
00:20:00,500 --> 00:20:06,400
A bond between father and son - 
rooted in the land they love.

411
00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:07,533
Well it's a noble.

412
00:20:07,533 --> 00:20:09,666
I've been in the farming 
thing and the family farm,

413
00:20:09,666 --> 00:20:12,166
that's very precious to me.

414
00:20:12,166 --> 00:20:13,666
I enjoy every minute of it.

415
00:20:13,666 --> 00:20:17,100
Working with family members 
and I hope he continues

416
00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:18,666
to be here for a long time.

417
00:20:18,666 --> 00:20:20,666
So, we're both 
having fun together.

418
00:20:20,666 --> 00:20:22,233
Um, we truly are.

419
00:20:22,233 --> 00:20:24,333
We're blessed 
to have some good land.

420
00:20:24,333 --> 00:20:26,333
We're blessed to some 
very good employees

421
00:20:26,333 --> 00:20:28,000
and without them 
we wouldn't be

422
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,000
where we are today.

423
00:20:38,066 --> 00:20:41,300
You'll understand why soybeans 
are called the "miracle bean"

424
00:20:41,300 --> 00:20:44,700
when I tell you that soybeans 
are used in animal feed,

425
00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:47,066
hundreds of food 
and household products,

426
00:20:47,066 --> 00:20:51,466
ink, plastics, 
wood adhesives and candles.

427
00:20:51,466 --> 00:20:53,533
More soybeans are grown 
in the U.S.

428
00:20:53,533 --> 00:20:55,366
than anywhere else in the world.

429
00:20:55,366 --> 00:20:57,066
And one more fun fact.

430
00:20:57,066 --> 00:21:01,133
One acre of soybeans 
can produce 82 thousand crayons.

431
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:06,700
Hang in there!

432
00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:08,733
That's what we say to folks 
when they're going though times.

433
00:21:08,733 --> 00:21:11,333
But if you're in business 
and you're facing a downturn,

434
00:21:11,333 --> 00:21:13,733
hanging in there 
requires perseverance

435
00:21:13,733 --> 00:21:15,233
and ingenuity.

436
00:21:15,233 --> 00:21:18,000
And that's a truism 
one Alabama farmer knows

437
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,933
all too well.

438
00:21:29,666 --> 00:21:31,866
It's a gardenia and what it is 
is a dwarf gardenia

439
00:21:31,866 --> 00:21:35,400
and gets about two feet tall 
and spreads out about four feet.

440
00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,066
Steve Thomas is the answer guy 
today at Greene Hill Nursery

441
00:21:39,066 --> 00:21:41,133
in Auburn, Alabama.

442
00:21:41,133 --> 00:21:43,033
Outside with the plants.

443
00:21:43,033 --> 00:21:44,800
And inside on the telephone.

444
00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,100
That's the Black Knight.

445
00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:49,333
You want any of the white 
profusion or other buddleia?

446
00:21:49,333 --> 00:21:52,266
But Steve admits, running a 
garden center was not

447
00:21:52,266 --> 00:21:53,466
his life's dream.

448
00:21:53,466 --> 00:21:56,566
He set out to become a doctor 
like his grandfather.

449
00:21:56,566 --> 00:21:58,900
I just uh, didn't put 
the time in the books

450
00:21:58,900 --> 00:22:00,233
like I should've.

451
00:22:00,233 --> 00:22:04,000
So as a result I wasn't accepted 
to any medical or dental schools

452
00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,333
that I applied to.

453
00:22:05,333 --> 00:22:08,500
And uh, my girlfriend 
at the time said

454
00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:10,500
Why don't you try horticulture?

455
00:22:10,500 --> 00:22:11,600
And I looked at her and I said,

456
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:13,933
well that's plants isn't it?

457
00:22:13,933 --> 00:22:15,366
And she said, well, 
yeah that's plants.

458
00:22:15,366 --> 00:22:17,566
I said so what would 
you do with plants?

459
00:22:17,566 --> 00:22:20,400
She said, well, 
you could open a garden center.

460
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:21,700
How much you got?

461
00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:22,900
Looks like about a 100 here.

462
00:22:22,900 --> 00:22:23,900
Yeah.

463
00:22:23,900 --> 00:22:25,466
All Right I'll help you 
move them.

464
00:22:25,466 --> 00:22:28,200
When I went to ornamental 
horticulture school

465
00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:30,900
at Auburn University 
and got my Master's,

466
00:22:30,900 --> 00:22:34,633
that's when I started 
actually enjoying plants

467
00:22:34,633 --> 00:22:38,966
and really started diving 
into my own landscapes.

468
00:22:38,966 --> 00:22:41,900
Today Steve has 10 acres 
of heirloom and ornamental

469
00:22:41,900 --> 00:22:43,733
plants for landscapes.

470
00:22:43,733 --> 00:22:46,333
During the housing boom 
in the early two-thousands

471
00:22:46,333 --> 00:22:47,966
sales really took off.

472
00:22:47,966 --> 00:22:49,566
But when the housing 
boom collapsed,

473
00:22:49,566 --> 00:22:52,833
his business took a direct hit.

474
00:22:52,833 --> 00:22:55,266
The housing market's down, 
the economy is down.

475
00:22:55,266 --> 00:22:57,766
So with the housing market 
down people aren't putting

476
00:22:57,766 --> 00:23:00,533
landscape plants necessarily 
around even new houses.

477
00:23:00,533 --> 00:23:03,166
But after 25 years in business,

478
00:23:03,166 --> 00:23:05,333
quitting is not an option.

479
00:23:05,333 --> 00:23:08,400
So Steve is trying 
something new again!

480
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,666
Just like these, 
you can do just a light sheering

481
00:23:11,666 --> 00:23:12,866
in the fall.

482
00:23:12,866 --> 00:23:14,933
Diversifying the business 
into landscape contracting.

483
00:23:14,933 --> 00:23:18,466
With a slight twist we do 
almost no new landscapes.

484
00:23:18,466 --> 00:23:21,400
What we do is we clean up 
old landscapes.

485
00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:23,566
And we are in the process 
right now of trying to set up

486
00:23:23,566 --> 00:23:26,066
a division of this company 
that we're going to call

487
00:23:26,066 --> 00:23:27,366
Restoring Eden.

488
00:23:27,366 --> 00:23:30,033
Because we think a lot 
of people love their landscapes

489
00:23:30,033 --> 00:23:33,133
when it first comes in, 
then things happen.

490
00:23:33,133 --> 00:23:35,766
They don't get it kept up, 
you know, they need help.

491
00:23:35,766 --> 00:23:38,633
Besides reducing the number 
of plants that he grows,

492
00:23:38,633 --> 00:23:42,100
to deal with a downturn in 
business he has cut also

493
00:23:42,100 --> 00:23:44,933
back on employees and not 
invested in new equipment.

494
00:23:44,933 --> 00:23:47,166
He's down to one 
part time employee

495
00:23:47,166 --> 00:23:50,000
who you will find 
filling pots by hand today.

496
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:51,600
I should've mechanized 
years ago.

497
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,400
In '06 we were to the point 
where we were about ready

498
00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:58,633
to start more mechanization 
because life was good then.

499
00:23:58,633 --> 00:23:59,633
Sales were good then.

500
00:23:59,633 --> 00:24:01,400
We were building 
and that was definitely

501
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:02,900
the direction 
we were headed next.

502
00:24:02,900 --> 00:24:05,200
And then everything 
fell off in '07.

503
00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:06,800
So we've got to get 
back to that point.

504
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,566
Those who make their living 
in agriculture recognize that

505
00:24:10,566 --> 00:24:13,166
constantly changing 
markets and conditions

506
00:24:13,166 --> 00:24:15,233
are a reality of life.

507
00:24:15,233 --> 00:24:19,066
Steve believes that 
a positive attitude is critical

508
00:24:19,066 --> 00:24:21,733
to helping find success 
in the future.

509
00:24:21,733 --> 00:24:23,466
Being in the business 25 years,

510
00:24:23,466 --> 00:24:26,033
hopefully most people 
in the southeast know me,

511
00:24:26,033 --> 00:24:28,666
but that still requires that 
I'm on the phone constantly.

512
00:24:28,666 --> 00:24:31,166
I email every week to all my 
regular customers

513
00:24:31,166 --> 00:24:34,166
and I'm always trying to find 
new people to email to.

514
00:24:34,166 --> 00:24:35,900
And I'm not ready 
to let go of it yet.

515
00:24:35,900 --> 00:24:38,266
And if I'm not ready 
to let go of it yet,

516
00:24:38,266 --> 00:24:41,200
I can't give up.

517
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:42,833
That's going to do 
it for us this time.

518
00:24:42,833 --> 00:24:44,666
Thanks for traveling the 
country with us

519
00:24:44,666 --> 00:24:48,600
as we introduce you to such 
interesting people and places

520
00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:50,333
in America's Heartland.

521
00:24:50,333 --> 00:24:53,266
And don't forget you can 
stay in touch with us 24/7.

522
00:24:53,266 --> 00:24:54,500
We make it easy for you.

523
00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:56,933
You can find us on some of 
your favorite sites you can

524
00:24:56,933 --> 00:25:00,666
also find all of our stories 
and video on our website:

525
00:25:00,666 --> 00:25:02,466
AmericasHeartland.org.

526
00:25:02,466 --> 00:25:03,466
We'll see you next time

527
00:25:03,466 --> 00:25:06,033
right here 
on America's Heartland.

528
00:25:06,033 --> 00:25:12,233
♪ You can see it in the eyes 
of every woman and man ♪

529
00:25:12,233 --> 00:25:17,900
♪ in America's Heartland 
living close to the land. ♪

530
00:25:17,900 --> 00:25:21,300
♪ There's a love 
for the country ♪

531
00:25:21,300 --> 00:25:24,300
♪ and a pride in the brand ♪

532
00:25:24,300 --> 00:25:30,766
♪ in America's Heartland 
living close, ♪

533
00:25:30,766 --> 00:25:32,966
♪close to the land ♪

534
00:25:32,966 --> 00:25:33,933
♪

535
00:25:33,933 --> 00:25:37,133
"America's Heartland 
is made possible by..."

536
00:25:37,133 --> 00:25:40,100
The United Soybean Board 
whose "Common Ground"

537
00:25:40,100 --> 00:25:42,233
program creates 
conversations to help

538
00:25:42,233 --> 00:25:45,000
consumers get the facts 
about farming and food.

539
00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,933
There's more at: 
findourcommonground.com.

540
00:25:48,933 --> 00:25:52,366
The American Farm Bureau 
Foundation for Agriculture.

541
00:25:52,366 --> 00:25:54,466
Dedicated to building 
greater awareness and

542
00:25:54,466 --> 00:25:56,800
understanding of agriculture 
through education

543
00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:58,033
and engagement.

544
00:25:58,033 --> 00:26:01,333
More information at: 
agfoundation.org.

545
00:26:01,333 --> 00:26:04,366
Farm Credit - financing 
agriculture and rural

546
00:26:04,366 --> 00:26:06,500
America since 1916.

547
00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:09,333
Farm Credit is cooperatively 
owned by America's farmers

548
00:26:09,333 --> 00:26:10,333
and ranchers.

549
00:26:10,333 --> 00:26:13,100
Learn more at 
farmcredit.com.

550
00:26:13,100 --> 00:26:16,700
The Fund for Agriculture 
Education - A fund created

551
00:26:16,700 --> 00:26:19,100
by KVIE to support 
America's Heartland

552
00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:20,433
programming.

553
00:26:20,433 --> 00:26:22,200
Contributors include 
the following -