America’s Heartland Announces New Fund for Agriculture Education for Season 8

Washington, D.C. (12/5/2011) – At their annual Fall Advisory Board meeting in the nation’s capital last week, America’s Heartland announced the establishment of the new Fund for Agriculture Education, designed to sustain the highly successful national PBS and RFD-TV series into an unprecedented eighth season in 2012. The Fund will also give ag organizations new opportunities to showcase their own support for the only program of its kind celebrating American agriculture. 

“We’re delighted to establish this Fund for Agriculture Education, which we believe will benefit both agriculture and non-farm consumers,” said Michael Sanford, Vice-President of Content Creation at KVIE Public Television in Sacramento, which produces the series.  “First, it allows the many agricultural organizations that support America’s Heartland to do so even if their underwriting budgets are more limited.  And, the Fund allows us to continue telling positive stories about agriculture to a vast television and online audience, and help change negative impressions about the hardworking men and women who bring food, fuel and fiber to the nation and the world.”

Fund contributors are invited to donate in increments beginning at $25,000.  Their support will be acknowledged at the beginning and end of every one of the season 8 half-hour episodes, which will air at least 44 times on PBS stations and RFD-TV.  Donors will also have an important profile on the America’s Heartland website (www.americasheartland.org); unlimited access to High-Definition stories video specific to their industry; and an invitation to participate as Advisory Board members at twice-yearly meetings as well as regular conference calls. 

The announcement follows renewed America’s Heartland season 8 funding support from Farm Credit, which made that announcement two weeks earlier at the 2011 National Association of Farm Broadcasters event in Kansas City. Farm Credit became the first sponsor to renew support of the weekly series, which is seen on more than 240 public television stations as well as the RFD-TV cable and satellite channel.   

For the current season 7, Farm Credit’s funding support is joined by the United Soybean Board and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.  The first of 22 half-hour episodes of America’s Heartland’s seventh season began airing on public television stations and RFD-TV the week of September 5, 2011.  While most stations will begin airing season 8 in September 2012, production on the new season will begin as early as this December.   (For more information on episode schedules and PBS station carriage, go to www.americasheartland.org and www.rfdtv.com).

About America’s Heartland

Launched in 2005, the award-winning America’s Heartland travels throughout the U.S., introducing non-farm viewers to the men and women who provide the food, fuel, and fiber we use and consume daily.  Many segments are targeted specifically to consumers: Off the Shelf looks at food choices we make at the supermarket; Fast Facts about Food reveals the nutritional benefits in many agricultural products; Farm to Fork, with nationally known chef Dave Lieberman, takes consumers from farm fields to farm kitchens for unique recipes; and Harvesting Knowledge explores the rich history of foods we enjoy every day. 

America’s Heartland also examines how technology is changing production and how sustainability and environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to producers and consumers. Currently, the series is seen in 20 of the top 25 television markets and on more than 240 PBS stations covering 60% of the U.S.  Overall, including its RFD-TV viewership, the series reaches more than 40 million viewers each season.  

The www.americasheartland.org website gives consumers easy connections to topics, educational resources, search functions and video offerings. To give viewers immediate access to stories and special segments, America’s Heartland has expanded its social networking outreach with updated features and information on Facebook and Twitter.  Video plays an increasingly important role on the America’s Heartland YouTube Channel, currently welcoming more than 90 thousand visitors each month.  The series receives in-kind production support from many prominent agriculture organizations, including the National Corn Growers Association, U.S. Grains Council, American Soybean Association, FFA, National Association of Wheat Growers, and the National Cotton Council of America.