Heartland visits New England to see a master syrup maker demonstrate how the process of turning sap into syrup hasn’t changed much in over a hundred years, and then moves to the far west to discover how a community of Basque sheepherders maintain the farming techniques and culture of their ancestral home in Spain. A visit to Louisana, and the historic Loyd Hall, a beautifully preserved mansion and a symbol of plantation agriculture. Then, to the dry environs of Yuma, Arizona to see lush fields of iceberg lettuce and pick up preparation tips from noted chefs. Finally, it’s time for the “Schmeckfest” – an annual celebration of food and art in tiny Freeman, South Dakota.
Maple Sugaring
From February to early April little towns throughout Massachusetts take part in
an old New England tradition. It’s called “sugaring” and is an annual rite of
spring.
American Basques
A people who for tens of thousands of years lived in isolation along the
Pyrenees Mountains bordering Spain and France. But today you can find enclaves
of “Basques” in some of the most unexpected places around the world, including
the American west.
Loyd Hall Plantation
Farms, like personal fortunes, are often subject to the whims of fate. History
treats some with kindness, others with callous disregard.
Iceberg Makes a Comeback
What’s a hamburger without it? And a BLT would be, well, just a BT if you didn’t
have lettuce, that age-old vegetable that puts the crunch in your sandwich.
A Taste of Schmeck
Once a year, dozens of Freeman farm families let their German-Swiss heritage
boil over into a carnival of sight, smell, and “schmeck.” Schmeck is a German word for taste. So it’s a tasting festival. And actually it’s gone beyond tasting of food. It’s tasting of tradition.
