America's Heartland - Agricultural Diversity

                                        

America’s Heartland is proud to present an episode on agriculture, education, FFA, soy powered buses, cheese, and sewer in its December 2014 edition. This episode fits perfectly with the Ag Blast’s theme of promoting agriculture and discovering where your food comes from. According to the America’s Heartland website:

America’s Heartland has given hundreds of farms and ranch families across all 50 states the opportunity to share the diverse story of agriculture with consumers. Their stories forged common ground to unite through values and needs- more than about just the essentials like food and shelter- but about our love for our families and generations to come, an appreciation for the land and caring for the environment.

This is important because stories are what make people more relatable. According to the American Farm Bureau Foundation, in the article Story Telling: An Important Tool for Ag Literacy, "Telling stories has been a way for us to learn about our history, our traditions, and our heritage. They have been passed down from generation to generation to teach us so many different lessons." If agriculturalists can share their knowledge of agriculture-what makes it important; that farming isn’t just about growing plants, it is a lifelong career; and that there are many benefits of agriculture-then more people will be correctly informed and will be able to make educated decisions when it comes to agriculture. They will learn the life long lessons and valuable knowledge that agriculturalists have obtained.

During the America’s Heartland video, Rob Stewart interviewed several people from across the nation on the diversity of agriculture. He talked to high school students from California about agricultural education, FFA, and animal production; elementary students from New Jersey about biodiesel and ethanol; and middle schoolers from Minnesota about natural resources and sewers. There was also a Farm to Fork portion of the episode where Sharon Profis shows viewers how to make cheese as well as cheese and chive flavored biscuits. 

People who are looking for a fun and creative film about a variety of different agricultural topics will enjoy this video. You can also go to the America’s Heartland website and watch more informative videos about agriculture!