America's Heartland - Episode 306

Episode 306

One of the many dangers facing American growers is the introduction of dangerous pests from outside the U.S. In Florida, Jason discovers a highly-trained "beagle brigade" that’s protecting farmers and consumers from unwelcome plants, bugs and other problems. Then, we meet a Navajo tribe in New Mexico that’s turned their ancient farming practices into a lucrative worldwide business. We visit a California citrus grower to find out how farmers must respond when bad weather threatens their crops. Finally, we head to Illinois to learn more about the nation’s oldest site for agricultural research.

The Beagle Brigade
They’re American farmers’ first line of defense against foreign invaders. Special Ops teams? Marines? National Guard? No – troops of small, mild-mannered beagles. Jason Shoultz visits Florida to learn how and why beagles are trained and deployed at a number of U.S. airports to sniff out smuggled agricultural products that may harbor pests and disease.

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Navajo Pride
Native Americans in New Mexico have created a major enterprise growing and marketing food products which have become hot sellers – south of the border.

The Cold Facts
California is the nation’s second largest citrus producer behind Florida. The states' combined orange production is a significant factor behind the Heartland’s dominant role in world agriculture. But sometimes, something happens to California’s orchards: they freeze. Pat McConahay discovers how growers in the Central Valley weather rare but destructive cold spells.

A Landmark for Agriculture
What does a corn crop look like if it’s been planted and harvested continually for more than 130 years – without ever receiving fertilizer? Surprisingly, not too bad, at a place called the Morrow Plots in Illinois. Thanks in part to the work done at the University of Illinois, modern farmers can look forward to remarkably productive harvests year after year.

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The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Farm Credit, and the United Soybean Board make presentation of America's Heartland possible.

Additional production and promotion assistance is provided by
The American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, U.S. Grains Council,
National Association of Wheat Growers, and the National FFA Organization.