America's Heartland

Food Series / 18 Seasons

America's Heartland is the only national television series celebrating and profiling the people, places and processes of American agriculture. The program's interesting stories, presented in a visually stunning HD format, help non-farm viewers understand where and how their food, fuel, and fiber are produced.

Watch: S18 E1809

26m 46s

California Navel Oranges

5m 8s

Meet a family growing oranges for the long haul in California’s Central Valley. The Gillette family began farming oranges in Southern California, which at one time was the heart of the citrus industry. But that began to change after World War II, with many growers moving north to the San Joaquin Valley where they found rich soil.

San Diego Flower Farm

5m 45s

Journey up steep terrain in San Diego County to see how farmers grow protea flowers for bouquets. Protea flowers grow as weeds in their native Africa, but here in Southern California, more than 250 varieties of Proteas can be found. And they're as varied as the Greek God they're named after.

Growing and Eating Artichokes

4m 56s

Artichoke farmers reveal why you shouldn’t be intimidated by this thorny but delicious crop. Artichokes may be a popular dish in California – and in fact, were named the Official State Vegetable in 2013 – but they still remain a mystery to many people outside the Golden State. We meet farmers from Ocean Mist who show you how to eat this unique vegetable.

Sustainable Tomato Farm

4m 49s

A tomato farmer adds solar panels to farmland that’s been affected by drought. Woolf Farming is known as a leader in sustainable agriculture in the Central Valley. It's a point of pride to Stuart Woolf, and, he hopes, a way to ensure the future success of his farm.

World's Rarest Spice

5m 53s

An urban couple realizes their dream by moving to the country and growing saffron, one of the world’s rarest spices. Peace and Plenty is the largest grower and producer of saffron in North America. We joined them for the fall harvest, which lasts 6 weeks starting each November. The fields must be stripped of every flower, every day.

California Mandarins

5m 36s

Mandarin farmers explain why this tiny, easy-to-peel fruit is exploding in popularity. A father-and-daughter team head up Mulholland Citrus. They're the third and fourth generations of the Mulholland family to farm citrus, moving operations from Southern California to Orange Cove in the Central Valley.

“Everything in a Salad” Farm

5m 38s

Visit a lettuce and herb farm that grows just about “everything in a salad.” The Ratto family immigrated to America from Italy in 1878. Ratto Brothers was founded by Antone Ratto, who was known as the "Market Man" delivering vegetables to customers with a horse drawn carriage – the company's logo today.

Season 17 Preview

30s

Get ready for an all-new season of America’s Heartland! Featuring 10 all-new half-hour episodes, America's Heartland visits farmers growing more than 30 different specialty crops, from artichokes to olives, tomatoes to endive, as well as pistachios, dates, almonds, and saffron.

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