America's Heartland - Episode 520 Summary

Episode 520

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Akiba Howard heads for a harvest of potatoes in Colorado and discovers how they make their way from farm to table. John Lobertini shares how urban gardens in Kansas City work to help consumers eat better and learn about agriculture. Rob Stewart meets an Alabama farm family that overcame devastating challenges and became an award winning operation. Jason Shoultz finds a Florida family where sustainable farming practices have been very successful.
	Tasty Tubers Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in America. But before they're made into the millions of French fries that we consume every day, they've got to be harvested! We take you to Colorado where American agriculture is easier to appreciate when you get your own hands dirty getting a crop out of the ground.
	Urban Ag Do you like to garden? For some people fresh is what it's all about when it comes to putting food on the table. We take you to Kansas City, Kansas where some folks take a hands on approach in keeping things fresh from farm to fork. See how the growing trend of urban agriculture is teaching inner city communities the importance of growing their own food.
	A Life Redirected Nursery crops and horticulture are a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States with farmers growing and selling everything from pansies to pine trees. What about the plants at your home? Well, some of them may have come from an Alabama farm whose owner wasn't quite planning the career he has. We'll meet David Wright and he'll be the first to tell you that a devastating accident is part of the reason for his success.
	Consumer Connections For a growing number of farmers in the United States, working directly with consumers guarantees a stable market for the crops they produce. Community supported agriculture has grown more than tenfold in the past 20 years and for one young farm couple in Florida, it's given them a chance to demonstrate how important agriculture is to people on and off the land.
	Off the Shelf Bagged Salad.
	Working the Land Water and Crop Management Specialist

The Monsanto Company and the American Farm Bureau Federation 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, United Soybean Board and U.S. Grains Council.