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- [Announcer] Coming up 
on "America's Heartland,"

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farming without sun or soil?

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It's a growing trend 
in agriculture.

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Discover how this school 
district is growing lettuce

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for its salad bars inside a 
converted shipping container

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located right on campus.

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- We take the lettuce 
from the wall,

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and unlike conventional farming 
where you have to bend over,

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we simply lift the 
panel off the wall,

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and we transfer the panel 
right to our nursery station.

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- Health expert 
Dr. Daphne Miller

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explores the 
nutritional differences

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between vegetables 
grown in the soil

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and those grown hydroponically

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and says there is a role 
for both in our diets.

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Plus "Farm to Fork" host 
Sharon Profis demonstrates how

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to make a mushroom brie 
wrapped in a puff pastry,

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a tasty appetizer 
for any get-together.

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- I love an appetizer that 
looks like I tried really hard

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to make it, but actually 
it was super simple.

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- [Announcer] And meet the 
fourth-generation farmers

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who are meeting the 
increasing demand

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for washed and bagged salads.

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- I think the most exciting 
thing is that we get

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to promote fresh produce 
which is good for you.

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You know, it's not 
processed food.

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- [Announcer] It's 
all coming up next

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on "America's Heartland."

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"America's Heartland" 
is made possible by...

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(gentle upbeat music)

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

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♪ In America's heartland

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♪ 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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(gentle music)

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- Providing students 
with real fresh-grown,

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nutrient-dense produce is 
real pivotal to the learning.

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- [Narrator] Michael Jochner 
admits it's a very unusual way

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to farm, but says 
that technology

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and this shipping 
container are key

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to meeting the green 
salad lettuce needs

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for students in the Morgan 
Hill Unified School District.

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- Well, I think food 
sovereignty is important,

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especially in 
underserved communities.

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And I wanted to demonstrate 
that a school district

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and not just large farming 
or small-scale farming,

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that a school district 
itself could be the farm.

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- [Narrator] Michael has 
a background as a chef

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and is Morgan Hill's director 
of Student Nutrition.

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The shipping container 
is called a Freight Farm

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and uses the vertical 
hydroponic farming technology

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developed by a Boston company.

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It all takes place in 
a 10-by-40 foot space.

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- So let me show you 
our nursery station.

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This is where the lettuce

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and the seedlings 
start their life cycle.

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The nursery station 
is kind of the brains

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of the Freight Farm operation.

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All of our nutrients 
are stored here.

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The computer pumps 
continually check the water,

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evaluate the EC readings, pH 
readings, temperature readings,

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and then at the end of 
the nursery station,

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we have a 40 gallon reservoir

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where all that water is stored.

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- [Narrator] Michael grows 
five varieties of lettuce

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which germinate at the nursery 
station in small grow pods.

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Nutrient-dense water feeds 
the roots of the tiny plants.

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- Down on this floor, we start 
our seeds in the grow pods.

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They'll spend two weeks 
in the humidity domes,

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and at the end of 
the two-week cycle,

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they turn into these 
beautiful little seedlings.

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- [Narrator] The Freight 
Farm at Sobrato High School

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is one of two in the district, 
each costing $150,000.

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After sprouting, 
the seedlings move

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to vertical-growing panels 
called cultivation walls

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watered with drip irrigation.

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Each farm container will 
grow 4,000 small heads

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of lettuce at a time.

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LED light walls powered by 
the high school's solar panels

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provide the illumination 
for plant growth.

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- So leafy greens require 
specific light spectrum.

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Freight Farm uses 
red and blue lights

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in the cultivation walls.

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This is our daylight setting.

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We have over 100,000 LED lights,

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and these lights will remain on

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for 14 hours of 
simulated sunlight.

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As the lettuce transitions 
from seedling to full head,

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the full-head lettuce requires 
a different light spectrum

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for healthy lettuce leaf growth.

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This helps promote 
healthy root growth

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and healthy, strong, 
crispy lettuce

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that our students 
really seem to enjoy.

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So lettuce on this wall 
is now six weeks old.

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Morgan Hill students get 
to enjoy living lettuce

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right from our walls.

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We take the lettuce 
from the wall,

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and unlike conventional farming 
where you have to bend over,

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we simply lift the 
panel off the wall,

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and we transfer the panel 
right to our nursery station.

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- [Narrator] Lettuce from 
the cultivation panels

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goes directly to lunch rooms 
and cafeteria salad bars.

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Michael says the container 
farms produce the equivalent

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of 2 1/2 acres of lettuce

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in just 320 square 
feet of grow space.

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Raising their own has also 
helped the district reduce part

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of their spending 
on fresh produce.

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For second-graders 
Aida and Cody,

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it means a tasty part of 
their daily choices at lunch.

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- I always love salads.

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I had tomatoes, salad,

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ranch, cucumbers, and plums.

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- For a lot of our students,

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it's the only meal that 
they have during the day,

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and so we take our school 
nutrition efforts very seriously

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to ensure that our students 
are eating healthy.

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- My dream is to ultimately try

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and grow the whole salad bar.

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While ambitious, we decided 
to start with lettuce

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because the technology 
allowed us to do so.

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- [Narrator] Michael 
calls his future

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agricultural plans farm tech.

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It would utilize existing 
greenhouse facilities

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and the district's open space

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to develop curriculums 
and coursework.

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Both would emphasize 
the nutritional

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and environmental benefits

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of merging technology 
and farming.

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- The district is 
sitting on several acres

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of land that has been set aside

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to see if we can build farm tech

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into a destination-worthy, 
field trip-worthy location

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for both students 
and the community.

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I'd like to show 
off the technology

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and show that its 
importance in a community

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is not solely reliant 
on conventional farming,

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that there are 
high-tech alternatives.

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- [Narrator] But for now,

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the technology is 
providing daily evidence

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of the possibilities that 
come from finding new ways

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to help feed students 
and the community.

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- For me, it's really 
just been about the kids

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and watching them grow 
to learn real produce.

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- If we begin with our students

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and teach our students 
the importance

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of healthy eating habits,

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those habits will stay with them

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throughout their entire lives, 
and it will pay dividends

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to ensure that our kids 
grow a healthy life.

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(students chattering)

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(gentle banjo music)

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- Normally when you 
think about farming,

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you think about live soil 
and sunshine and rain,

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but what about soilless farming?

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At Freight Farm, 
all this takes place

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in a shipping container next

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to an elementary 
school in Morgan Hill.

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These kinds of farms, which 
are actually hydroponic farms,

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are being dropped down

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in different places 
around the country

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and are becoming more and 
more popular around the world.

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They're great because you 
can put them on concrete

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in the middle of a city or 
on the roof of a building.

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They offer other advantages.

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For example, you don't 
have to worry about storms

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or blistering heat or drought.

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So normally, we grow our plants

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in live soil using sunshine

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and rain and irrigation systems,

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and they send their 
roots deep into the soil

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to gather their nutrients.

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But in a hydroponic system, 
the plants are growing

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in an inert pod made of 
coconut fiber or peat moss,

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and their nutrients 
come from a water system

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that has a solution of 
minerals placed into it.

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So these are very 
different systems.

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In the hydroponic system, 
there's no sunshine.

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What they're getting for UV 
light is actually LED lights

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that are very 
specially controlled.

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So as a family doctor, 
I was wondering

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what is the difference 
in nutrition

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between these two plants?

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Of course, if you're really 
gonna ask this question,

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you have to compare 
apples to apples

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or in this case, 
lettuce to lettuce.

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And these are clearly not 
the same variety of lettuce.

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So to do the study, 
you really need

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to put the same seed 
into a hydroponic system

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and also into soil

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and then measure the nutrients

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in both of them after 
you harvest them.

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It turns out that those 
studies have been done,

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and the results are 
quite interesting.

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Yield was actually 
a little higher

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in the indoor hydroponic farms

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because there are no 
environmental conditions

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to challenge the plants,

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and you can get 
an optimal amount

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of the key growth 
minerals such as nitrogen.

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This is great because it means 
more greens for more people.

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They also found that 
the concentration

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of minerals in the indoor

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and outdoor plants 
were about the same

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because indoor farmers 
can put these minerals

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in the solution that 
feeds the plants.

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Also, certain 
vitamins that are made

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by the plants in response to 
photosynthesis and UV light,

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such as ascorbic acid, 
chlorophyll, and betacarotene,

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were also about the same,

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or sometimes they were even 
higher in the indoor system

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because these nutrients 
are highly light-sensitive

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and can be destroyed 
by too much light.

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Sugar and fiber content 
were also about the same.

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But when you look 
at one major class

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of nutrients we 
call phytonutrients,

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the plants grown outdoors 
consistently had more of these.

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Basil, for example, had twice 
the amount of polyphenols,

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one of the phytochemicals.

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There are thousands 
of phytochemicals,

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and we're constantly 
discovering more.

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It makes sense 
that outdoor plants

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would make more phytochemicals

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because they do this in response

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to environmental challenges 
such as bugs or viruses

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or blazing sunshine.

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These substances act like 
inborn defense systems

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and help plants 
protect their selves

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and recover from injury.

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These phytochemicals 
offer us, the eaters,

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similar protection.

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They help our cells recover 
from injury and radiation.

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Some studies strongly 
suggest that diets rich

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in phytochemicals, 
especially from fruits

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and vegetables and 
legumes and spices,

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offer protection 
against certain cancers,

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heart disease, diabetes,

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and neurologic diseases 
such as Parkinson's.

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Kind of a mixed bag when 
it comes to results.

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And although these 
indoor farming systems

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really do offer a 
lot of benefits,

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I don't think 
they're gonna replace

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outdoor farming anytime soon.

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I think that there's a 
role for both of them.

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And I'm especially interested

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in how hydroponic science might 
help produce medical foods

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for people with 
various health issues.

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Food scientists are 
exploring how they can add

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or subtract various minerals 
from the nutrient solution

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00:12:04,766 --> 00:12:07,400
and tailor the mineral 
content of the plant

253
00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,900
to address specific 
health needs.

254
00:12:09,900 --> 00:12:13,233
For example, you could grow 
vegetables with low potassium

255
00:12:13,233 --> 00:12:15,533
for people with 
advanced kidney disease

256
00:12:15,533 --> 00:12:17,666
who have trouble 
processing potassium.

257
00:12:17,666 --> 00:12:20,000
Or you could boost 
the calcium, silicon,

258
00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,100
and boron in the mineral 
solution to grow plants

259
00:12:23,100 --> 00:12:24,566
that help with bone health.

260
00:12:24,566 --> 00:12:27,366
This is all in 
investigation right now,

261
00:12:27,366 --> 00:12:29,900
but is a promising 
thing for the future.

262
00:12:29,900 --> 00:12:32,133
Thanks for checking 
out Freight Farms

263
00:12:32,133 --> 00:12:35,400
to learn about the 
difference between soil-full

264
00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,400
and soil-free farming

265
00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,766
and how they both 
contribute to our health.

266
00:12:45,866 --> 00:12:48,333
- [Announcer] Still ahead 
on "America's Heartland,"

267
00:12:48,333 --> 00:12:51,500
discover how lettuce and 
other leafy greens are grown

268
00:12:51,500 --> 00:12:54,333
and harvested year 
round for bagged salads,

269
00:12:54,333 --> 00:12:56,366
a ready-to-eat food 
that's exploded

270
00:12:56,366 --> 00:12:58,666
in popularity in recent years.

271
00:12:58,666 --> 00:13:00,733
But first, elevate 
your next gathering

272
00:13:00,733 --> 00:13:03,000
with this easy-to-make 
appetizer.

273
00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,200
We'll show you how to 
turn a wheel of brie

274
00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,266
into a delicious 
mushroom pastry.

275
00:13:08,266 --> 00:13:10,866
(upbeat music)

276
00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:16,933
(upbeat music)

277
00:13:18,633 --> 00:13:21,333
- I love an appetizer that 
looks like I tried really hard

278
00:13:21,333 --> 00:13:24,000
to make it, but actually 
it was super simple.

279
00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,966
Today we're making a 
mushroom brie bake.

280
00:13:26,966 --> 00:13:28,533
It's wrapped in puff pastry.

281
00:13:28,533 --> 00:13:29,633
It's gooey.

282
00:13:29,633 --> 00:13:31,633
There's mushrooms hidden inside.

283
00:13:31,633 --> 00:13:32,633
Let's get started.

284
00:13:32,633 --> 00:13:33,900
For this recipe,

285
00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:37,866
you'll need eight ounces 
of brown mushrooms.

286
00:13:37,866 --> 00:13:39,100
They can be crimini.

287
00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:40,900
They can be baby bellas.

288
00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:43,700
I'm just going to 
do a nice thin slice

289
00:13:43,700 --> 00:13:46,600
on each one of these mushrooms.

290
00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,200
The secret ingredient 
today is balsamic vinegar.

291
00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:53,066
When balsamic vinegar 
cooks, it gets sweeter,

292
00:13:53,066 --> 00:13:57,066
and that's what makes 
this dish so, so special.

293
00:13:57,066 --> 00:13:59,133
This looks like a massive 
pile of mushrooms.

294
00:13:59,133 --> 00:14:01,000
It is, but when you 
cook mushrooms down,

295
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,900
they release a lot of moisture, 
and they shrink in volume.

296
00:14:04,900 --> 00:14:06,500
And so you'll see 
this ends up being

297
00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:08,033
just the right 
amount of mushrooms.

298
00:14:08,033 --> 00:14:10,666
I have one shallot here.

299
00:14:10,666 --> 00:14:13,133
We always strive for even cuts

300
00:14:13,133 --> 00:14:16,966
so that everything 
cooks at the same pace.

301
00:14:16,966 --> 00:14:21,433
First we'll add 1 1/2 
tablespoons of butter.

302
00:14:21,433 --> 00:14:23,666
Now the mushrooms go in.

303
00:14:23,666 --> 00:14:26,833
Salting at the beginning 
draws out moisture,

304
00:14:28,066 --> 00:14:30,166
and we can still get 
a nice brown on them.

305
00:14:30,166 --> 00:14:32,500
Once they start to release 
some of their juices,

306
00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:34,466
then I will add the shallots.

307
00:14:36,900 --> 00:14:38,200
Once the mushrooms have shrunk,

308
00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,166
it's time to add our 
final few ingredients.

309
00:14:41,166 --> 00:14:44,833
So first we'll add 
three garlic cloves

310
00:14:44,833 --> 00:14:47,333
microplaned right into here.

311
00:14:47,333 --> 00:14:50,166
If you don't have a Microplane, 
you can just mince them.

312
00:14:50,166 --> 00:14:52,133
I have three sprigs of thyme.

313
00:14:56,433 --> 00:14:57,300
Rough chop.

314
00:15:00,500 --> 00:15:01,733
Thyme goes in.

315
00:15:03,900 --> 00:15:07,566
When the garlic is microplaned 
or minced like this,

316
00:15:07,566 --> 00:15:10,333
it does not need a 
ton of time to cook.

317
00:15:10,333 --> 00:15:13,533
So I have this on a 
very low temperature.

318
00:15:13,533 --> 00:15:18,566
Let's season this with some 
pepper, teeny bit more salt,

319
00:15:19,566 --> 00:15:22,133
and finally the 
balsamic vinegar.

320
00:15:25,433 --> 00:15:26,733
Now let's assemble.

321
00:15:26,733 --> 00:15:31,533
I have a 16-ounce wheel of brie.

322
00:15:31,533 --> 00:15:33,066
This is quite large.

323
00:15:33,066 --> 00:15:35,966
Usually you'll find them 
in eight-ounce sizes.

324
00:15:35,966 --> 00:15:38,733
Because I want people 
to get straight

325
00:15:38,733 --> 00:15:41,233
into the cheesiness of the brie,

326
00:15:41,233 --> 00:15:45,500
I'm going to trim off 
the top part of the rind.

327
00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:49,533
All that takes is a sharp 
knife, being very careful,

328
00:15:52,566 --> 00:15:53,966
just like that.

329
00:15:53,966 --> 00:15:58,333
Now we'll very carefully 
pile all of these mushrooms,

330
00:15:58,333 --> 00:16:01,466
which have cooled 
slightly, right on top.

331
00:16:01,466 --> 00:16:02,733
By the time they've cooled,

332
00:16:02,733 --> 00:16:05,866
they almost start to 
stick to each other.

333
00:16:05,866 --> 00:16:07,433
That's exactly what we want.

334
00:16:07,433 --> 00:16:12,500
Gorgeous already, but we 
have to prep our puff pastry.

335
00:16:13,633 --> 00:16:15,166
I have one sheet of 
puff pastry here.

336
00:16:15,166 --> 00:16:16,666
It's already floured.

337
00:16:16,666 --> 00:16:19,100
I'm just going to stretch 
it out a little bit more

338
00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:23,000
so that it can fully wrap 
around this brie wheel.

339
00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,766
Take the puff pastry, put it 
right on top like a blanket.

340
00:16:29,233 --> 00:16:32,900
Okay, now flip it over.

341
00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,700
And now wrap it up.

342
00:16:37,700 --> 00:16:39,366
The benefit of doing it this way

343
00:16:39,366 --> 00:16:42,066
is that it pretty much 
guarantees that none

344
00:16:42,066 --> 00:16:46,233
of the cheese will come 
oozing out from the seams.

345
00:16:46,233 --> 00:16:48,700
If it does, that's totally fine.

346
00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:53,666
So just take a few extra 
moments to pinch any seams.

347
00:16:55,733 --> 00:16:58,800
We'll transfer it 
to our baking sheet.

348
00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:00,566
And I've prepared an egg wash,

349
00:17:00,566 --> 00:17:03,733
which is just one egg scrambled

350
00:17:03,733 --> 00:17:05,700
with a tablespoon of water.

351
00:17:05,700 --> 00:17:08,900
At this point, I want 
to gently score the brie

352
00:17:08,900 --> 00:17:11,000
to give it a little 
bit of dimension.

353
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,066
This goes into the 
oven 425 degrees

354
00:17:14,066 --> 00:17:17,500
for about 20 minutes until 
it's nice golden brown,

355
00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:20,900
a little puffed, and 
then we can enjoy it.

356
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:25,933
Look at how beautiful our 
mushroom brie bake came out.

357
00:17:26,733 --> 00:17:28,100
It puffed up a little bit.

358
00:17:28,100 --> 00:17:32,800
Our little scoring artwork 
turned out beautifully.

359
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,566
We'll transfer it to 
our serving plate.

360
00:17:37,233 --> 00:17:40,600
And here I have some crackers.

361
00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,566
This is also great 
with a baguette.

362
00:17:43,566 --> 00:17:46,366
Let's cut into this to 
see how it turned out.

363
00:17:46,366 --> 00:17:47,233
Okay.

364
00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:52,666
Beautifully melted brie 
with the mushrooms,

365
00:17:52,666 --> 00:17:55,333
and now all that's 
left to do is eat.

366
00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,166
(upbeat music)

367
00:18:03,866 --> 00:18:05,733
- [Narrator] Mushrooms 
might be small,

368
00:18:05,733 --> 00:18:08,433
but they pack a big 
nutritional punch.

369
00:18:08,433 --> 00:18:12,466
They bring a savory flavor to 
dishes like pizza and pasta

370
00:18:12,466 --> 00:18:14,633
but are low in 
calories and sodium.

371
00:18:14,633 --> 00:18:16,833
That reduces the 
need for extra salt,

372
00:18:16,833 --> 00:18:19,000
keeping your blood 
pressure down.

373
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,966
Mushrooms contain antioxidants

374
00:18:20,966 --> 00:18:23,166
that can lower the 
risk of cancer.

375
00:18:23,166 --> 00:18:26,900
And mushrooms exposed to 
UV light have strong levels

376
00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:31,233
of vitamin D, helping your 
body build strong bones.

377
00:18:31,233 --> 00:18:34,600
(relaxing upbeat music)

378
00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,566
- [Narrator] It may 
surprise you to learn

379
00:18:38,566 --> 00:18:42,800
that the average American eats 
four or more salads a week,

380
00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:45,300
and who leads the nation 
in growing the greens

381
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:47,033
that end up in your salad bowl?

382
00:18:47,033 --> 00:18:49,566
- California is about 
80% of all leafy greens

383
00:18:49,566 --> 00:18:51,100
for the entire country.

384
00:18:51,100 --> 00:18:51,966
It's significant.

385
00:18:51,966 --> 00:18:53,500
Leafy greens are...

386
00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:57,133
We have the perfect 
climate, weather, soil,

387
00:18:57,133 --> 00:19:01,366
for the ability to grow 
regionally year round

388
00:19:01,366 --> 00:19:05,866
and provide an abundance of 
leafy greens for our country.

389
00:19:05,866 --> 00:19:08,333
- [Narrator] Jan Berk is 
the chief operations officer

390
00:19:08,333 --> 00:19:11,433
for San Miguel Produce 
in Ventura County.

391
00:19:11,433 --> 00:19:14,133
This farming operation 
grows a wide variety

392
00:19:14,133 --> 00:19:17,666
of washed, bagged, and 
ready-to-use greens.

393
00:19:17,666 --> 00:19:21,033
Jan came to agriculture 
after a career in newspapers,

394
00:19:21,033 --> 00:19:23,466
joining her husband, 
Roy Nishimori,

395
00:19:23,466 --> 00:19:26,933
who founded San Miguel 
Produce in the 1970s.

396
00:19:28,466 --> 00:19:31,466
- [Garrett] In 1995, we 
started Coming Clean Greens.

397
00:19:31,466 --> 00:19:34,400
It's the original 
fresh-cut cooking greens.

398
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,133
- [Narrator] Garrett Nishimori 
is Jan and Roy's nephew

399
00:19:37,133 --> 00:19:39,033
and a fourth-generation member

400
00:19:39,033 --> 00:19:41,933
of this Japanese 
American farming family.

401
00:19:41,933 --> 00:19:46,000
He oversees the San Miguel 
operation as general manager.

402
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,066
Garrett came to farming 
after training as a chef.

403
00:19:49,066 --> 00:19:50,933
His background was beneficial,

404
00:19:50,933 --> 00:19:54,300
as San Miguel began a 
transition in the mid '90s

405
00:19:54,300 --> 00:19:57,100
from commodity crops 
like celery and broccoli

406
00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:59,933
to ready-to-use washed 
and bagged greens

407
00:19:59,933 --> 00:20:01,633
for salads and cooking.

408
00:20:01,633 --> 00:20:02,766
- We developed some kits.

409
00:20:02,766 --> 00:20:04,400
We developed different blends,

410
00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:06,900
and that's kind of where I 
guess my culinary background

411
00:20:06,900 --> 00:20:08,766
kind of comes in, 
and it kind of helps,

412
00:20:08,766 --> 00:20:11,300
you know, develop the type of 
flavors and stuff like that.

413
00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:13,133
- [Narrator] Garrett's 
work in getting the greens

414
00:20:13,133 --> 00:20:15,400
from field to market keeps alive

415
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,700
a family tradition dating 
back more than a century.

416
00:20:18,700 --> 00:20:23,733
- So my great-grandfather 
immigrated here to California

417
00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:27,466
to the Los Angeles area 
in 1905 from Japan,

418
00:20:27,466 --> 00:20:29,400
and they started 
farming in that area.

419
00:20:31,033 --> 00:20:33,400
- [Narrator] The Nishimori 
family had farmed in Japan,

420
00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,666
bringing their skills to America

421
00:20:35,666 --> 00:20:38,133
at the turn of the 20th century.

422
00:20:38,133 --> 00:20:40,000
They were not alone.

423
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,000
At that time, more than 50%

424
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,633
of Japanese Americans 
working on the West Coast

425
00:20:44,633 --> 00:20:47,166
were involved in agriculture.

426
00:20:47,166 --> 00:20:50,533
World War II changed everything.

427
00:20:50,533 --> 00:20:52,800
Thousands of Japanese 
American farms

428
00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,700
were lost to the government,

429
00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:57,266
and the Nishimoris, like 
thousands of others,

430
00:20:57,266 --> 00:20:59,233
were sent to internment camps.

431
00:21:00,333 --> 00:21:01,800
Farmers lost millions

432
00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,366
of dollars when their 
properties were seized,

433
00:21:04,366 --> 00:21:08,233
only a fraction of which 
was repaid in reparations.

434
00:21:08,233 --> 00:21:10,000
California is still home

435
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,933
to a number of Japanese 
American-owned farms

436
00:21:12,933 --> 00:21:15,966
but dramatically fewer 
than generations back.

437
00:21:18,033 --> 00:21:20,966
- In the 1950s, in 1956,

438
00:21:20,966 --> 00:21:23,200
my grandfather moved 
the family up to Oxnard

439
00:21:24,366 --> 00:21:26,533
and just started growing 
more vegetables up here.

440
00:21:26,533 --> 00:21:29,833
And then in 1976 is when Roy,

441
00:21:29,833 --> 00:21:31,933
who's the owner of 
San Miguel produce,

442
00:21:31,933 --> 00:21:34,766
he started growing 
vegetables in this region.

443
00:21:34,766 --> 00:21:37,333
- [Narrator] Workers in the 
San Miguel fields will handpick

444
00:21:37,333 --> 00:21:41,366
and harvest the farm's 
specialty crops year round.

445
00:21:41,366 --> 00:21:44,900
The success of their 
ready-to-use bagged greens

446
00:21:44,900 --> 00:21:46,200
prompted an expansion

447
00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,533
of their production 
facilities in 2019.

448
00:21:49,533 --> 00:21:51,566
And as with many businesses,

449
00:21:51,566 --> 00:21:53,633
opportunities to 
reach new ethnic

450
00:21:53,633 --> 00:21:56,666
and cultural markets have 
prompted product development.

451
00:21:56,666 --> 00:21:58,433
- [Garrett] We have a brand 
called Jade Asian Greens,

452
00:21:58,433 --> 00:22:00,733
and we do baby 
Shanghai bok choy.

453
00:22:02,033 --> 00:22:03,166
And we're looking to expand that

454
00:22:03,166 --> 00:22:04,933
into other of the 
Asian vegetables

455
00:22:04,933 --> 00:22:06,300
and try to bring 
that more mainstream.

456
00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:09,200
And you might see more bok 
choy in stores and menus

457
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:10,900
and meal kits and 
stuff like that.

458
00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:13,333
- [Narrator] That consumer 
awareness has also brought

459
00:22:13,333 --> 00:22:16,733
with it continued and 
greater attention to detail

460
00:22:16,733 --> 00:22:20,833
in making sure that food 
products go from field to table

461
00:22:20,833 --> 00:22:23,700
with food safety 
considerations in mind.

462
00:22:23,700 --> 00:22:25,600
- How do we improve food safety

463
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,300
to ensure that we're 
providing the safest possible

464
00:22:32,166 --> 00:22:34,433
food for consumers?

465
00:22:34,433 --> 00:22:37,133
We feed our family 
these same greens,

466
00:22:37,133 --> 00:22:39,933
and so, you know, we 
take that very seriously.

467
00:22:39,933 --> 00:22:41,833
- [Narrator] Ready-to-use 
greens for salads

468
00:22:41,833 --> 00:22:44,366
and cooking continue 
to play a major role

469
00:22:44,366 --> 00:22:47,166
in America's consumer 
produce picture.

470
00:22:47,166 --> 00:22:50,433
And Jan and Garrett say 
their agricultural efforts

471
00:22:50,433 --> 00:22:53,600
give them a chance to 
impact healthy food choices.

472
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,300
- I think the most exciting 
thing is that we get

473
00:22:57,300 --> 00:23:00,133
to promote fresh produce 
which is good for you.

474
00:23:00,133 --> 00:23:01,866
You know, it's not 
processed food.

475
00:23:03,333 --> 00:23:05,800
You know, almost everything 
that we promote as an industry

476
00:23:06,633 --> 00:23:08,066
has some sort of health benefit.

477
00:23:08,066 --> 00:23:09,466
And I think that's exciting

478
00:23:09,466 --> 00:23:11,600
'cause we're helping improve 
public health in America

479
00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,733
by promoting these products.

480
00:23:13,733 --> 00:23:15,666
- [Narrator] Jan Berk 
says San Miguel Produce

481
00:23:15,666 --> 00:23:19,700
continues the Nishimori 
family's farming legacy,

482
00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:22,366
but she adds that 
everyone associated

483
00:23:22,366 --> 00:23:25,933
with the work here can take 
credit for its success.

484
00:23:25,933 --> 00:23:29,133
- So I think that the success 
of the company is attributed

485
00:23:29,133 --> 00:23:31,600
to the people that we have here.

486
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,466
And we've built a great crew

487
00:23:34,466 --> 00:23:37,500
of people that have 
come along for the ride,

488
00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:40,500
and they do a great job, 
and I'm very proud of them.

489
00:23:40,500 --> 00:23:42,266
And some of them 
are family members,

490
00:23:42,266 --> 00:23:45,766
and some of them aren't 
true blood family,

491
00:23:45,766 --> 00:23:47,100
but they feel like family.

492
00:23:52,266 --> 00:23:55,500
(gentle guitar music)

493
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:02,300
- Hi, I'm Paul Robins,

494
00:24:02,300 --> 00:24:03,666
and here's something 
you may not have known

495
00:24:03,666 --> 00:24:05,133
about agriculture.

496
00:24:05,133 --> 00:24:06,900
We all like to think that 
we're making good choices

497
00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:08,800
when it comes to our diets,

498
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:10,300
and the fact is, however,

499
00:24:10,300 --> 00:24:12,900
most of us these days are 
consuming more soft drinks,

500
00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:14,800
eating more fast food 
than ever before.

501
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:18,166
And this focus on what we 
eat has prompted a lot of us

502
00:24:18,166 --> 00:24:21,400
to look at healthier 
alternatives in our daily diets.

503
00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,800
That means cutting 
down on portions,

504
00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,200
paying attention to calories,

505
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,400
and definitely 
loading our plates

506
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,600
with more fresh 
fruits and vegetables.

507
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:33,533
And while we're on that 
subject, let us talk lettuce.

508
00:24:34,366 --> 00:24:35,733
If you dialed back the clock

509
00:24:35,733 --> 00:24:37,333
to the turn of the 20th century,

510
00:24:37,333 --> 00:24:40,766
lettuce would not be on the 
dinner plate in many homes.

511
00:24:40,766 --> 00:24:43,600
Why? Well, you can only 
grow it in warmer weather.

512
00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,100
It didn't ship very well 
before refrigeration,

513
00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:50,666
and it didn't make it on any 
list of fan food favorites.

514
00:24:50,666 --> 00:24:53,000
The good news is that 
most of us today eat

515
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,533
about 30 pounds 
of lettuce a year.

516
00:24:55,533 --> 00:24:57,333
That is five times the amount

517
00:24:57,333 --> 00:25:00,466
of lettuce the average 
American ate in 1900.

518
00:25:00,466 --> 00:25:02,933
Some food historians 
claim that the lettuce

519
00:25:02,933 --> 00:25:05,433
that we see today 
started out as a weed

520
00:25:05,433 --> 00:25:07,733
in the lands of the 
Mediterranean basin.

521
00:25:07,733 --> 00:25:11,266
Folks there were serving 
lettuce dishes 4,000 years ago.

522
00:25:11,266 --> 00:25:13,800
We think of lettuce 
as a green vegetable,

523
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,866
but there are red, yellow, 
and blue-green varieties,

524
00:25:16,866 --> 00:25:19,500
and you pretty much 
have to eat it fresh

525
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:21,933
since it doesn't 
freeze, dry, pickle,

526
00:25:21,933 --> 00:25:24,700
or lend itself to 
canning very well.

527
00:25:24,700 --> 00:25:26,733
There are four main 
types of lettuce,

528
00:25:26,733 --> 00:25:29,166
butterhead, like 
a Boston and bibb.

529
00:25:29,166 --> 00:25:31,300
Crisphead, that's 
your iceberg variety,

530
00:25:31,300 --> 00:25:35,366
Loose-leaf and romaine, very 
popular in Caesar salads.

531
00:25:35,366 --> 00:25:36,733
So what's the best lettuce

532
00:25:36,733 --> 00:25:39,033
to sample if you're adding 
salads to your diet?

533
00:25:39,033 --> 00:25:41,100
Nutritionists say that 
they're all low in calories,

534
00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:42,900
but the darker the green,

535
00:25:42,900 --> 00:25:45,233
the better for you when 
it comes to nutrients.

536
00:25:48,166 --> 00:25:49,633
- [Announcer] That's 
it for this edition

537
00:25:49,633 --> 00:25:51,366
of "America's Heartland."

538
00:25:51,366 --> 00:25:54,666
For more stories, full 
episodes, and recipes,

539
00:25:54,666 --> 00:25:57,200
visit americasheartland.org.

540
00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,666
Or connect with us on Facebook.

541
00:25:59,666 --> 00:26:04,633
♪ You can see it in the eyes 
of every woman and man ♪

542
00:26:06,066 --> 00:26:11,133
♪ In America's heartland, 
living close to the land ♪

543
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:17,033
♪ There's a love for the country 
and a pride in the brand ♪

544
00:26:18,233 --> 00:26:23,100
♪ In America's 
Heartland, living close ♪

545
00:26:24,700 --> 00:26:27,266
♪ Close to the land

546
00:26:27,266 --> 00:26:30,633
- [Announcer] 
"America's Heartland" 
is made possible by...

547
00:26:30,633 --> 00:26:33,833
(gentle upbeat music)

548
00:26:38,700 --> 00:26:41,300
(bright music)

549
00:26:42,866 --> 00:26:45,433
(upbeat music)