America's Heartland

- [Announcer] Coming up on "America's Heartland," taking farm to fork to a new level.

Meet a farmer who opened up her own restaurant, serving dishes featuring fruit that arrives straight from her family's orchard.

- My idea was to literally take the farm to table definition to its truest form.

- [Announcer] And speaking of delicious dishes, we'll show you how to prepare a flaky oven-roasted salmon with a side salad of oranges and fennel.

Plus, visit a unique farming project in the Salinas Valley where farm workers are provided with classes, equipment, and land to help them launch their very own farms.

- We open our doors to anybody, but it's really farm workers that come to seek us out, and most of those folks are actually immigrants from Mexico.

- [Announcer] Nutrition expert Dr. Daphne Miller explores how produce grown by small local farmers can provide a healthier eating experience, and visit this historic fishing town in Massachusetts where local residents can sign up to receive that week's catch, a program modeled after CSA boxes, or community supported agriculture.

- The quality's better because it's so very, very fresh, and it's just coming right off the water here in Gloucester.

- [Announcer] It's all coming up next on "America's Heartland."

"America's Heartland" is made possible by.

(gentle pleasant guitar music) You can see in the eyes of every woman and man In America's heartland living close to the land There's a love for the country and a pride in the brand In America's heartland living close, close to the land (graphics whoosh) (soft chiming music) - [Rob] For decades, K&J Orchards has supplied fruit to some of the most prestigious restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Michelin-starred French Laundry.

You're just as likely to see chefs shopping at their farmer's markets as their longtime customers, and it's all because of one mother's dream.

- I would like to grow food that taste like a fruit and bring to the customer, no middleman.

- [Rob] Kalayada Beutel was born in Thailand and moved to the United States to work as a nurse.

Raising her two daughters as a single mother, she wanted land that they could call their own.

She bought a single acre and planted fruit trees, but they all died.

So she asked the county to connect her with a local expert on Asian pears.

- I want to grow here because the weather should be perfect.

So they said the only person they know is Dr. James Beutel.

Later on, he married me.

- [Rob] Dr. James Beutel worked for UC Davis and began advising Kalayada over the phone.

They talked for 10 years before finally meeting in person by chance at the hospital where she worked.

- With that, they met, they collaborated, and K&J formed in 1990.

So K&J Orchards, it is a combination of two farms that are now one, and we are an orchard farm.

We grow mostly stone fruits, pears, apples, and citrus and some nuts.

- [Rob] Aomboon helps run the orchard along with her husband, Tim Deasy, and her sister Onanong Montoya.

Dr. Beutel died in 2016.

Kalayada remains the family matriarch at the age of 80.

- I've grown up doing this because my mom enjoys it.

It's her passion, and that inspires me to be that kind of person, to understand where my food comes from.

- [Rob] In 2022, Aomboon took that passion to the next level, opening her own farm to table restaurant in Oakland called Pomet.

- My idea was to literally take the farm to table definition to its truest form.

- To have Boonie as a farmer, she has so much more access to other farmers.

She understands, you know, sort of how they work and how farms work.

- [Rob] One example, the goat cheese in this persimmon beet salad comes from Andante Dairy in nearby Petaluma.

It's one of many local farms that Aomboon has a personal relationship with and whose products she features at the restaurant alongside her own.

- The fruit or the produce they're getting from us tells a story.

The story is this was picked by hand.

The fruit is at its optimal sweetness so that not much manipulation needs to happen in terms of it being presented to the customer.

Hi, chef.

- Hi, Boonie.

- How are you?

- How are you?

- Very good.

How are you?

- [Rob] The family is driven by the same mission, to sell fruit that delights and amazes their customers.

- The greatest joy going to the farmer's market is actually seeing these customers enjoying and laughing and enjoying the fruits.

- Yeah, they're good.

- Their surprised look on their face like, "Oh my God, this tastes fantastic.

What is this?"

'Cause we actually grow very different varieties of fruit that you don't really see in like the supermarkets, and that's why I always try to convince customers, "Go to farmer's market."

You'll see a lot more, more fresh, more local fruit out there that you don't even know about that the supermarkets don't have.

- I'm very happy because I want people come by and get the real fruit, - The quality.

- the real taste.

- [Rob] Kalayada says sometimes stops customers from buying more than five pieces of fruit at a time.

That's because she wants them to have the freshest fruit possible, telling them to come back next week for five more pieces, picked straight off the tree.

- It's a little bit too strict and too bossy, but you can go home with a good fruit.

- But it's all about quality and taste with our family, and we wanna make sure it continues to stay that way and people know that it's family owned and always be family owned.

- [Rob] Kalayada says she's happy her daughters have taken over, but she has no plans to retire anytime soon.

- I will be here as long I live, I can walk.

If I cannot breathe, then that's the end of my career.

I will be with you all my life.

- [Rob] And they say the orchard also honors Dr. Beutel's legacy as both an academic expert and a beloved member of their family.

- Learned a lot from him.

If it weren't for him, I wouldn't - We wouldn't be here.

- doing this, yeah.

- I'm hoping that what we do here and now will teach our later generations the importance of agriculture.

I want them to understand that being stewards of the land is as important as being able to purchase fruit from the farmers because we are gonna be the ones who take care of it for the next generation.

(upbeat funky music) - This recipe is all about oranges.

We're making an orange and fennel salad, and that'll go with a roasted spiced salmon.

So let's get started.

We're going to begin by prepping our oranges.

These are naval oranges, and they are sweet.

They're a little bit acidic.

To get started, I'm going to begin by zesting the oranges, (upbeat music) and whenever you're zesting citrus, you don't want to go as far as the pith, the white part.

That's pretty bitter.

When we're making a salad or, in this case, a savory dish where we want the orange to be the star of the dish, what we're doing is just isolating the very citrusy sweet parts of the orange.

The orange is made up of segments, and we want to isolate those segments by just running the knife along each side, and boom, you get a segment of orange, and I'll go ahead and segment two whole oranges.

Our oranges are segmented, but before we get rid of these insides, we wanna get the most out of them.

So I'm going to squeeze all the juice I can into our bowl where we're making the dressing.

(soft upbeat music) We have about two tablespoons of orange juice in the bowl with the zest, and now I'm adding about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

White wine vinegar also works really nicely here.

This is just going to punch up the acidity of the oranges.

I will also add a few turns of black pepper, some salt.

Now I'll drizzle in about 1/4 cup of olive oil.

At this point, it's a good idea to taste the dressing to see if it's balanced, so let's give this a taste.

The orange is not as acidic as I expected it to be, so I have my trusty lemon here to help us add a little bit more citrus to the equation.

Just a squeeze.

(whisk clinks) (dressing sloshes) Our dressing is done.

So now let's make the salad.

I have two medium fennel bulbs here.

For the salad, I'm going to just slice off this part here, and you can save the fronds for a garnish at the end.

I'll slice this in half and get the stem clear here, and to slice the fennel, I'm going to use a mandolin.

It makes slicing very thinly easy.

We've sliced our fennel, so now let's slice our red onion.

Going to do a quarter of a red onion, so half of this.

All of these go into our bowl with the dressing.

(upbeat music) We're going to add some herbs to brighten this up, give it some freshness.

I have a small bunch of dill here, and we're going to add about 1/4 cup of mint.

Just chop all the way through.

(herbs crunch) Look at that.

All of our herbs go in.

Our salad is almost done, but we have to add our star ingredient, the oranges, right back in, and then give it a toss.

(spoon clinks) While this marinates just a little bit to let all that dressing sink in, we're going to make our roasted salmon.

Here's how you do it.

Divide the salmon filet into individual portions.

Then in a small bowl, combine orange zest, one teaspoon of cumin, one teaspoon of coriander, and one teaspoon of paprika.

Stir to combine.

Rub each salmon filet with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Finally, add that orange zest spice mix.

Transfer to an oven at 425 to degrees and bake for about 12 minutes or until the salmon easily flakes with a fork.

I like to broil the salmon for the last couple minutes for a darker finish.

Our salmon has roasted, our salad has sat for a little bit, so let's just plate this dish.

Whenever you roast salmon like this, the skin will tend to stick to the pan or the parchment paper.

So I just like to slide my spatula right underneath it like that.

(upbeat music) And then let's put a beautiful pile of salad right next to it.

Beautiful dish, and, like I said, you can save the fennel fronds for a garnish, and now all that's left to do is eat.

(upbeat funky music) - [Rob] Still ahead on "America's Heartland," New England is known for its fisheries, but getting the catch to customers isn't always easy.

We'll explore a community effort that brings fresh fish to local residents every week, but first, we take a look at a program that helps immigrant farm workers start their own business.

Graduates of this program now own farms up and down the Salinas Valley, and our nutrition expert, Dr. Daphne Miller, explains how that translates into a healthier experience for everyone.

(soft music) - [Rob] There's something unique and special about these 100 acres of farmland in California's Salinas Valley.

It's the home of a nonprofit organization called ALBA.

- The letters actually stand for the Agricultural Land-Based Training Association.

ALBA also means dawn in Spanish, which is really fitting because this is a place of new beginnings for people.

- [Rob] Since 2001, ALBA has been helping low income farm workers become independent farming entrepreneurs by offering a five-year program with both classroom and infield training.

(speaks in Spanish) - In this place, there's no shortage of inspiration.

They're coming here because they have an idea that they wanna pursue and a dream, and they're willing to put in the hard work.

It's really about perseverance and desire to do it.

- [Rob] ALBA provides their students with affordable access to land and equipment, along with expert production and business support to help people achieve their dreams of owning their own farm.

- We open our doors to anybody, but it's really farm workers that come to seek us out, and most of those folks are actually immigrants from Mexico.

- [Rob] People like Yadira Mendiola.

- I came from Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.

I am the first generation in agriculture business.

- [Rob] Yadira is a former student who graduated from ALBA's training program in 2020.

- Since I have this opportunity, now I have a dream, and I feel like so grateful because I didn't imagine that I can have my own business here in USA.

(tractor rumbles) - [Rob] After being in the United States for nearly 20 years, Yadira is now the proud owner of an organic farm.

- I have a name for my farms.

Is the Queen of Vegetables Organic Farm, and- - You are the queen?

- (laughs) I am.

I am.

(engine rumbles) I am growing organic vegetables.

We are focused on organic.

It is my pleasure to see a lot of people happy and supporting organic, and I feel so great when people is getting the the vegetables.

They always say, "Thank you for being doing this kind of work," and that's what I love it.

- [Rob] After graduating from the training program, Yadira started her farm on ALBA's land, and right now, she has close to three acres.

- The folks that graduate from our first year part of the program, the farmer education course, they can then qualify to lease land.

They always start on a half acre, which is a really small piece of land.

You know, it's not enough to make a full-time income on, but it's a way to get started, you know, try it out.

As you can imagine, you know, you gotta put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get a small business off the ground.

Then you add a layer of farming on that.

It's an incredible testament to how badly they wanna do it.

They're working full-time jobs during the week and coming to tend a half acre after working 10 hours a day, coming on the weekends.

- [Rob] For Yadira, she had the added challenge of being a single mother to three kids.

- It is hard for a woman, you know, as a mom, as a mother to be in the field or working and then thinking about your kids.

(footsteps thud) (soft ethereal music) Whoever comes to this country is because they wants to follow our dreams and people who wants to make the difference in their life.

(soft gentle music) - [Rob] Every year, ALBA enrolls close to 25 students.

Of those, about 15 to 20 graduate.

- Since ALBA started, we've launched over 200 farms.

Right now as we speak, we have over 80 farms that have left ALBA and are now alumni that are actively farming this region, and they account for over 35% of the organic farms in Tri-County area.

- [Rob] Luis Cervantes also came from Mexico and is currently enrolled in the training program.

- I am here because I like agriculture.

All of this that I see here has been helpful for me.

I am learning here all the things, important things for the crops, how to manage the crops, and then my plan is to have my own company.

It's been amazing.

Yeah, I have learned many things.

(soft piano music) - We are like a little kids in here, you know?

You growing your kids, and some point, you let them fly, right?

And it is what happening here.

- Really is being played out in front of my eyes on a weekly basis, the American dream.

- I would like to tell them thank you for the opportunity, and thank you for give me a dream, and thank you to be successful because now, I have my own business, and I love it, I love it.

(gentle pleasant guitar music) - The ALBA training program in Salinas, California is offering a group of aspiring farmers a chance to achieve their dreams.

Historically, many of these trainees have trouble accessing bank loans and technical support and land, which makes them underrepresented as farmers and farm owners.

In California, over 80% of the folks who are working in the fields are Latino, but only 3% of farm owners are Latino.

ALBA is helping change this statistic.

So the big question is how does creating opportunities for these socially disadvantaged farmers help benefit all of us and enrich our food system?

ALBA supports farmers who wanna farm without harmful herbicides and pesticides, ones that have been associated with lung disease, cancer, and even birth defects.

ALBA's farmland is certified organic, and they're teaching their graduates to use these methods as well.

That means that they're using cover crops and crop rotations instead of harmful pesticides and fertilizers.

These methods protect our drinking water, our soil, and our air, and they also fight climate change.

Some of the farmers also supply their fruits and vegetables to local schools and community clinics.

Others form a network and are able to collectively sell to larger retailers like Whole Foods.

Many have their own farm stands.

Studies show that this full cycle of growing local foods in local farms translates into better health outcomes for everyone.

Many of these ALBA supported startups are increasing the availability of fresh, culturally relevant foods in their local communities.

These are some of the examples of the crops which the ALBA graduates produce.

We have tomatillos and peppers.

There's an antioxidant within peppers called capsaicin, which is what gives it all its pizazz but also has healing properties.

It fights cancer and helps with healthy blood vessels and nerves.

People not only eat it but put on their joints and painful feet.

It actually can help with diabetic neuropathy.

Tomatillos, which are a cousin of tomatoes but have that much more vitamin C and interesting flavor and work well in so many local dishes.

While each one of these farms might be small, the efforts add up, and ALBA farmers represent over 30% of the farmers in the Salinas Valley.

ALBA farmers are showing us how supporting a diverse group of farmers grows community health and community wealth.

(soft music) (gentle pleasant guitar music) - You know, it's a daily grind.

You put your feet on the floor every morning, hit the ground running, and you go out and you try to go fishing.

- [Sarah] Daniel Dunbar figures he's been catching fish since he was five years old.

He's the latest in the long line of Gloucester fishermen who've harvested the ocean's bounty for centuries.

Daniel loves his work but admits it's an unpredictable profession.

- You never know when the fish will show up.

Every day is different.

Every year is different.

Every month is different.

You know, certain months are better than other months, but not necessarily.

I pay my daughter's tuitions with this stuff, you know what I mean?

College isn't cheap.

Mortgages aren't cheap.

This boat pays for certain things, and if this boat disappears, now I gotta figure out how to replace those payments.

- [Sarah] Dating back to the early 1600s, Gloucester is one of the oldest towns in New England.

Fishing has been its lifeblood since the 18th century.

It was once the largest fishing port in America, but for countless generations of fishermen, the sea has been both generous and unforgiving.

This statue and wall of remembrance honors more than 5,000 souls lost to the restless North Atlantic.

(people speak indistinctly) (engine rumbles) Fishermen here face stiff competition from overseas suppliers.

Marine educator Nancy Sullivan says that's caused a steady decline in the number of Gloucester fishermen.

- We had some 6,000 fishermen, I think, in the 1800s here in Gloucester, and now there's just a few hundred.

(cart rattles) - [Sarah] But now there's an effort underway to keep fishermen in business and preserve this way of life.

The Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance was created to help small fishing communities from Maine to North Carolina.

Executive director Niaz Dorry says they help each town create a community supported fishery with local residents signing up to receive fresh fish weekly directly from the source at a fair and stable price.

- Our work really involves empowering the community-based fishermen.

So in this political arena where they're forced to either scale up or sell out, they can choose a third option, which is to actually fit within the right scale and operate at a small scale and feed their local communities and make a living that they can actually exist on.

- [Sarah] Each day, the fresh catch is brought to markets like Turner Seafoods.

That's where community supported fishery members, like JoeAnn Hart, stop by to pick up their order.

- The quality's better because it's so very, very fresh, and it's just coming right off the water here in Gloucester and not Asia or South America.

- I think that the more people that participate, the more money the fishermen get.

- Morning, Brenda.

- Hi.

- How are ya?

Good.

- [Sarah] Turner Seafood's owner, Jim Turner, says the program actually keeps money circulating within the town and helps keep his retail business healthy.

- The captains, they're getting paid top dollar for their fish, and we're busy 'cause we're able to keep, you know, our guys working and fileting, and so it is.

It's a win-win for everybody.

- [Sarah] The community supported fishery concept is modeled after the community supported agriculture programs that began in the US in the 1980s.

Like the model for farmers, it provides a steady, reliable price, income, and customer base for the fishermen's catch.

- We get together, and the organization pools the money and pays the fishermen to catch our fish for the table.

You know, instead of being told what they're going to get for their fish, they know what they're going to get.

So it's good for stability for everybody.

(gentle pleasant guitar music) - [Sarah] Stability for the fishermen, for the community, and say these folks for the marine environment.

A steady market means fishermen can concentrate on a quality catch, not quantity.

- You're doing better.

Yeah, you're doing better.

You're not catching fish in such great numbers.

- So if you care about the health of the ocean, you should care about who catches the fish that you wanna eat.

- [Announcer] That's it for this edition of "America's Heartland."

For more stories, full episodes, and recipes, visit americasheartland.org or connect with us on Facebook.

You can see it in the eyes (people speak indistinctly) Of every woman and man (tools shuffle and scrape) In America's heartland living close to the land There's a love for the country and a pride for the brand In America's heartland (engine rumbles) Living close, close to the land - [Announcer] "America's Heartland" is made possible by.

(gentle pleasant music) (soaring music) (swelling instrumental music)