>> today on "earth focus," food heroes. a new film looks at why combat veteran friends turned to farming. america's organic pioneers, and new models for food production. coming up on "earth focus." [music] >> it's important to me that

war doesn't define who i am. i don't want to spend the rest of my life just being a guy who fought in the war in iraq. >> in november we were ordered to once again hit falluja. and that was just complete chaos. most reporters caught, you know, six days in falluja. for most of us it was more more like 3 to 4 weeks of intense combat. and by the time we were done, we had lost 33 marines and the city was in bad shape. it was pretty much destroyed. >> we have a film. we like to say that in a world full of problems, "ground operations" is a story about solutions. we have a lot oveterans coming back from both from iraq, who have been here for a while, and from afghanistan, who are coming home now. ptsd often doesn't show up right away. ican be a yr or two or more before it really starts to show up. >> you're always on alert.

you know, you're thinking of the worst scenarios that are gonna happen. [explosion] whoa! we were going through the town, and we had snipers on the buildis. they were firing at us. bombs were blowing up everywhere. [gunshots] ana mortar came in, and it blew up the same side of the door that i was on, and i was injed. from that i took shrapnel to my head and tmy legs. i was ared like anybody would be. you know, i didn't want to die there. i hadn't seen my family for 15, 16 months. and i looked up and i starte praying. i said, lord, if you get me home to see my family at least just one more time, i told him, i promise i will make my life worth saving. i'll back and i'll create something so great that helps so many other people, and to give back to other people. >> so many people get disgusted with this system and say the heck with it. i can get any help from the v.a. and that's how they end up homeless, or that's how they end of suicidal, or all of these

negative things that happen to these folks because the system is so broken. >> i know a handful of guys who survived the war only to shoot themselves in the head since they've been back. veterans need real options when they're coming back. they don't just need a program and some pamphlets, or, you know, a little bit of counseling. they need options that are gonna allow them to take care of their families, to pay tir bills, and to start a new life. >> veterans affairs is supposed to pick up where the defense department leaves off. but there's no transition program really within the veterans affairs. >> one of the things that's the hardest for the vets when they come back is they've been a art of a unit, a ally tight unit, all the same mission. and when they come home, and they don't have a mission, and they don't have a unit, that's a lo what leads to the isolation,

which then can lead to the drug and alcohol abuse, which then very ofn leads to suicide. and what i have found from the veterans i've interviewed is that they really had to seek their own salvation and find their own way back into what we would call civilization-- that, you know, the civilian world. there's something about farming, and working with the soil, and working with living plants, and with listock animals that after you' been in a culture of death and war, to be in a culture of life and sustaining and creating life, is deeply healing. >> you know, i'm not ashamed of my service or what happened in aq, but i learned that if, you know, when working with living things you become a nurturer instead of a destroyer. and that was really--that was

a really significant realization for me. >> the thing about it is we come out here and work outside in fresh air. you know, i don't care how i felt last night or how good i didn't sleep last night because of issues that i have. and, you know, i come here, work all day, i feel like a million dollars. >> i was on medications, so many medications, but i was able to come off. like blood pressure medications and some of the ptsd meds, i could lower some those meds. i actually saw my cognitive skills getting better. and so, for me, it was a no-brainer. this is working for me, and so many guys come back, why can't this work for them? and this is where we get the first farm started with the veterans farm. >> and we can have guys out here in a wheelchair picking. i mean, we set it up perfect so that disabled veterans can work on this farm, and they can feel like they're part of the community again. and that right there makes such a difference to people's lives.

>> you know, what's really healing is number one, a job, but number two, doing something that's needed, doing sometng that's necessary, doing something that--having a new mission, having a new purpose. >> your service doesn't have to end when you leave the military. that serving--there's ways to serve other than the military. i think if you d't carry that forward, it seems that those are the people who wen't satisfied with what their transition, and weren't happy with what they picked next. >> you know, we are, um, headed toward a time when we will have close to 9 billion people living on this earth. at the same time, we know that the resources for producing food are dwindling as we're developing areas and taking them out of agriculture. this isoing to be the defining issue of this century is how we are gonna figure out how to feed ourselves with so many people. >> in america, only 1% of people farm, and only 1% of people go into the military.

so most of us really don't know veterans, and most of us don't really know farmers. >> we both wanted to start farms, and we decided we should just try to start a farm together. and, you know, people kind of cautioned us against, you know, being business partners and being in a relationship together. but so far so good, so you know-- it ended up being really wonderful. >> we're a small farm, which means that we can really put in a lot of thought into the quality of our produce, more so than--more so than grocery stores or a lot of other farms out there. >> you know, farming's not for the faint of heart. we're lucky that they're stepping up to take over our food system, those who are, because they just don't take no for an answer. they are mission driven people. and sif there arebstacles that come up, well, those are just obstacles to overco on the mission. an example of that would be a young man in los angeles,

d'artagnan scorza. >> the military helped me build i belive e skills that were necessary to be efctive. wh i returned from the military, i recognized that i had the ability to create change in my own community. we have 25 fast food restaurants in a square mile right here on crenshaw and century, which is just three blocks from this high school. but very few supermarkets and throughout the city, and i think were seeing that trend around the country in multiple communities. >> and when he came home, he got his phd at ucla. he went back to the high school that he had attended in inglewood and started working with the young studts thereand said, "ll, what do you wa to do in the community?" and they all said, "we want to grow food." >> as an organization, we created an initiative called 100 seeds of change, which is our commitment to building 100 community school and home gardens and throughout the city of inglewood and south bay. the goal of that is to build a local food system and to build local production. what are we doing today to,

kia? >> i don't know. were giving away fruit trees to the community. >> today were giving a thousand trees to 1,000 families. we're here here committed to eliminating our community's designation as a food desert, and it's important that we provide these fruit trees as food assets so people can grow food for themselves. the community can begin to feed itself. say "trees." >> trees. >> all right, high five. >> we're just darn lucky we've got somebody who's stepping up. were losg half of our farmers in the next 10 years to retirement. we need someone to step up, and there are very few people, especially in this countr who are willing to really do that kind of hard work. but veterans are, and so t tagline for our film is americ needs a million new farmers. veterans want the job, so let's help them. >> the health of human beings ha to be part of our national security. we can empower vets to be in organic, sustainable agriculture, what a great way to

do something that's very worthwhile, to be in a market that is growing. i mean, you can be successful in this. >> i think it's an incredible marriage of a need for veterans to be continuing to improve american national security, and a need for america to develop a nationally secure food system. so marrying those two together is just an unbelievably brilliant double solution to two very disparate problems. >> the vets that are coming back turning their swords into owshares and their spears into pruning hooks, they are showing us, along with many others, that it is psible to create a fair food system. and they're doing it. >> i really see in these veterans not just farmers but leaders of the farmers, leaders of this next generation of farmers. they're articulate, they're focused, they're extremely entrepreneurial. they've taken on the military, and they're taking on agriculture. they're taking on the two hardest

things in our society, d they're not even 30 years old. they' amazingoung men and women. >> i'm in such a better mood. i feel as though i have a goal. there's light at the end of the tunnel. i've come to the conclusion that that's exactly it. i've sort of found some peace and contentment, and it's be so long since i've had it that it felt foreign to me, you know? >> and a hundred years from now, we look back at these times, there's gonna be some profound things that are said about americans living right now. and hopefully they say good things. and that's-- i want to be part of that. >> at this point, maybe i've brainwashed myself,ut at this point, i can't even imagine anything more important than growing food. >> this is it. teach these guys how to farm. they can fe themselves. they can feed the community. they can feed their family. they can have sustainable life through sustainable agriculture.

>> to transition from a battlefield to a farm field is almost makes more sense than transitioning into, like, dilbert's cubicle or a classroom of 18-year-old kids who have never seen anything but, you know, reality tv, you know? and when you've gone out and seen the world and had your friends die in your arms, you're coming home and you're 26 years old, and you're looking for where's my place in this life? we feel like this is a place, you know, where you can take all those things that you brought into the military-- your strength, your bravery, your ability to stand up when you're knocked down, your sense of service, your sense of sacrifice, and your just willingness to carry the world on your

shoulders. >> as combat veterans take up farming, some farmers are finding healthier ways of producing food by going organic. >> the way we eat has to change. we see the easy way of doing things, yet we go the harder road. it's very rewarding. my name is ross nelson. this is nelson's organic dairy in southeast minnesota. this is my family farm. i farm here with my folks laverne and arlene. >> we have 365 acres. we milk around 80, 85 cows. >> growing up, it was hard. farming was kind of tough because we were conventional.

there were fluctuating prices on a day-to-day basis. and then organic came along, and they find a price that seems to work for everyone, and it stays there. we're part of organic valley, which is one of the largest organic co-ops in the nation. >> because we're set up organic, we try to be as sustainable as we can. >> the cattle have to be fed certified organic feed with no gmos, no hormones, no antibiotics, no pesticide, herbicide, or insecticide. 30% of all that they eat in a day has to come from grazing. >> this is where they pretty mucstay all summer, in pasture land, and then we'll be working them back up, plowing it up, putting in corn one year, and then we'll put it right back into pasture again. what's good for the soil is good for us. >> in the convention side of it, everyone's so focused on how much can we get out of this cow? and i think on the organic side of it it's, you know, how healthy

can i get this cow? >> for us, there was just health issues. my parents had both been taken ill with insecticide. and then laverne was sickened two years right in the row. you start to pay attention to what you're using, what you're doing, how was that affecting your health? >> conventional farming it's so easy to go put in a crop of corn, come out and spray it with a cancer causing ingredient. i mean, it's not cket science to know it--it isn't good. >> when we went organic, the first year it was such a good feeling. >> to know that you did it without poisoning the ground or hurting anyone gives a sense of satisfactn. i would like to see the whole

country go organic. i know when i consume what we produce, or consume anything off of our land, i'm not subjecting them to toxic materials. and that sure helps me with peace of mind. >> we abuse land because we regard it as a commodity that belings to us. when we see it as a community to which we belong, we can treat it with love and respect. >> i think we're doing, you know, really well for our size. supporting two families. and i wish everyone could experience it. it's hard work, long hours, but it's very rewarding. [music] >> i never thought i would be a farmer.

three years ago, i did an apprenticeship with a local organic farmer. and now i run radix farm. i use natural growing methods, following organic standards, to grow a diverse array of vegetables, over 45 different kinds and varieties. i lease three acres from a larger farm that does industrial corn and soy production. i keep a buffer zone between my farm and the corn and soy. if the herbicide sprayed on that part of the farm gets onto my vegetables, they'll die just like that. most of the farming in the chesapeake bay is large monoculture crops of corn and soy. they're spraying a lot of synthetic herbicides and fertilizer, and it affects the soil quality, and it ruins the biodiversity of the land. instead of pesticides, i use a

lot of different things. grow cover is one. just put it over the crops, and it keeps the pests out. i grow a diverse landscape of flowers, diverse crops, so that i'm encouraging beneficial insects to be in my farm. and they can take care of the bad insects. when people say you can't grow large amounts of food without chemicals, i say you definitely can. i'm on only about an acre or two, and i'm feeding well over 200 people harvesting 15 to 20 thousand pounds of vegetables each year. over time, using organic practices, the soil quality improves so that you can grow more and become more efficient and increase your yield. in the three years that i've been on this land, i've already noticed the soil quality is improving bit by bit. things are starting to fall into balance. through farmer training programs

in the region, more people are not only wanting to learn about farming, but they're staying committed to farming, and they're really getting out there and doing it. it's so inspiring to see the growing movement of new farmers in this region. i get more out of one acre to feed a family than industrial monoculture farming can. with the growth of more sustainable farms in the region, we are able to feed more and more people more efficiently, and it's more nutritious food. i sell directly to families in d.c. through a csa program. i'm able to provide the majority of vegetable needs for the families in the csa. what i love about being part of this movement of sustainable farmers in the chesapeake region is revitalizing the environment and bringing fresh, healthy, nutritious food right to people's plates.

>> pescadero california based pie ranch builds innovative partnerships to cultivate healthy food systems. one partnership saved a family farm while providing a high-tech company with healthy, locally grown food. >> there's this beautiful tradition of family farming on the coast. it's quietly and rapidly disappearing. and we don't want to see that happen. there's all this knowledge of the soils, the water, climate, what it takes to produce crops. we don't see that disappear. >> the garabaldi family came over from italy in 1892. i'm the fourth generation. my son and daughter are the fifth. our family came to pescadero to

grow on this nice ranch 44 years ago. >> the flower market was good in the early days, and we did it for 40-something years and were successful at it. >> at one time, there were 48 vendors that grew their own stuff. then it started changing. south america got involved. >> everyhing we gw, they grew, and they grew it better and cheaper. in the last 10 years, when the business kind of started going south, and then the decision was made a year ago to call it quits. and it was pretty heart-wrenching. >> 68 years going to the market, and you just cold-turkey quit. when five generations have been doing this, that was hard to take. >> over the last 10 years, we at pie ranch have developed a diverse operation and

educational farm. we had been looking for a partner to scale what we've learned to a sustainable working farm. the ano nuevo site offered the perfect venue to do this. >> out of nowhere, this nice gentleman living across the street from us came in to visit us. we start talking, and immediately we hit it off. we said, this is gonna work. >> we're not just looking at creating a sustainable farm, but we're really wanting to have from production all the way through to consumption be sustainable. we needed the up-front operating capital and customer base to make this idea reality. >> one of the unique aspects of google being located in mountain view is we're so close to so many great farms. one of my duties is to provide google with delicious, nutritious, local food. but we make the connection with food as well. as a large organization, we have committed that we're

gonna buy this yr and over the years to come a large part of his farm production up front. so we are providing with the cash flow so that he doesn't have to worry about will he be able to pay the bills as he's waiting for his crops to grow. >> this project is giving us the opportunity to develop an innovative csa. in a traditional csa, you have a group of customers in a community who support a farm financially throughout the season. and in return, get a share of the harvest. google is committing in advance like a csa member wod. this not only allows us to take the best care of the land, but also the people who are working the land. >> i get to keep my crew, and that meant a lot. i told jared i'm on board and only if you keep these guys. because if not, i don't want to stay, you know? without them, we're nothing. >> they know the soil. they know the systems. if it weren't for them, we wld not be able to hit the ground running and growing a diversity

of crops that we wanted. >> it helps the local community pescadero to remain viable. it helps us to connect the googlers with the original food of farmers. >> we're gonna be able to integrate what's being eaten in the cafeteria during the day coming from the farm with what can be taken home by an employee over the weekend. >> the schmidt family foundation mission is to support programs that are environmentallynd economically viable, and support local communities. which is why we are working closely with the two partners, pie ranch and google, to prototype a new financing model that enables smaller farms to sell their produce upfront and directly to large organizations and stabilize the cash flows. >> so the schmidt family foundation played a critical role by providing us financing. and that helps us take care of some of the immediate needs of getting started, like buying

equipment. but beyond that, this allows us to develop a whole new supply chain option for farmers. we're excited we've got our first planting of wheat and barley and vegetable crops, like peas and fava beans and chard and kale. so were rolling. >> now the ranch, i look, it's like, ok, we got wheat growing out there. and it's like, ok, that's a first. i've never seen it. we're gonna eventually have animals and pastures. it's, like wow, but i'm excited about it. it's a change in the right direction. >> were gna contie on as far as we can go. >> we're just super excited about the potential of having this model move us from an anonymous food system to one where relationships help to drivsustainability. >> so success for me would be if large organizations over in the bay area, in the u.s., or around the world would actually learn from this model and apply

and probably do it even better than we can imagine as of today. [music] qow■x■x

hello, and welcome to “focus on europe.” it's good to have you with us. it's been a year since russia launched a full-scale invasion into ukraine. one year ago, many believed that russia's huge army would have an easy time taking control of the country. russia itself seemed confident, too. the advances, however, quickly stalled. ukraine has been fighting fiercely. but the war has devastated the country. the russian army has been